NROTC Midshipmen Sail in San Diego

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Marie Montez | 160604-N-CM227-291 SAN DIEGO (June 4, 2016) Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) brings midshipmen from several universities together to harness their sailing skills in an outside classroom setting at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, San Diego. The NROTC program was established in 1926 to provide young men and women leadership skills that will follow them throughout their Navy careers. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Marie A. Montez)  

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

06.04.2016

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Marie Montez 

Navy Reserve - Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Marie A. Montez Naval Public Affairs Support Element West
SAN DIEGO (NNS) – Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) brought midshipmen to learn to sail small vessels during one of their training evolutions at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center of San Diego on June 4, 2016.
The midshipmen consist of NROTC students from several universities local and across the country.
This is an opportunity for these future Naval Officers to meet the comrades in the fleet once they become Ensigns.
“It’s hard to teach ship driving in the classroom in the middle of Texas and it’s hard for students to appreciate the size of a ship or the speed with all its complexities,” said Alli Hamel, instructor for NROTC at A&M University in Texas.
Instructors at the Aquatic Center teach the midshipman several skills they will utilize to navigate a boat, such as learning wind direction.
“The most important sailing lesson is the wind,” said Eric Olsen, sailing program assistant, at the aquatic center. “Figuring out wind direction along with every movement we make on the boat has to do with the wind.“ “First you have to figure out exactly where that wind direction is, then you learn what to do with those sails in order to harness that wind to make your boat go.”
These skills and friendships the midshipmen develop this weekend will carry them through their career.
“As midshipman we have the same chain of command as you would in the real military, so while we are in college we get the feel of what to expect when we join the military full time.” said Alyia Beason, a sophomore student, (midshipman) of Tennessee State University. “It’s cool to learn new things, like sailing.”
Midshipmen have the opportunity to do hands-on rather than just read a book about opportunities in the military.
“This gives the midshipmen a context and an appreciation for the naval communities as well as what officers and enlisted do in each of these communities,” said Alli Hamil.
The NROTC scholarship program is a means to educate and devop young women and men with the highest levels of honor, courage and commitment to leadership roles as commissioned officers for the military.
For more information about NROTC, visit http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/. For more news from Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, visit www.navy.mil/local/pacensandiego/.

• Date Taken: 06.04.2016
• Date Posted: 06.05.2016 21:10
• Story ID: 200046
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US