Naval ROTC
By Midshipman Shemaiah Palma '26
The Virginia Tech Naval ROTC Battalion entered the spring semester building on the strong momentum from the fall semester. In December, we held our Fall 2024 change of command ceremony, recognizing the leadership and service of outgoing midshipmen and welcoming a new group into spring leadership billets.
A key highlight this semester came in February with the annual NROTC ship selection—a milestone event where Surface Warfare-select midshipmen connect live with Navy detailers to choose their first ship and homeport. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and achievements:
MIDN Charley Longerbeam – USS Kidd (Everett, Washington)
MIDN Hunter Smith – USS Rushmore (Sasebo Naval Base, Japan)
MIDN Mary Ortwein – USS Cape St. George (San Diego, California)
MIDN Owen Wagner – USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii)
MIDN Xavier Kresslein – USS Cape St. George (San Diego, California)
MIDN Thomas Link – USS Essex (San Diego, California)
MIDN Garrett Wessells – USS Fitzgerald (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
MIDN Jacob Macias – USS Kearsarge (Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia)
MIDN Elizabeth Schwend – USS Wayne E. Meyer (Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii)
As the semester draws to a close, midshipmen are shifting their focus toward upcoming summer training. Depending on the class year, training varies—from New Student Indoctrination (NSI) for incoming scholarship and College Program midshipmen, to Career Orientation and Training for Midshipmen (CORTRAMID) for rising sophomores, and fleet immersion cruises for juniors and seniors.
Incoming first-years are studying Navy customs and courtesies in preparation for life at sea, while scholarship sophomores will attend CORTRAMID, gaining exposure to various warfare communities and developing foundational fleet skills such as damage control. Meanwhile, upperclassmen will shadow junior officers and enlisted sailors, gaining hands-on experience in the fleet through their summer cruises.
This developmental journey is further supported by ProLab, a professional development course required for all NROTC midshipmen. This semester, ProLab featured briefs on Navy and Marine Corps career paths, customs and courtesies, financial education, and leadership lessons from active-duty officers. A notable highlight was the presentation of a shadow box to Senior Chief Ford, honoring her retirement from 23 years of active duty as she transitions to her new role as 1st Battalion senior enlisted advisor in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
On the Marine Corps side, Raider Company continues to prepare Marine-Option midshipmen for the challenges of Officer Candidate School (OCS) and The Basic School (TBS). Each semester, Raider Company conducts a field training exercise focused on physical fitness, land navigation, and small unit leadership. This spring, though, midshipmen honed their tactical skills during the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets’ Platoon Tactical Challenge, an annual training exercise for the Corps that blends small unit leadership, timed challenges, and problem-solving scenarios into a five-mile route across campus.
This summer, rising senior Marine-option midshipmen will attend OCS, a demanding evaluation designed to test a candidate’s leadership, decision-making, and performance under pressure. Raider Company builds readiness early by immersing its members in high-stress scenarios. By their second-class year, midshipmen focus on mastering essential skills like drill, five-paragraph operations orders, rifle maintenance, and land navigation. First-class midshipmen lead OCS prep sessions to ensure their peers are equipped and confident heading into training.
As we move into summer and prepare for a new academic year, the Virginia Tech NROTC Battalion remains committed to its mission: developing the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps officers who embody the core values of honor, courage, and commitment. Through a focus on academic excellence, physical fitness, and leadership development, the battalion continues to prepare midshipmen to serve with distinction—both in training and throughout their future service.