Bears Players Visit Naval Station Great Lakes

Recently, four Chicago Bears players visited the Naval Station Great Lakes, to tour the facility and meet military personnel.

Offensive tackle Theo Benedet, running back Travis Homer, defensive back Josh Blackwell and punter Tory Taylor visited the facility, which is the Navy's largest training installation and home of the Navy's only boot camp. It's located in North Chicago about 10 miles north of Halas Hall on 1,600 acres adjacent to Lake Michigan and includes 1,153 buildings, with 39 on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

"For me, it's important that us as a society starts to recognize what our military does for us," Homer said. "I feel like that we don't give appreciation enough. It's a great opportunity for us to come out here and get together with the community and just learn a little bit."

 

The first stop on the tour was the USS Trayer, a massive $65 million, 210-foot-long ship simulator. It's utilized as part of a final pre-graduation test to gauge how Navy recruits deal with damage control, firefighting and other emergencies under high-stress conditions. In one room, the floor vibrates and special effects blare as part of simulating a missile attack.

 

The players followed by visiting a museum that all families of recruits pass through on the way to graduation ceremonies. It features the history of Naval Station Great Lakes, explains the daily life of sailors and more.

 

The Bears players concluded their visit by signing autographs and posing for photos with sailors, recruits and their families.

 

"It's been such an unforgettable experience," said Benedet. "You see all these people and you're overwhelmed with a sense of their own selflessness and their desire to serve others. If I could help facilitate that even by 0.1% by coming today, I'm happy to do that."