The University of Wisconsin Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) commissioned 10 midshipmen as Navy and Marine Corps officers during spring commencement exercises on the campus May 16.

The seven Navy-option and three Marine-option midshipmen were commissioned by Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar, Wisconsin adjutant general. They were among 30 University of Wisconsin graduates to be commissioned into the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps in front of an audience of more than 400 people.

"Maj. Gen. Dunbar's message to my fellow commissioned officers and me provided good advice and direction in the character we should strive to exhibit as an officer," said newly commissioned Ensign Aaron Holbeck. "I am humbled, excited and eager to begin what hopefully will be a very challenging and rewarding career as a naval officer."

Holbeck's mother, Colleen, said watching her son be commissioned by the general was an extremely proud moment for her. "My husband, Neal, and I are so proud of our son for joining the service and accomplishing his goal of becoming a naval officer. We feel proud that he is carrying on the family name in a profession that requires selflessness and service," she said.

Capt. Christopher Murdoch, professor of Naval Science and commanding officer of the unit, said the joint commissioning ceremony was a great opportunity for the three ROTC programs on the Madison campus to celebrate the accomplishments of their cadets and midshipmen together.

"We are very pleased with the support the university community has shown these young men and women, who have chosen service over self in completing their ROTC commitment and taking an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States."

During his remarks, Dunbar expressed words of encouragement to the assembled newly-commissioned officers, while briefly discussing some of the challenges they will face. He concluded by administering the oath of office to the new officers and congratulated them.

Holbeck said it was "an honor and privilege to be representing our great nation and to have the support of such thankful and appreciative Americans is a humbling feeling."

The NROTC program, overseen by Rear Adm. Rich Brown, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, 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 (RTC), NROTC at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command (OTC) on Naval Station Newport, R.I., and the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) 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/.