Photo By Scott Thornbloom | AMES, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2022) The Iowa State University (ISU) Navy Reserve Officer...... read more read more
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AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State University (ISU) Naval Reserve Officer Training Command (NROTC) unit participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new obstacle course on the campus near the unit office Sept. 2.
“Thank you for being here today as we break ground on the Lt. Col. Richard H. Burnett, Sr. USMC Memorial Obstacle Course,” said Capt. Joey Frantzen, ISU NROTC commanding officer and Professor of Naval Science at the groundbreaking. “Not only will the graduates of the ROTC programs here at ISU leave with a first class degree, they will also leave having received first class training, due in part to facilities such as this.”
The Lt. Col. Richard H. Burnett, Sr. USMC Memorial Obstacle Course will be constructed next to the University’s cross-country running course. It will be to the exact specifications of a USMC obstacle course. There will be 14 obstacles to include a high wall (seven-foot tall) and rope climb (20-foot tall). Construction tentatively is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023 and expected to take six weeks for completion. The unit anticipates all Navy-option and Marine Corps-option midshipmen to begin using the course shortly after its completion. Current sophomore midshipmen will be seniors in 2024 while ISU’s newest freshmen class of midshipmen will be juniors.
During his remarks, Frantzen talked about the veteran colonel and what the obstacle course will mean to future ISU midshipmen.
“It is only fitting that this Obstacle Course be named after a Class of 1950 Iowa State Graduate, who was a member of our Navy ROTC Program, and a Marine officer who served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars,” Frantzen said. “The world in 1950 might have felt like an era of peace, yet within a few years, history would demand its leaders be equipped with the mental, physical and moral skill sets to meet new and unlikely threats to our freedom and security. This generation that stands before us today and those that will serve in the future military will face equally challenging threats that will demand they are prepared and ready to serve and lead.”
Iowa State University will be one of only eight programs to have an Obstacle Course facility like this.
“I am really looking forward to using the new obstacle course,” said sophomore Midshipman 3rd Class and Marine-option Karl Larson. “ Knowing that Iowa State University is one of the few universities that have an obstacle course is something that really stands out about our program. It demonstrates that our school supports our program goals. Having an obstacle course at our university will definitely bring in more midshipmen because this shows commitment in preparing them for a commission.”
The NROTC program was established to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, loyalty and Navy core values in order to commission college graduates as Naval officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the Naval service and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.
The NROTC unit at Iowa State takes pride in producing positive, well-trained and educated, and career minded junior officers for the Navy and the Marine Corps. Since 1945, ISU has turned out hundreds of such young men and women who have gone on to make careers in the United State Navy and United State Marine Corps or have successfully pursued a career in the civilian world.
NROTC is overseen by Commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), Rear Adm. Jennifer Couture and her staff. NSTC oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, including NROTC units at more than 160 colleges and universities; Officer Training Command (OTC) at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island; Recruit Training Command (RTC) at Naval Station Great Lakes, as well as Navy Junior ROTC (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC).
NROTC was established to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically. The program also imbues in them the highest ideals of duty, loyalty and Navy core values in order to commission college graduates as Navy and Marine Corps officers who possess a basic professional background, are motivated toward careers in the Naval service and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.
For more information on NROTC visit: https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/NROTC/
To learn more about the Iowa State University NROTC program visit: https://navy.iastate.edu/
The Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) is an enlisted-to-officer commissioning program designed to provide outstanding enlisted Marines the opportunity to serve as Marine Corps officers. For more information visit: https://www.mcieast.marines.mil/staff-offices/adjutant/enlisted-to-officer-program/
For more information about NSTC, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/
| Date Taken: | 09.08.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2022 13:17 |
| Story ID: | 428914 |
| Location: | AMES, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 304 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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