Throughout the year Midshipmen are involved in multiple activities such as drill meets, physical training, color guard, and summer training.
Summer Training
CORTRAMID - Career Orientation Training for Midshipmen
- CORTRAMID typically takes place during the summer between the freshman and sophomore year in either San Diego, California or Norfolk, Virginia. It is a month-long Navy-Marine Corps sampler where a week is spent with four communities: Surface, Submarines, Aviation, and Marine Corps. Midshipmen get hands-on experience, insight into the communities from current officers, and meet with midshipmen from other ROTC units around the country.
2/C Cruise and FMF
- Second Class (2/C) Cruise, for Navy Options, takes place during the summer between the sophomore and junior year. Individuals get to put in preferences for cruise time and community. They may go on a surface cruise, a submarine cruise, an aviation cruise with jets, helicopters, or maritime aircraft, or foreign exchange programs. They will shadow either a junior officer or enlisted on day-to-day activities on the ship, sub, or squadron and to get a feel of what life is like in the fleet.
- Fleet Marine Month (FMF)-Marine Month takes place during the summer between sophomore and junior year for Marine options. These Midshipmen are exposed to the Marine air-ground task force as well as the different specialties within the Marine Corps and what life looks like on a Marine base.
1/C Cruise, SOAS, and OCS
- First Class (1/C) Cruise, for Navy Options, takes place during the summer between the junior and senior year. Individuals get to put in preferences for cruise time and community. They may go on a surface cruise, a submarine cruise, an aviation cruise with jets, helicopters, or maritime aircraft, or foreign exchange programs. Once there, the Midshipmen are assigned to a junior officer running mate to shadow and learn about day-to-day activities on the ship, sub, or in the squadron. This cruise gives Midshipmen the opportunity to get a better glimpse into life as an officer in the Navy. While there is no established curriculum, embarking on a First Class cruise is a requirement for commissioning for Navy-option Midshipmen.
- For Navy options interested in becoming Navy SEALs, they must apply and get accepted into SEAL Officer Assessment and Selection (SOAS). This also takes place between the junior and senior year. Midshipmen go to Coronado, California for three weeks to train and be evaluated in rigorous land and water physical training as well as meet various SEAL teams to learn what life is like as a Navy SEAL. Completing SOAS is a requirement in order to request Navy SEAL on your service selection.
- OCS, for Marine Options, also takes place during the summer between the junior and senior year. Midshipmen go to Quantico, Virginia for 6 weeks to train and be evaluated in rigorous physical activities and leadership reaction exercises. Completing Officer Candidates School is a requirement for commissioning for Marine-option Midshipmen.
Navy Option Training
The mission of Navy Option Training is to support the goal of commissioning well-prepared midshipmen who are ready for the challenges and demands they will face as junior officers. Midshipmen gradually acquire the skills and knowledge required to become an Ensign in the United States Navy over the course of their time in the NROTC program. The Navy Option training is designed to supplement the fundamental NROTC leadership and technical curriculum as well as the summer cruises in educating midshipmen on their potential career opportunities as a Naval officer.
Naval Orientation Lab is a once-a-week, classroom-based training in which midshipmen are given the opportunity to participate in community service events, weapons familiarization, maritime ship simulator, firefighting introduction, and damage control introduction. Throughout each year, various presentations are given by local officers and enlisted sailors who can provide insight into the various naval service communities including; Surface Warfare, Aviation, Special Operations, Nuclear Power, and Submarine Warfare.
Marine Option Training
As with the NROTC’s mission to develop midshipmen morally, mentally and physically, and to imbue them with the highest ideals of honor, courage, and commitment, UNL’s Marine Option Platoon is designed to stem off of this main mission. We focus solely on developing Midshipmen to one day function as company grade officers in the United States Marine Corps. To accomplish this, we focus on what will be seen at Officers Candidates School at Quantico, Virginia.
To prepare for this, we start developing these young individuals upon arriving at UNL’s NROTC program. As a Freshman, a Midshipman will mostly learn about the different aspects of the Marine Corps, basic fundamental skills used as a Marine, developing physically, and making the beginning transitions to life as an officer. As a Sophomore, the Midshipman will continue to make transitions to life as an officer, master basic fundamental skills used as a Marine, but the Midshipman will make the transition to a leader. As a Junior, basic fundamentals are natural, transitioning to a different lifestyle continues, and leadership skills are being put to test. After completing their Junior year, Marine Option Midshipman will report to Quantico, Virginia for Officers Candidates School (www.ocs.usmc.mil). Completing this will leave one full academic year until commissioning as a 2nd Lt, and another trip to Quantico for The Basic School.
