Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) midshipmen participated in the annual Northwest Navy Intercollegiate Competition hosted by the University of Idaho/Washington State University NROTC Battalion, April 11.

More than 250 midshipmen from the University of Utah, University of Washington and Oregon State University traveled to North Idaho to compete in 12 events, including marksmanship, physical tests, drill and academics.

"Northwest Navy provided the opportunity for the four NROTC units to test their wits, physical fitness, and military aptitude against each other," said Midshipman 1st Class Nathaniel Lambert, a senior and the battalion commanding officer for the Idaho NROTC unit. "The success of our unit demonstrates the time and effort that was put into preparing for this event. The Navy and Marine Corps are fortunate to have such talented and dedicated officer candidates and the future of these institutions will be bright with these leaders at the helm."

The full day competition included an awards banquet at the conclusion with the passing of the trophies from last year's event winners to this year's winners.

"Northwest Navy was a fantastic morale builder for our own unit as well as the other NROTC units, centered around friendly but very competitive experiences," said Midshipman 1st Class Stephen Macintyre, a senior with the Idaho NROTC unit. "Despite being a competition, the event was an opportunity to meet other midshipmen from the universities across the Pacific Northwest. Overall, all of the Battalion's performances in Idaho were a culmination of hard work, resilience, and commitment."

The NROTC program is overseen by Rear Adm. Rich Brown, commander of Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. NROTC 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.

NSTC oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy's Citizenship Development program. NSTC includes Recruit Training Command, the NROTC at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command Newport, and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.

For more information about NROTC, visit www.nrotc.navy.mil.

For more information about NSTC, visit www.netc.navy.mil/nstc or visit the NSTC Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining

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