The University of Notre Dame Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NROTC) hosted its 21st annual Naval Leadership Weekend Seminar to discuss issues critical to their roles as future leaders in the Navy and Marine Corps Feb. 26-27.

More than 140 midshipmen and staff members from nearly 48 universities across the country attended this year's leadership event

Keynote speaker Adm. Philip S. Davidson, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, addressed the midshipmen in attendance at the closing dinner.

Davidson drew on his experience in offering thoughts on leadership development and underlined four rules for the crowd of soon-to-be junior officers. In the first of these rules, he emphasized the importance of holding a worldview founded on strong morals.

In addition to integrity, Davidson told the midshipmen other essential tools for a future junior officer including an unrelenting work ethic, a sense of humility, and recognition of opportunity.

Davidson then discussed the crucial transformation from midshipman to junior officer, and encouraged the midshipmen to stop thinking inward, but rather focus on bettering those around you.

He spent the remainder of his time taking questions from the midshipmen on matters ranging from specific foreign policy to future capabilities and responsibilities of the U.S. Navy.

Throughout the weekend, midshipmen were able to meet and listen to Marine Maj. Gen. James W. Lukeman, commanding general, Marine Corps Training and Education Command, Rear Adm. Peter A. Gumataotao, deputy chief of staff, Strategic Plans and Policy Supreme Allied Command Transformation, retired Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, Assistant Secretary for Pubic Affairs and Department spokesperson at the Department of State, Marine Sgt. Maj. Justin D. LeHew, Marine Corps Training and Education command sergeant major, retired Navy Capt. Paul Rinn, and Mike Seamon, director of Gameday Operations for University of Notre Dame football.

Midshipmen also had the opportunity to participate in ethical decision-making games. The exercise gave the midshipmen an opportunity to support and defend their decisions and use the discussion to develop and amend their decision-making skills.

Midshipman 1st Class Joseph Rauenhorst, an Iowa State NROTC senior in industrial technology, went to the conference for the first time and said the whole experience was motivating.

"All of the speakers spoke very bluntly about the different leadership challenges we will face as junior officers in the Navy and Marine Corps," said Rauenhorst. "They also gave us different topics and shared their experiences to help us overcome those challenges."

For 20 consecutive years, Naval ROTC midshipmen from around the country have met once a year at the University of Notre Dame to learn and discuss issues critical to their roles as future leaders in the Navy and Marine Corps. This two-and-a-half day event provided an opportunity for midshipmen to step outside their classrooms and into an environment that continues their education and training as leaders by promoting a critical examination of the principles of leadership.

It was a chance for midshipmen to hear from successful leaders in both the military and civilian communities, providing them with the tools and information that will guide them to success beyond the realm of college and into their future challenge to become superior military officers.

Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans oversees the NROTC program as commander of Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes. 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 (RTC), the Navy's only boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes, NROTC at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command (OTC) at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, 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/.