US Navy lets recruits use cell phones to call home in basic training
By Nicholas Slayton | Published Mar 30, 2024 11:42 AM EDT
New U.S. Navy recruits don’t have to part with their cell phones right away. It’s a big change in policy from the Navy Recruit Training Command, which announced the new approach for basic training this week.
On Friday, Recruit Training Command said that all new recruits going through training at the Great Lakes, Illinois-based command will be able to use their cell phones for calling family. Previously, recruits were not allowed to access their phones, and all calls to family were done through landline phones on base. Now new recruits can use their cell phones for family calls. It’s limited access though; they’re only allowed to use them during the designated time to call home, and solely for calls, not for using apps or other features.
“In this post-COVID pandemic culture, digital identities have proven increasingly critical in helping to deal with day-to-day stress,” Capt. Ken Froberg, the head officer for Recruit Training Command, said in a statement.
