In honor of Armed Forces Day, interesting facts about Naval Station Great Lakes

The third Saturday in May is designated as Armed Forces Day in the United States. In 2018, that's May 19. In the spirit of recognizing the men and women who protect this country, here are some numbers you might not have known about Naval Station Great Lakes, the U.S. Navy's largest training facility, found in Lake County ...

• 107: The number of years that Naval Station Great Lakes has been training sailors as of this July. The station opened on July 1, 1911. The idea for the base was born in 1902, when Navy officials noticed that many top sailors were from the Midwest, and it was announced by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. The first war in which sailors who were trained at Great Lakes fought was World War I.

• 172 acres: The size of the site on which the station was commissioned.

• Over 1,600 acres: The size of the station today.

• 1,153: The number of buildings on the base.

• 39: The number of those buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, the United States government's official list of locations deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. According to Public Affairs Officer John Sheppard, buildings on the register include the administration building and the headquarters for the "A School," which is where sailers take their first classes after boot camp.

• 80: Percent of the Navy's surface warfare specialty training that takes place at Naval Station Great Lakes.

• 100: Percent of incoming Naval recruits who receive at least some of their training at Naval Station Great Lakes. The station houses the Navy's only currently operating Boot Camp.

• 32,376: Total number of personnel living and working at Naval Station Great Lakes as of September 2016. That number comprises 25,686 military personnel, which includes active duty and retired sailors, Marines and soldiers as well as family; and 6,690 civilian employees, which includes Department of Defense civil service personnel, contractors, and commissary workers.

• 300: Sailors in the first graduating class at the station. The first recruit to arrive for training was Joseph Gregg of Terre Haute, Indiana.

• 10,273: Number of students training at the station as of September 2016.