Naval ROTC News
By Midshipman Erin Cross-Kaplan '22
Though Virginia Tech has continued to observe changed operations because of the global pandemic, the Naval ROTC unit has continued training its midshipmen to become the best officers the nation can produce. Among other efforts to maintain a normal training schedule, physically distant PT resumed in March and the unit has been conducting Pro-Lab each week.
For Pro-Lab speakers this semester, the unit brought in Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, the commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic, through Zoom video conferencing to speak to the battalion about shipboard life, lessons learned over the course of his service, and the importance of work-life balance. He also spoke about some of the larger international issues the Navy is facing and the training it employs to meet those challenges.
The unit also “Zoomed-in” three panelists from the fast-attack submarine USS Helena, SSN-725, in Norfolk, Virginia.
Two Hokie alumni — Cmdr. Dave Nichols ’03, the commanding officer, and Lt. j.g. Joshua Taylor ’17 — along with the chief of the boat, Logistics Specialist Submarine Master Chief Brett Adams, educated the battalion about the submarine warfare community, the training pipeline, and what future submarine-selected midshipmen can expect to see in the fleet.
As the semester draws to an end, midshipmen have been excited to learn that they will conduct summer cruises this year. With most summer training events canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic, these cruises will be the first exposure to the fleet for many of the unit’s midshipmen.
Marine Corps Commissioning
In May, Raider Company commissioned two female Marines: Elizabeth Pease ’21 and Madison Schickel ’21. They were the first women to commission into the Marine Corps from Virginia Tech in a decade. The last was Christina Forsythe ’11, who has fond memories of the Raider Company she knew.
A separated Marine Corps captain, Forsythe said: “I hope today’s Raider Company is similar to what I experienced 10 years ago. We worked hard to ensure a tough, realistic, and challenging environment focused on developing midshipmen to become future Marine officers. … I was led by some of the most professional Marines and midshipmen. They constantly pushed themselves to be the best and demanded the same from us. Raider Company’s tenets of leadership ensured service to our Marines and leading by example. Our motto, We Set the Pace, instilled that concept of leading from the front. I hope this is still the motto today! … Raider Company helped shape who I am and greatly influenced how I look at the world and the people around me.”
Pease and Schickel agree.
When asked about her experiences over the last four years, Schickel spoke about how well Raider Company prepared her for Officer Candidates School. She said she is proud of making it through the rigorous program.
Anchors Aweigh
During the fall 2020 semester, teams of midshipmen painted the new midshipman lounge in Lane Hall. Thanks to their artistic talents, the lounge features murals on each wall representing the different warfare communities, making it much more distinctly “Navy and Marine Corps” than the previous space. The lounge was officially “underway” this spring, providing midshipmen a new study space and a professional library.
Additionally, the anchor that had been outside Femoyer Hall since 1985 was moved to the grass adjacent to Lane Hall, just a stone’s throw from Bay 1, the new home of the Naval ROTC staff offices.
Madelyn Kruger ’22 led the effort to paint the anchor, turning it from its original black to Navy blue with gold highlights.
Spring also brought the battalion one of the few female battalion commanding officer-executive officer teams in its history.
Battalion Commander Hannah LaVigne ’21 commissioned in May as a surface warfare officer and will report to the USS Barry, DDG-52, in Yokosuka, Japan. The executive officer, Kana Griffin ’21, commissioned as a pilot and hopes to fly helicopters.
Together, the team has innovatively led the battalion through a successful semester of mission achievement, developing leaders ready for the fleet, despite adversity brought on by the worldwide pandemic. The Virginia Tech unit remains one of the nation’s top officer producing units and commissioned 36 U.S. Navy ensigns and seven U.S. Marine Corps second lieutenants in May.