A month before U.S. Navy Capt. Stephen M. Yargosz arrived at Naval Station Great Lakes in May of 2023 to prepare for becoming the commanding officer five months later, the U.S. Department of Defense was committed to funding a new Forrestal Elementary School.
Yargosz said he knew then it was important to not only work with North Chicago School District 187 to ensure the project went smoothly, but to become involved in the community where the sailors under his command lived, ate, shopped, and sent their children to school.
Though the school is located on Navy property at the Forrestal Village naval housing community, he said it is there to educate both the children of North Chicago residents as well as youngsters of Navy personnel. It is a community effort.
“We worked to provide the community with a beautiful and amazing school,” Yargosz said. “I was proud to work with District 187 because of the opportunity for all of the kids.”
Community involvement became a hallmark of Yargosz’s time as the commanding officer at Naval Station Great Lakes as he prepares to retire on Oct. 8 at the base in North Chicago, ending a 27-year career in the military.
Before arriving at Great Lakes for his final command post, Yargosz, 51, said he was a helicopter pilot who flew four combat missions in Iraq before overseeing helicopter service command squads. He also spent time at the Pentagon as a presidential advisor.
Living in different places ranging from San Diego to Norfolk, Virginia, Yargosz learned to understand the relationship between the military and civilian communities in those locations. He said part of his job is getting involved in the broader community.
“When I first got to the base (here), I felt the need to engage with the community,” he said. “We do a lot here, and we couldn’t do it without the support of the community. We shop in the stores, our children go to the schools. We need to support the community and do it really well.”
Naval Station Great Lakes, the only boot camp for the Navy, holds graduation ceremonies almost every weekend for new sailors. Yargosz said it is a time the Navy gives a boost to the local economy.
“For 48 weekends a year, they eat at the restaurants and sleep in the hotel rooms,” Yargosz said. “It’s a place they celebrate with their families.”
North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr., said that in his more than 20 years leading the city, he has known a number of Great Lakes commanding officers. Some were more active in the community than others, he said, and Yargosz stood out.
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“When something was happening, he would always let us know,” Rockingham said. “The relationship has been great to have that friendship. He really helped District 187 with Forrestal School. It was not just about Navy children, but all the kids of North Chicago.”
When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted extensive immigration enforcement during Operation Midway Blitz last fall using the Navy base as its headquarters, Rockingham said Yargosz was a big help.
“He was really involved with us,” the mayor said. “He had to comply with orders from D.C., but he made us aware of everything that was going on and when. He did an excellent job of helping North Chicago navigate the situation. He did a real good job for North Chicago and all of Lake County.”
The city honored Yargosz with a proclamation at its Sept. 21 meeting recognizing his service to the country and the community. State Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, did the same with a resolution.
Johnson said in an email she worked with Yargosz both in his capacity at the naval base and as a member of the Illinois Military Economic Development Committee. He attends community meetings to “ demonstrate his commitment to being a resource for community leaders and residents.”
“His leadership and partnership extend way beyond the military installation,” Johnson said. “Captain Yargosz has been a great partner in educating residents about the Naval Station and activities of the recruits.”
Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, D-Lake Bluff, said Yargosz developed a First Friday program where he invited people from the community onto the base for an open house. He was building community.
“It’s really cool he does it,” Hart said. “He really gets involved with the community.”
As the Halsey Village naval housing area fell into disrepair — U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates, called it “Zombie Village” — both Rockingham and Hart said he was instrumental in helping develop a remediation plan.
Halsey Village is a group effort, with the county looking for affordable housing, North Chicago looking at multiple uses for development, and Yargosz able to send environmental remediation work to the city through government programs.
“Halsey Village was a blight on our community,” Yargosz said. “We saw what happened and we tried to make it a good deal for the community. When Chair Hart and Mayor Rockingham got involved, we found a way to make it better.”
When Yargosz and his wife Amy leave Great Lakes, he said they are moving to Palm Springs, California. For a while, he said he plans to do “nothing.” He plans to find a second career in retirement, but added, “I don’t know what it will be.
“I’ve never been to Palm Springs, but my wife has,” he said. She’s followed me around all these years, and now it’s her turn. She’s been a very important part of my life. She’s a good, outstanding person who keeps me grounded.”
Born in North Webster, Indiana, Yargosz graduated from Purdue University in 1998 with a degree in engineering. Needing a job and with a grandfather who served in World War II and other family members with military backgrounds, he went to Officer Candidate School. He was commissioned as an ensign on Sept. 24, 1999.
Initially assigned to an aviation maintenance unit, he later got the opportunity to go to flight school. Yargosz said he became a helicopter pilot and eventually oversaw squadrons.
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After attending the Marine Command College, Yargosz served as the executive officer in the Office of National Drug Control Policy. He said the office advised the president on dealing with illicit drugs.