NROTC San Diego Commissions 39 Members

Thirty-nine members of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) San Diego, including more than a dozen from the University of San Diego participated in a commissioning ceremony on USS Midway on Friday, May 27.

Steeped in military tradition, the ceremony officially inducted the NROTC students into service; 18 were Ensigns (Navy) and 21 were Second Lieutenants (Marines).

"This is an extremely exciting day in the career of any military officer, it's the day you raise your hand and take that oath of office," says Commanding Officer of NROTC San Diego Captain Gerald R. Olin. "The one piece of advice I have for you all here today is to have a passion for what you do every day. Some days are going to be hard, and that's okay. Some days you're going to fail, but you need to learn from it and come back better."

Vice Admiral Francis Morley, Principal Military Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Research, Development and Acquisition, addressed the new officers. He encouraged the graduates to be proud of the skills they have built at NROTC San Diego as they go toe-to-toe with Naval Academy graduates.

"The Naval Academy is supposed to build self-discipline, but I'll tell you what builds self-discipline," he says. "Graduate four years from a university in San Diego...THAT is self-discipline."

NROTC San Diego was established at the University of San Diego and San Diego State University in 1982. Since then, enrollment agreements with Point Loma Nazarene University, Cal State University San Marcos and the University of California San Diego were also established.

The Battalion has grown from an initial cadre of 28 to its current strength of more than 200 students, which includes Midshipmen, active duty Marines participating in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP), and active duty sailors who were selected for the Seaman to Admiral 21 (STA-21) Officer Candidate program.

— Kelsey Grey '15 (BA)

Photos by Matthew Piechalak