Trias Earns Military Excellence Award at Recruit Training Command

GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Seaman Lara Mae Trias graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) July 9, 2026.

Trias, 32, of San Antonio, Texas, said the honor still feels surreal, in part because she never set out to be noticed.

"At first, I didn't believe I was even one of the candidates," Trias said. "English is my second language. I'm quiet most of the time, and I didn't volunteer for any leadership positions. I wanted to be invisible and just get through it. I didn't think I deserved it, so I just focused on doing my best and following the instructions of my RDCs.”

The Military Excellence Award is presented to the recruit who best demonstrates enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military bearing and teamwork throughout training. As part of the recognition, recipients receive a flag letter of commendation.

What she lacked in volume, she made up for in consistency. Trias made sure she stayed ahead on every test and presented herself sharply at every inspection, and in the end, the quiet effort spoke for itself.

"I guess my work didn't go unnoticed," she said. "Receiving this award makes me believe in myself, and that I can be a leader too. I want to strive and excel in every task I'm given."

Trias took a long and deliberate road to RTC. She grew up in Cavite, Philippines, and immigrated to the United States in 2017, learning to navigate a new culture, a new language and a new kind of independence. She earned a bachelor's degree in health sciences and a master's in public health, and built a career as a licensed dental hygienist. But the routine of that work eventually left her wanting more.

"I had a routine job as a pediatric dental hygienist, and I started thinking about what I could do to improve myself, because there was no room to grow," Trias said. "I wanted to challenge myself. When I learned the Navy created a pilot program for hygienists, I saw a chance to sharpen my knowledge and my practice, and to be part of something bigger than myself."

The transition wasn't easy. Trias said the hardest part of boot camp was staying mentally focused while being away from her family and surrounded by people from backgrounds very different from her own. She found her footing the same way she had after arriving in America, by leaning on the people around her.

"We all learned that we couldn't get through this as individuals," she said. "I made friends with other recruits who are Christians like me. We would share Bible verses and talk about our life testimonies, and that lifted my hopes and made me stronger and more confident."

The steadiest voice through it all belonged to her husband, a Navy veteran who prepared her for what boot camp would demand.

"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have made it," Trias said. "He knows this world better than I do, and he gave me tips that really helped. He told me the only place to go from here is up, and that being here would help me succeed. I held onto that."

Her RDCs, Retail Services Specialist 1st Class (RS1) Monaine Morgan, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (HM1) Luis Sampedro and Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class (EM2) Jarrett Metz, reinforced that belief daily with a balance she hadn't expected from military leaders.

"Their patience was outstanding," Trias said. "I've never seen leaders who could be strict disciplinarians and still have a sense of humor at the same time. They were always there for us, and pushing us to be our best—not just in boot camp but in life."

For anyone who might read her story from back home, Trias offered the same perspective that carried her from Cavite to Great Lakes.

"Coming to America as a foreigner was not easy. I had to adapt to the culture, speak the language and become independent," she said. "Boot camp is the same. It's not easy, but as long as you have people by your side going through it with you, and you trust the process, you won't just survive. You'll come out a better person and a great Sailor."

Following graduation, Trias will report to Hospital Corpsman "A" school in San Antonio, Texas, for training in patient care and first aid procedures.

Training at RTC is approximately nine weeks long, and all enlistees in the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy's only boot camp.