15 students raising their right hand

On June 12th, 2020, 10 Navy option and 5 Marine option Beaver Battalion midshipmen (including three prior enlisted service members) commissioned into Navy and Marine Corps as Ensigns and 2nd Lieutenants. Much like our spring awards, Spring Commissioning this year was a virtual ceremony due to COVID -19. The virtual setting, although not the ideal situation, allowed for some memorable and unique aspects. LT Paul Hill and Capt. Warren E. Sisson did an excellent job making the best of a less than ideal situation and created a commissioning ceremony that will be remembered by the newly commissioned officers for a very long time.

The guest speaker this year was Dr. Jonny Kim, an enlisted Navy SEAL turned Navy doctor with a medical degree from Harvard Medical School who is now an astronaut for NASA. Had the ceremony been an in-person ceremony, there is a good chance the guest speaker would not have such a distinguished and unique person.

Furthermore, the virtual ceremony allowed for some of the commissionees to complete the officer oath with a family member or family friend. This is something that does not normally happen during our commissioning ceremonies and is an incredibly memorable moment for those who were able to do so. Additionally, the majority of the students were still able to have their families assist them into their uniform and complete their first salutes (if they had someone locally) as is tradition at our unit.

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.  We were one of the first units to commission women officers to serve on submarines.  We 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