LSU students in NROTC wake up before 5 a.m. to make it to physical training exercises at Southern University. After finishing physical training, PT, they attend classes at Southern that are geared towards professions in the Navy before heading back to LSU.
While NROTC at LSU is small in comparison to other ROTC programs at the University, the program is rigorous. Despite its size, the members of NROTC face big challenges. They not only have to win a scholarship to enter the pro- gram, but must also dual enroll at Southern University, where the base of the program is located. Once accepted into
both universities, the students register for Navy specific classes at Southern. While many would see this as an extra obstacle, students that participate in the program say the program is worth it.
Why the Navy
́ Hillare LaFond, junior and civil
engineer major, joined the ROTC program as a freshman. Although LaFond originally wanted to draw cartoons, she became interested in the military while living in Pensacola, Fla., which has a strong naval presence. Family history also played an important part in LaFond’s decision. Two great uncles fought in the Navy during both World Wars.
“I’ve always loved America, and I’ve always wanted to give back in some way before I did what I wanted to do,” LaFond said.
For junior Mitchell Mason, a computer science major, joining the Navy was a “no brainer.”
“I suppose you could say the military is in my genes,” Mason said. “It’s an unspoken tradition that, in my family. The males all serve in uniform at one point or another.” Mason went on to explain how the day his dad turned 18, his grandfather made him register for the selective service.
Other than following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Mason chose the Navy for more reasons than one.
“I picked the Navy because they offered me a scholarship,” Mason said. “I didn’t really try with anyone else because the Navy has given me a great life thus far.”
No Walk in the Park
Depending on where the student lives, he or she may wake up as early as 4:30 a.m. in order to drive to Southern University. For LaFond, the time she wakes up depends on what she has to wear to physical training, or PT, the next morning. If the dress is just shorts and a T-shirt, she treats herself to 30 extra minutes of sleep and wakes up at 5 a.m.
“Even though we’re about to go run in the mud with our boots on they still have to be pristine when we show up to Southern,” LaFond said.
“Because of this, I have to wake up at 4 a.m. and make sure my boots are shiny and clean.”
LaFond also makes sure that she is extremely punctual as she does not want to be the midshipman that walks in five minutes before PT.
The Process
When a student first decides to be in the ROTC program, the first thing he or she needs to do is choose a branch of service. For some it is an easy pick, but many carefully think about what they want to do in the military. If a student decides to join the NROTC, then he or she must fill out an extensive application, write essays on topics such as “Why Do I Want to Be in the Navy?”, obtain letters of recommendation and schedule an interview with an Officer in the Navy.
According to Lieutenant Erik Gardner, Assistant Professor of Naval Science and the Recruiting Officer for the Red Stick Battalion unit, the best thing to do if you are joining the NROTC is to start planning early.
“My best advice for new midshipmen (students in the program) once they get here is to put forth your absolute best effort in everything you do every day while keeping a good attitude,” says Gardner. “If you do that,everything else will fall into place.” To make sure the midshipmen remain on track, the program directors group fields of study into one of three tiers. Tier 1 majors include mechanical,electrical and nuclear engineering, as well as other fields that directly relate to popular careers in naval service. Individuals who choose to major in technical studies that don’t directly relate to the military comprise Tier 2. Everything else lands in Tier 3.
Perks of Being a Midshipmen
Despite all the hard work, there are some perks to being a midshipman. After graduation members will be able to enter the United States Navy as an officer.
Students also participate in events that they would normally get to do if they were active duty sailors, such as a trip on an aircraft.
For LaFond and Mason, their favorite deployment was last summer when they spent a month aboard the USS Maryland.
“The Maryland is a nuclear- powered submarine that was used to give midshipmen some hands-on experience with the nuclear Navy,” explained Mason. The program gives the students experiences that they will never forget.
“We got to do some amazing things on board,” said Mason. “But nothing beats getting on top of the sub, standing on the bridge and watching the sun set over the open sea just before submerging.”