Life

APPLY FOR NROTC SCHOLARSHIPS

Learn more about joining NROTC FAMU

NEW STUDENT INDOCTRINATION (NSI)

Beginning in 2019, all prospective NROTC students in any program (NROTC Scholarship and College Program) will attend NSI with students from across the country. This is held at Naval Station Great Lakes, IL. All travel will be paid for by the Navy, regardless of program. The training will last approximately two weeks and will teach prospective Midshipmen the basics in military training to include drill, physical training, customs and curtsies, and more.

Because of the physical demands of NSI, prospective students must be in good physical shape prior to attending. Preparation must begin immediately, as we have historically seen students struggle with physical fitness, which can result in dismissal from the program. At a MINIMUM, Navy Options should be able to complete 58 sit-ups in 2 minutes, 47 push-ups in 2 minutes, and run 1.5 miles in under 12 minutes. Marine Options should be able to score a 235 on the Marine Corps PFT, which consists of pull-ups, sit-ups, and a 3 mile run. Because the run is the final part of both physical tests, expect to run slower during the evaluation than usual. A common mistake students make is only running on a treadmill for preparation; most people run faster on a treadmill. Getting comfortable running outside and pacing yourself is crucial to meeting the physical requirements of NSI.

Students must pass NSI in order to enter the NROTC program as a MIDN in the fall semester. Passing will require students to pass the Physical Fitness Assessment, complete swim qualifications, and demonstrate military bearing and leadership potential throughout the event.

We will continue to update this website as we get more information about this exciting new program, so please check back frequently.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION (NSO)

All prospective NROTC students in any program (NROTC Scholarship and College Program) will attend NSO at FAMU. This weeklong program introduces new Midshipmen to Navy life and prepares them for the challenges they will face as they are put in the unique position of simultaneously seeking a college degree and a commission in the United States Navy or Marine Corps. During orientation, midshipmen are instructed in NROTC policies, basic drill, uniform and grooming standards, and physical readiness. Midshipmen are introduced to the different career opportunities the Department of the Navy has to offer. This exciting week is a great time to get to know your fellow midshipmen. The bonds formed at orientation often last all the way through a midshipman’s years at the FAMU and beyond.

FOURTH-CLASS (4/C) MIDSHIPMEN

The first year is always a great time attending a college or university in Tallahassee. While new midshipmen grow familiar with classes and college life, they also grow familiar with the Navy and Marine Corps team. Fourth-class midshipmen must first learn to lead by following. New midshipmen take classes in basic military knowledge in the fall and naval history in the spring. Along with the rest of the Battalion, they develop their knowledge of drill and develop their overall physical readiness through physical training sessions and a weekly afternoon drill period. The best naval officers are well-rounded individuals. New midshipmen are encouraged to get involved with the many opportunities that Tallahassee's higher education institutions have to offer. A student can choose from a myriad of volunteer organizations, intramural sports, student groups and clubs, and fraternities and sororities. Participation in any of these groups can help to get the most out of a person’s time in Tallahassee. The NROTC Battalion is a great resource during this time. Class advisors and fellow battalion members can help ensure that the transition to college life is going smoothly both academically and personally.

CORTRAMID

CORTRAMID stands for “Career Orientation and Training for Midshipmen”. During this four-week period, scholarship midshipmen are introduced to many of the warfare communities within the Department of the Navy. Midshipmen spend a week on a surface ship, a week with an aviation squadron, a week on a submarine, and a week with the Marines. CORTRAMID is not only an opportunity to travel and get hands-on military training; it is also a great opportunity to meet midshipmen from across the country. Whether it is flying in an aircraft or riding in the turret of an Amphibious Assault Vehicle, midshipmen often come back with great stories and the photos to prove them! Many (if not most) midshipmen consider CORTRAMID to be the most fun of all the summer cruises.

