NROTC

Comment

Comment by SusanW on September 5, 2009 at 8:48am

Yes, Minnesota is picture perfect right now. Weather in the low seventies, clear skies, crisp air, just a hint of color in the trees. The orientation picnic at Macalester and the outdoor convocation were spectacular. The provost's message to the students was 'Your business here is to learn...'

David is heading down to the University of St. Thomas (another crosstown affiliate) later this weekend for ironing lessons from one of the mids there. It's nice, since St. Thomas is only a mile down the road from Macalester. It's great that David is already making the connections to make this all work.

Comment by NavyMomXXXY on September 5, 2009 at 8:09am

Isn't the difference that one week makes amazing? The bumps and bruises heal (and in Leigh's case the infected blister), but the change in the person is the beginning of quite a transformation. The prior enlisted are a real asset to the unit. Now on to the college part of this - and what beautiful weather for school to start!

Comment by SusanW on September 5, 2009 at 7:41am

David made it through UMN's O-Week. I can't say that he loved it, but he was proud that he could get through everything that they challenged the mids with. He said that a few students really struggled and at least two students dropped out during o-week. What is most surprising to David (and a little intimidating I think) is the make-up of his class. Of the 43 new NROTC members there are 25 scholarship winners and 5 or 6 college programmers. The rest are prior enlisted in their early to mid-twenties who are commissioning through one of the other programs. For these guys, orientation was a walk in the park! But already, these guys are sharing their experiences, which will be really valuable.

Aside from the shock of seeing his shaved head and all of the cuts/bruises, the thing that surprised me the most about David was the way that he carries himself. Definitely not the slouchy, laid-back teen I left here a week ago!

Comment by Mary (Matt and Justin's Mom) on September 4, 2009 at 4:46pm

my oldest son graduated from the Naval Academy in 2006 and is now stationed on the west coast. His experience of attending the Academy is something we will never forget, My youngest also wanted to be an officer in the navy but we knew there was no way he was going to be accepted to the Naval Academy because of his grades. He was accepted to U of N Florida in Jacksonville in the NROTC unit and just loves it! NROTC is a great way to get a college education and begin their journey as officers in the Navy or Marines! Go Navy! Beat Army!

Comment by NavyMomXXXY on September 4, 2009 at 2:45pm

I absolutely agree - my profile picture is of our daughter's commissioning, when her big brother did the swearing in - I've said it before, but one of the proudest moments of my life, to see both my kids in their dress whites.

Comment by BusyMom on September 4, 2009 at 2:01pm

The commissioning exercises are much more personal that a huge graduation ceremony. I remember my sister's exercises with all the family present and then the let down of the graduation at UVA, where many graduates were dressed inappropriately or even worse, drunk! You work hard for four years you want it to mean something special. I cannot wait for my husband to swear our son in when he graduates in three years, as this means the next generation is now the future of the Navy!

Comment by Sara Kelly on September 3, 2009 at 4:14pm

StaceyO, my older son was also that way. His graduation was the same day as commissioning but a few hours earlier. He did not want to rush from one to the other as they were in opposite parts of Boston. He wanted to be fresh for the commissioning. I was so proud of him @ commissioning. It is truly a mom moment. When his dad & I changed the bars on his shoulders from Rotc midshipman to Navy Ensign, just wait. I was surprised I could see I had so many tears in my eyes!

Comment by NavyMomXXXY on September 3, 2009 at 3:17pm

StaceyO, my daughter was the same way. Commissioning was the weekend after graduation - she said "don't bother coming up for graduation, I'm not going to walk anyway - my real graduation is commissioning!" She left 10 days later to meet up with her ship in Bahrain - wound up sitting there for 10 days as well before her ship came into port.

Comment by StaceyO on September 3, 2009 at 3:03pm

My son graduates and is commissioned in December, he could care less about graduating, all he wants to do is go in the Navy and go to sea. This was on his facebook page today "less then 100 days until I hit the fleet" Nothing better than seeing our kids happy and excited.

Comment by Paulette - NROTC mom on September 2, 2009 at 1:27pm

Centhea-
Comments like that are so nice to hear. Especially knowing that the kids are just as likely to hear the opposite and maybe have a professor that is not pro-military. What a great experience for your son. Going to make going to that class a lot more pleasant I bet :)

• First
• Previous
• Next
• Last