Marine Barracks Great Lakes Naval Center, Illinois

Marine Barracks Great Lakes Naval Center, Illinois, was established in 1911 to provide security, ceremonial duties, and administrative support for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, the U.S. Navy’s primary basic training facility in the Midwest. Throughout both World Wars, Marines stationed at the barracks played a crucial role in maintaining order and safeguarding naval assets, as the center trained hundreds of thousands of recruits. The unit’s responsibilities included gate security, honor guard functions, and the supervision of naval prisoners. Although the Marine Barracks was decommissioned in the mid-1980s as part of broader military restructuring, its legacy endures as a testament to the close cooperation between the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in training and readiness.