Four Bears players spent their day off Oct. 21 at Naval Station Great Lakes, touring the facility and meeting 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 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.
The Bears players made their visit in partnership with USAA and in advance of the Sunday's Salute to Service game against the Giants at Soldier Field.
"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.
They group 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."
"It's a huge morale boost to everybody here, especially here in Chicago," said USAA military affairs representative Shawn Isaacson. "There's such a great relationship between the Bears and the Navy. Everyone here is so excited. It's a great thing for everybody."
