need NROTC advice

[ea6bflyr]

Our NROTC Orientation was constantly monitored by the NROTC staff. We had the XO, MOI, AMOI, the Freshman Advisor (me) there during the entire training and we put down the rules to the upperclass before it even began, and then constantly supervised the upperclass mids. Believe it or not, this training afford the stafff the opportunity to EVALUATE both the incomming freshman as well as the upperclass.

What you can expect from many but not all Freshmen Orientation Training (FOT) programs: You'll learn to march, how to wear a uniform, how to execute a PFT/PRT, how to greet your fellow students and the staff (It's not "Sirs," it's "Gentlemen."), you'll learn the Midshipman Regulations, and you WILL build very strong bonds with the other 4/C. Our FOT we call the new students "Freshman" and when they graduate they earn the title Midshipman. We also do the 3/C swim qual at FOT. It's a very busy week (Sun-Sat) and it's not hard....we teach attention to detail. Most 4/C look back on the experience as a fun time and it's a great way to get the incomming students "LOCKED ON" before they assemilate into the Battalion.

Does not having a robust FOT make a weaker officer? Maybe not. But this puts the onus on the staff to square away these students so they can graduate in 4 years for commissioning. If you attend CORTRAMID, you'll notice the programs with a weak Orientation program.

Even after the FOT, the staff can tell who belongs and who doesn't and we take the appropriate steps to either get them up to speed or get them out the door.

ea6bflyr

 

[redmidgrl]

I'm not sure if any other unit's Mids feel this way, but I think NROTC is often misunderstood in the college campus community. A lot of people who join, just like many non-ROTC college students, think that NROTC is just another extra curricular activity like the basket weeving club... The great thing about FOT is it really makes sure that the people joining the battalion know exactly what they are getting into, and how the commitment lives on long after college. FOT helps the ROTC maintain its prestige as to prevent a few Mids who don't belong from slowing down the process of producing good officers.

LG

 

[CommodoreMid]

Does not having a robust FOT make a weaker officer? Maybe not. But this puts the onus on the staff to square away these students so they can graduate in 4 years for commissioning. If you attend CORTRAMID, you'll notice the programs with a weak Orientation program.


ea6bflyr

I'd have to disagree with that. At CORTRAMID I met douchebags from units with "hard core" indocs like GWU, Penn State, and even military colleges like VA Tech, and I met some really locked on mids from units whose indocs were more happy and friendly. I mean obviously that's going to be the case just based on numbers, but I don't think how hard your indoc was or even how you did at indoc has any bearing on how you perform at your unit or on cruise. I know I was not one of the better midshipmen in my class during indoc, but I used that performance as a wakeup call to myself to get my ass in gear during the year and be near the top of my class. I learned a lot at indoc and I'm glad Vandy's is tough, because it instills good attitudes and habits, but I know that doesn't guarantee any future performance.

 

[USN99]

In hindsight

... but I don't think how hard your indoc was or even how you did at indoc has any bearing on how you perform at your unit or on cruise.

This has been an enlightening discussion. I confess that FOTs were not invented when I was an incoming Midn 4/C at my NROTC Unit. Somehow we all made it through without a formal FOT. In hindsight, however, I see how influential the MOI was in getting all our minds "right" from day one. But we had no formal FOT. In those days, the Naval Science Lab was used for many of the topics and events which have been described as taking place within FOT. It continued right up to CORTRAMID, which (I'm repeating myself, sorry) was our 2/C cruise. And I agree, the units that were squared away overall showed during CORTRAMID.
Nevertheless, I wholeheartedly agree that FOT represents an enhancement, and frankly it is, like the beer commercial asserts, "Brilliant". If I'm not belaboring the point, I'm interested in some high-level details about FOTs. One is said to take place at Quantico. Is that typical, use of a military base, or are most FOTs held at the college campus?
I sense that most FOTs are a week long event. Is that the norm?
Can anyone say if all NROTC Units have week long FOTs?
Does anyone know if CNET or BUPERS has established any NROTC Unit guidelines to standardize FOTs?
My compliments to NROTC for this certainly worthwhile enhancement. Maybe I'm just too much of a cheer leader. Bravo Zulu, nonetheless.
I'm out.

 

[redmidgrl]

GW is lucky to be so close to Quantico, but I know that several others are held right at the school (for example, RPI Mids go to school a week early for their FOT). My class' FOT was 10 days long, but it has been shortened to a week for this incoming class. Activities included Squad Level and Platoon Level Drill instruction, the O-Course, the Endurance Course, two PRT's, and a bunch of educational briefs to teach us about uniforms and other important topics. On our first day we were also given a knowledge packet to memorize. Ultimately, I feel that our FOT was a fun and educational experience, but it is hard to standardize due to schools often being far from the nearest base.

 

[USN99]

Thanks.

 

[CommodoreMid]

CNET actually hates NROTC indocs precisely because they vary so much. Units have a lot of leeway with what they can do with the freshmen, and the midshipmen that are running them are not highly trained in this kind of work. A lot of potential for some really serious hazing and other nasty **** that can land NROTC units and the Navy in some real trouble. There is a lot of pressure on units to go lighter on the freshmen.

Vandy's indoc is done at an Army NG base that's about 45 min outside of Nashville. At CORTRAMID I got the sense that most units did theirs at the nearest military base. During our indoc we did a lot of PT, drill, classroom time to learn how to wear the uniform etc., swim quals, an one day devoted to learning to sail (which showed me I would make a terrible SWO :icon_tong ).