NAVAL ROTC
Under the supervision of Growley II (call sign “Tank”), the Corps of Cadets canine ambassador, Hanna Kobayashi ’19 selects USS Milius (DDG-69), homeported in Yokuska, Japan, as part of a nationwide ship selection event for future surface warfare officers.
NAVAL ROTC NEWS Since the arrival of Virginia Tech Naval ROTC (NROTC) unit’s new commanding officer, Capt. Douglas Bradley, additional training programs and a continued commitment to a warrior mindset have thrived, striving to produce the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps warfighters in one of the largest NROTC units in the country. One of these new programs is battalion physical training (PT). This monthly event allows the battalion to come together for a morning of camaraderie, fitness, and training. Midshipmen are arranged in random groups to complete tasks and PT events, encouraging cross-unit solidarity and unit pride. In February, the NROTC unit received three Conning Officer Virtual Environment (COVE) trainers. Each trainer is a virtual ship simulator that is designed to provide midshipmen with realistic navigation and seamanship training in a variety
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CORPS REVIEW | Spring 2020
of worldwide scenarios before entry into the fleet. Virginia Tech was one of the initial five NROTC units in the nation supplied with these trainers because of the large number of officers we commission each year.
SHIP SELECTION This semester, our graduating surface warfare officer selects participated in ship selection. Selectees are excited to start their careers aboard ships homeported around the world upon commissioning. “I got my first choice,” said Hanna Kobayashi ’19. Kobayashi and 15 additional graduating midshipmen chose their future duty stations during a three-day, nationally coordinated ship selection event. She chose the USS Milius because of her positive summer training experience as a midshipman
