On June 14th at 10am, the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at Oregon State University (OSU), gathered on the Student Experience Center Plaza to commission 14 midshipmen to officers in the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The ceremony involved the oath of office, assistance into uniform by the students’ families, rendering of the first salute, and remarks from Rear Admiral Jesse Wilson, Jr. Upon graduation, eight of these students will become active duty Navy Ensigns and six will commission as Marine 2nd Lieutenants.

The NROTC program was established to develop midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically; and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, loyalty, and the core values of honor, courage, and commitment in order to commission college graduates as naval officers. The program enables qualified young men and women to attain a college education leading to a commission in the Navy or Marine Corps, and offers scholarship and non-scholarship opportunities for future Navy and Marine Corps officers.

Oregon States’ NROTC program is a leading commissioning source.  They were one of the first units to commission women officers to serve on submarines.  They commission Navy officers in all unrestricted line communities, including naval aviation, submarines, surface warfare, and naval special warfare.  Marine option students commission in aviation, ground combat and logistics. 

This year’s guest speaker and commissioning officer was Rear Admiral Jesse A. Wilson Jr. A native of California, Maryland.  Wilson is the son of a retired Navy master chief petty officer and his daughter graduated from OSU this spring. He has served at the U.S. Naval Academy as the 27th company officer and he is currently the Commander of the Naval Surface Force, U.S.  Atlantic Fleet,  located in Norfolk, Virginia.