Retired Vice Adm. Richard K. Gallagher visited the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) unit at the University of Utah to discuss naval service and leadership, Feb. 11.

Gallagher, a 1976 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a naval aviator currently resides in the Salt Lake City area. His most recent assignment before retiring was the U.S. Military Representative, NATO Military Committee.

"It's always great to talk to junior officers, enlisted and future officers," said Gallagher. "It is really energizing for me and I'm happy to be here. You have an advantage here in NROTC in that you are learning to grow up."

Gallagher spoke with the entire unit for two hours with topics ranging from his history to ethical challenges and leadership. He also answered questions from many of the midshipmen including his time as commanding officer of Top Gun.

"It was really motivating when the admiral talked about his time at Top Gun," said Midshipman 3rd Class Mitchell Haber, a junior from Pocatello, Idaho, and aspiring aviator. "He spoke of how the pilots had an unrelenting desire to achieve excellence. For me I apply that desire to the NROTC program and getting an education."

"I admired the fact that the admiral was open minded in his entire career," said Marine Sgt. Sam Wettstein, a Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) member from Nekoosa, Wisconsin. "It was very refreshing that he had such a great career that way."

Gallagher took some time before and after to meet with the unit leadership.

"We are very fortunate to call the admiral a local and host the admiral to our unit," said Capt. Mark Springer, commanding officer, Utah NROTC. "His perspectives from a 36 year career with five command tours were a great reinforcement to several of the Naval Science courses in which our midshipmen are enrolled."

The admiral finished up his visit by advising the future officers to not look past your next tour. "Focus on today and tomorrow."

The NROTC program, overseen by Rear Adm. Steven C. Evans, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes, 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.

The officers will 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 units at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command (OTC) at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, 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.

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

For more information about NSTC, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or visit https://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining/.

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