Oregon State University NROTC Midshipmen Commissioned

CORVALLIS, Ore. (NNS) -- Twenty-four Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) midshipmen were commissioned as Navy & Marine Corps officers at a commissioning ceremony held at Oregon State University, June 14.

The nineteen Navy-option and five Marine-option NROTC midshipmen, officer candidates and Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) students were personally recognized by the guest speaker Rear Admiral Dietrich Kuhlmann, commander, Submarine Group 9 (COMSUBGRU NINE), in front of an audience of more than 250 people.

"It doesn't feel real, I'm still waiting for it to hit me," said Ensign Evan Albright, one of the newly-commissioned officers.

Although numerous NROTC midshipmen will receive commissions over the next few weeks, being commissioned by a rear admiral is a rare opportunity.

During his address, Kuhlmann expressed words of encouragement to the graduates and newly-commissioned officers.

"Your service matters and you will make a difference," said Kuhlmann. "We are the first responders, and our nation remains a beacon of light for a dark world."

The family and peers of the newly-commissioned officers also demonstrated how proud they were when they gave a standing ovation immediately following the swearing-in of the officers.

The NROTC program, overseen by Rear Adm. Dee L. Mewbourne, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., was established to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, loyalty and Navy core values in order to commission college graduates as Naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the Naval service and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.

Mewbourne and his NSTC staff oversee 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy. This includes the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at more than 160 colleges and universities; Officer Training Command (OTC) on Naval Station Newport, R.I.; Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy's only boot camp, at Great Lakes, Ill.; and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.

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For more news from Naval Service Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/greatlakes/.