Naval Station Great Lakes (
NAVSTA Great Lakes) is the home of the
United States Navy's only
boot camp, located near
North Chicago, in
Lake County, Illinois. Important tenant commands include the
Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago. Naval Station Great Lakes is the second largest military installation in
Illinois and the largest training station in the Navy. The base has 1,153 buildings situated on and has of roadway to provide access to the base's facilities. Within the naval service, it has several different nicknames, including "
The Quarterdeck of the Navy", or the more derogatory "
Great Mistakes".