GREAT LAKES (NNS) – Seaman Ryan Colletta graduated as the top Sailor from Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, earning the Military Excellence Award (MEA) June 25, 2026.
Colletta, 22, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, said the news caught him off guard, even within a division he considered exceptionally strong.
“When I found out I won the Military Excellence Award, I was very surprised,” Colletta said. “I always tried to do my best at everything, but I also tried to find a balance between focusing on the task at hand and building bonds with my fellow recruits. There were a number of recruits in my division who were of high enough caliber for this award, so I’m honored to have stood out in such a disciplined and motivated group.”
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.
For Colletta, the Navy was less a decision than a destination he had been circling his entire life. Virginia Beach put him in daily proximity to Sailors he admired, but one in particular shaped his path more than any other.
“I grew up in a Navy town surrounded by some of the greatest role models and mentors I could ask for,” he said. “My largest role model was my father, who was in the Navy as I grew up. I’ve always strived to achieve as much as he has. My brother recently joined the Navy as well, which motivated me to start down this path and hopefully join him in the world’s greatest Navy.”
Before enlisting, Colletta played defense for Kellam High School’s lacrosse team, earning MVP and team captain honors, then continued at the Division III level at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, where he graduated with a degree in environmental science and a minor in chemistry. The discipline instilled by his college coach, Kevin McDonough, carried directly into his approach at RTC.
“My coach instilled discipline and timeliness in our team from the moment I joined,” Colletta said. “He believed how we conducted ourselves off the field impacted how we performed on it. We made sure our academic responsibilities were handled before athletics, and if we made a mistake, we ran sprints before returning to the drill so we could correct it before it cost us in a game that mattered. That experience made boot camp much easier to transition into.”
Story by Marc Lindsay, U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command, Navy Office of Community Outreach