THIRD-CLASS (3/C) MIDSHIPMEN

Midshipmen have now had an entire year to decide whether or not Naval ROTC and the Navy/Marine Corps team is right for them. Once a midshipman has sworn in at the beginning of sophomore year, leaving the program will mean recoupment of scholarship money and/or enlistment in the Navy to recover the cost of training and educating the midshipman. It is during this year that midshipmen take on increased leadership opportunities. Third-class midshipmen are the mentors to the Fourth-class midshipmen, helping them with the transition to NROTC and college life. During the fall semester, midshipmen take Leadership and Management taught by the Executive Officer of FAMU NROTC, an active duty Navy commander with around 15 years of experience. During the spring, Navy-option midshipmen are introduced to Ocean Navigation taught by a Surface Warfare Officer, the active duty Naval officers that drive the Navy's warships.

SEA TRIALS | NAVY-OPTION MIDSHIPMEN

This 10-day course is completed by midshipmen on scholarship and is aimed to develop the future officers’ knowledge, comprehension, application, and demonstration of six core competencies including Naval Orientation and Officership, Leadership and Ethics, Seapower and Naval History, Programs and Policies, Technical Foundations and Naval Warfare, and Seamanship and Navigation. Throughout the 10 days, midshipmen will be trained in firefighting, damage control, watchstanding, seamanship, navigation, force protection, and swimming along with physical fitness and military inspection by NROTC staff. At the culmination of Sea Trials, midshipmen must pass a final exam to demonstrate their proficiency to advance in training and readiness to serve in the Fleet.

SECOND-CLASS (2/C) MIDSHIPMEN

During the junior year, a midshipman will be involved in the day-to-day operation of the Battalion. At the NROTC FAMU, second-class midshipmen are responsible for ensuring the fourth-class midshipmen are properly indroctinated into the military/academic lifestyle, as well as executing plans developed by the first-class midshipmen. Of course, Battalion members continue to learn unarmed drill and improve their physical readiness. During the fall semester, Navy-option midshipmen will take Naval Weapons Systems with the Submarine Officer where they learn about RADAR, SONAR, guided missiles, and torpedoes, to name a few. Marine-option midshipmen take Evolution of Warfare, where they dive into the strategy of amphibious and land warfare dating back to the Greek and Roman empires. During the spring semester, Navy-midshipmen take Naval Engineering, also taught by the Submarine Officer, where they learn the basics of engineering; from mechical, to electrical, to nuclear.

FIRST-CLASS CRUISE | NAVY-OPTION MIDSHIPMEN

All Navy Option midshipmen, regardless of scholarship status, must attend a first-class cruise. The first-class cruise serves to give Navy midshipmen insight into the life of a junior officer. Midshipmen are paired with a junior officer running mate; an individual doing the job the midshipmen might be doing the following year. Midshipmen may complete their first class cruise aboard a ship, aboard a submarine, or with an aviation squadron (either ashore or afloat). Once again, midshipmen selecting ships or submarines often make port visits. Those selecting aviation cruises often come back with a few flights under their belts. A few other cruise opportunities exist, such as a foreign-exchange cruise or mini-BUD/S (cruises with the U.S. Navy SEALs for those midshipmen who excel not only physically, but mentally).

FIRST-CLASS (1/C) MIDSHIPMEN

Senior year is an exciting time for NROTC midshipmen. Of course, seniors often hold leadership billets and determine the success of the NROTC unit. Furthermore, Navy-option first-class midshipmen select which community they would like to join in the Navy. Service assignments are sent out during the fall semester of their senior year. Also during the fall semester, Navy-option midshipmen take Naval Operations with the Surface Warfare Officer, learning the finer details of driving a multi-million dollar U.S. Navy warship. Marine-option midshipmen take the Fundamentals of Maneuver Warfare; a class focused on the Marine Corps' amphibious doctrines and their application to the island hopping campaign in the Pacific during World War II, as well as its application in the great power conflicts of the future. During the spring semester, all first-class midshipmen will take Leadership and Ethics with the Professor of Naval Science (PNS), a USMC Colonel with 20+ years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps. Learning directly from the PNS is like taking a class with a Department Head of a University or a CEO of a small company and is an amazing learning experience that midshipmen will be able to take and apply in their future jobs as commissioned officers.