Life of a Midshipman

It has been said that being a midshipman means you do more work by 1000hrs than most people do in a normal day. Expect early mornings and late evenings, as you prepare yourself both physically and mentally for the rigors of military and academia. More will be expected of you than the average student. Simply placing on the uniform will set a higher moral, academic, and ethical standard to the general community at large.

Midshipmen in the Naval ROTC program are either Scholarship students or College Program students.

  • Scholarship students have their tuition and academic courses paid for, in full, by the Navy. They also receive a monthly stipend as well as a book stipend, once a semester. Housing pay is not covered by these stipends and is the responsibility of the individual. Being on scholarship also entails a summer cruise, between each year of schooling. The Navy provides uniforms and required apparel.

  • College Program students do not receive a stipend for their schooling. These are motivated students that have not yet received a scholarship but still opt to participate fully in the NROTC program.

Unit Operation

Regardless of standing, Scholarship students and College Programmers participate in all NROTC functions throughout each semester.

Drill is held twice a week for one hour; here, midshipmen learn about some aspects of being a Naval Officer. These drill periods cover close order drill, Commanding Officer briefs, personal finance, experiences from other midshipmen’s summer training, and other military instructions. Drill attendance is mandatory, as this is a large portion of a midshipman’s development.

Physical fitness is of the utmost importance to the Navy and Marine Corps, and every midshipmen must attend at least three PT sessions each week. For one of these sessions, the whole Battalion meets for PT. The other two training sessions are with smaller groups, usually with your immediate peers and billet holders. If midshipmen are lacking in certain physical areas, they will be placed on a Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP). This is meant to improve overall performance and get midshipmen back to working out with their divisions. Marine Options PT separately, in order to prepare for Officer Candidate School and the more rigorous standards that the Marine Corps places on these midshipmen.

Midshipmen Billets

Developing good officers for the fleet is the mission of the NROTC program. During their time with the Battalion, each midshipman will hold billets, or jobs, so their leadership skills can be evaluated and be improved.

The Battalion is made up of two companies, headed by 4th year midshipmen, which are delegated jobs, such as managing tailgates or supplying midshipmen with proper equipment. Each company, Golf and Tango, are comprised of two platoons, each led by a Platoon Commander and Chief. Their jobs are assigned by Department Heads, older and more experienced midshipmen who direct the day-to-day operations of the unit. At the head are the Battalion Commanding Officer, Battalion Executive Officer, and Battalion Master Chief Petty Officer who, as a triad, decide on the direction of the whole Battalion.

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