Cannons blasted in the early morning hours on March 14. While the University slept, the University’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps embarked on a morning run, starting and ending it with the firing of their cannon.
The NROTC has been active and highly visible in the Spring 2018 semester to increase their exposure on campus and bolster their number of midshipmen. Along with early-morning runs and regular physical training sessions, the NROTC has engaged in other high-visibility events to spark interest in the NROTC program, such as marching in the Uptown New Orleans Krewe of Alla Parade and dedicating a empty seat at Alex Box Stadium for MIA/POW servicemen and women.
The NROTC is structured the same as the Army’s ROTC program, educating and training qualified men and women as commissioned officers in America’s Navy and Marine Corps. The program instills the military’s highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty.
The March 14 run was just one of the NROTC’s corps runs, where they join the University’s Army and Air Force ROTC programs. The corps stopped and saluted Mike the Tiger on March 14, which is a nod to the University’s military background, as Mike is traditionally considered the first cadet at LSU.
“The purpose of these runs is to promote cohesion between the different branches,” explained economics junior Jacob Hall. “LSU does have a strong tradition of military history-it is still technically a military college. The Corps of Cadets is an important tradition of LSU that we are trying to keep together and actually grow.”
The NROTC competed and placed second in the Feb. 9 Mardi Gras Weekend drill competition at Tulane University. The two components of the competition focused on inspection and color guard. The inspection events emphasize coolness under the pressure. The cadets are asked about general military knowledge along with a typical uniform inspection.
“You’re being judged on your baring,” Hall said. “It’s more so not even knowledge, because most people know the questions being asked. People mess up easy questions, it’s just they aren’t able to perform and answer when a marine is right in front of you.” The midshipmen also compete in more physically-demanding events, such as Corps Wars on April 9 and 11, where NROTC members from across the nation compete in various physical challenges.
“It’s another fun competition that we get to do,” said plant and soil systems sophomore Phillip Mooney. “We go out there and you get that healthy competition. You get those interbranch rivalries that you are going to experience in the military and you get to grow into it now.”
The NROTC focuses on developing leaders and offering opportunities to pursue a military career. Though most events offer midshipmen to enjoy healthy competition, there are still somber reminders of the dangerous lives America’s servicemen and women live. The NROTC helped LSU honor MIA/POW veterans with a symbolic seat at Alex Box Stadium on Feb. 17.
“It’s a lot of tradition,” Mooney said. “It holds a very high sentimental value to veterans and ourselves, as well. We are going to be in the military. We have to understand that there’s a lot of people that went before us.”
The 25-member NROTC continues to push on into the Spring 2018 semester looking to expand its presence on campus. The number of midshipmen is down from its peak of 80 a couple of years ago, according to Mooney. Despite their attempts to expand, the recent events have also given midshipmen the opportunity to develop and strengthen relationships within the NROTC community.
“It’s helps us all to get closer with each other,” said biochemistry freshman Samantha Jackson. “A lot of the time, we only see each other at five in the morning and nobody is really awake. We don’t really get to practice teamwork or anything like that, so these events are an opportunity for us to see each other and do navy things.”

Gallery • 2 Photos

Courtesy of Phillip Mooney

NROTC