Racing star sees his recruits at Great Lakes
NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. rolled up in a white Dodge minivan Wednesday to check out his recruit division at Great Lakes Naval Station near North Chicago.
Earnhardt, one of racing's most popular drivers, visited the 88 recruits during their final leg of preparations before they start an eight-week boot camp today. The recruits are in the Navy's Dale Earnhardt Jr. Division.
Under an $800,000 deal, Earnhardt appeared in television commercials and participated in other efforts to attract the Navy recruits to his special division. It was part of the Navy's marketing that targeted young adults.
After exiting a Dodge Grand Caravan and not his usual Chevrolet, Earnhardt first spoke to the recruits in the medical checkup building. He then went to the mess hall and barracks, where he distributed patches emblazoned with "Dale Jr. Division" to the recruits.
Earnhardt told the recruits they are in the first Navy division that stems from a celebrity-endorsed program. He asked them to fully commit to the Navy and said they should expect to be stronger individuals after finishing basic training.
"Hopefully, a couple of you guys, for my sake, can say you made it to the Pentagon," said Earnhardt, who plans to return to see the recruits before they graduate Oct. 17.
Recruit division Cmdr. Nancy Smogoleski said Earnhardt's appearance should be a boost to the would-be sailors. She said the Dale Jr. Division will be treated the same as the others.
"I've been a big fan of (Earnhardt's) for the last eight, nine years. ... It's a one-time experience to do something like this, but it doesn't take away from what we have to do here," Smogoleski said.
Taking a break before joining some recruits in mess-hall conversation, Earnhardt said he never wanted to join the armed forces as a young adult. He said he's gained an appreciation for the military.
"You go on trips like this, you really kind of see the working mechanics of the military and how they operate and how a guy comes straight out of high school and ends up a fine-tuned military machine," Earnhardt said. "It's pretty impressive.
Great Lakes has the Navy's only boot camp. More than 40,000 recruits will pass through the 96-year-old base this year with the goal of becoming sailors.