The primary function of the Great Lakes yearbook is to memorialize a recruit’s "Division." In the Navy, a division is the core unit of 80 to 100 recruits who live, train, and eat together for eight weeks. The yearbook captures this collective journey, typically featuring:

: Older volumes document the era of segregation, while subsequent editions track the integration of African American sailors and, eventually, the merging of female recruits into integrated divisions in the 1990s.

: Candid photography of firefighting drills, water survival training, and the grueling "Battle Stations" 21-hour capstone event.

: Social media groups for specific years or divisions often share scanned pages to help shipmates reconnect.

: Located on-site at the base, preserving the local heritage.

: From the traditional bell-bottoms to the introduction of the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) "blueberries" and the current Type III variants, the yearbooks serve as a fashion archive of military utility. Genealogical and Personal Value