CITADEL MIDSHIPMEN COMPLETE 2013 SUMMER TRAINING By: LT Brendan Schaaf The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) midshipmen at The Citadel have the opportunity to participate in unique career-oriented training during the summer furlough. The NROTC summer training program provides midshipmen with real-world hands-on training instrumental in their development as Navy and Marine Corps officers. For many, this is their first exposure to the fleet and Marine Corps. Midshipmen who are awarded four-year national scholarships have the opportunity to participate in summer training after their freshman (knob) year and through the beginning of their senior year – a total of three summer training periods. Each summer, the training for an individual midshipman becomes progressively more tailored to his or her desired service community. Following the completion of knob year, Navy and Marine option midshipmen participate in their third-class cruise, known as Career Orientation and Training for Midshipmen (CORTRAMID). CORTRAMID is a four-week program and is held in San Diego, California and Norfolk, Virginia. Citadel midshipmen participate in CORTARMID with hundreds of other midshipmen from various universities across the nation. Each week of CORTRAMID is dedicated to one of four particular service communities – surface warfare, submarines, aviation and the Marine Corps. The midshipmen rotate through each of these training periods and receive valuable insight as to which community they will choose to pursue. It is a once-in-a-life-time experience. In a one-month period, a midshipman will get to fly in a naval aircraft, submerge in a submarine, take the helm of a US warship and receive basic combat training with the Marine Corps. CORTRAMID is an eye-opening experience for these midshipmen; it is not uncommon for a midshipman to desire to change his or her option from Navy to Marine Corps or vice versa when they return for their sophomore year. In addition to CORTRAMID, the NROTC unit at the Citadel also promotes summer foreign language programs. With the Navy’s recent push to develop officers who posses language proficiency, regional expertise, and cultural awareness (LREC), we encourage our midshipmen to explore summer training options which allow them excel in those fields. This summer, two of our Marine-option midshipmen participated in a Department of Defense fellowship in the University of Virginia’s full-immersion Arabic program. For Navy-option midshipmen, their second-class cruise after their sophomore year is geared toward understanding the day-to-day life of an enlisted sailor. The platform options for second-class cruises are typically limited to surface vessels and submarines, lasting between three to four weeks. Occasionally, due to ships’ operational requirements, cruises have the potential to last much longer. Midshipmen are assigned an enlisted running mate who shows them the ropes. Midshipmen get to see first-hand how damage control drills are run and participate in simulated general quarters. Second-class midshipmen also receive training in man-overboard drills, gun range practice and underway replenishment (UNREP) procedures. Typically second-class cruises debark from ports within the United States, but some midshipmen have the fortunate opportunity to meet their ships overseas. MIDN 2/C Quintero went underway with USS CHOSIN (CG-65) from Pusan, Korea and then steamed to Sasebo, Japan where he disembarked after three weeks at sea. Marine option midshipmen have the opportunity to participate in cruises aboard amphibious ships or in Mountain Warfare Training School in Bridgeport, CA between their sophomore and junior years. This summer, seven Marine-option midshipmen participated in the two-week mountain warfare training course, where they learned a multitude of survival skills that can be used in areas with mountainous terrain. Typically, Marine operational units undergo this training prior to deploying to Afghanistan. For the Navy midshipmen, the first-class cruises offer the most variety among the various service communities. Midshipmen usually have the option to choose from conventional surface, surface nuclear, submarine, aviation, special warfare (SPECWAR), explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and foreign exchange (FOREX) cruises. Due to budgetary constraints as a result of sequestration, funding for foreign exchange cruises was cut this last summer. Midshipmen are encouraged to select the type of cruise that best corresponds to their desired service community. Therefore, someone desiring to become a pilot or naval flight officer (NFO) would go on an aviation cruise. The first-class cruise is also a requirement for commissioning. A total of twelve Navy-option midshipmen participated in first-class cruises including conventional surface warfare, surface nuclear, submarine and aviation cruises Two of our first-class midshipmen went on fast-attack submarine cruises, where they were able to participate in a multitude of training exercises ranging from periscope operations to shipboard firefighting procedures. Among the four who participated in aviation cruises, our midshipmen experience flight in five different types of naval fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. MIDN 1/C Arend, who was assigned to VAW-124 in Norfolk, Virginia actually helped the crew of an E-2C Hawkeye deal with a real-life aircraft emergency by reading out steps from the pocket checklist. MIDN 1/C Cardin experienced one of the most robust first-class cruises this summer. He embarked USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN-75) out of Norfolk, Virginia for a three week cruise. During his time underway on the aircraft carrier, MIDN Cardin was able to tour the ship’s reactor spaces and engineering control center. He stood watch under instruction as the conning officer on the ship’s bridge. He joined the catapult and arresting gear officers (Shooters) in their duties during flight operations. He received hands-on training from the onboard EOD team. Although he did not actually defuse any live ordnance, he was able to familiarize himself with a lot of the gear they typically use. MIDN Cardin also had the opportunity to ride in a helicopter during flight operations and spend time with the aviators in their ready rooms. Marine-option midshipmen are required to go to Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia during the summer prior to their senior year. The six-week course evaluates the midshipmen’s leadership capabilities, physical fitness and academic performance. For many of our Marine-option midshipmen, OCS is the most challenging hurdle on their way to receiving a commission as a USMC officer. This summer, seven of our midshipmen completed the rigorous course. The summer training program is a vital element in the development of future Navy and Marine Corps officers. It is an opportunity for them to apply what they have learned during the academic year in real-world scenarios. The program helps build the midshipmen’s confidence as leaders while continuing to generate genuine interest in the Naval and Marine Corps services by exposing them to what they can expect after they graduate and commission.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Oct 2013 18:13:39 +0000