COLLEGE STATION, Texas (NNS) – Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi, commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) visited Texas A&M Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), April 16.
With Bernacchi was Master Chief Petty Officer Jimmy Hailey III, NSTC Command Master Chief. While at the unit they had a lunch discussion with a small group of midshipmen, answered questions during an Admiral’s call with the entire unit, met with unit staff and university leadership. They also took a tour of campus led by Midshipman 2nd Class Clay Hudson and Midshipman 3rd Class Dallas Flake.
NROTC units report to NSTC, and command visits are an opportunity for professional development for the midshipmen as they interact with a flag officer and a Master Chief Petty Officer, as well as a chance for midshipmen to ask questions about the program and the Navy. The visits also give Bernacchi a chance to hear about any concerns or suggestions from the midshipmen and unit staffs who report to him.
“It was an honor to have Admiral Bernacchi visit and speak with our student midshipmen,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Andrew Kostic, Texas A&M NROTC commanding officer. “His vast military experience and firsthand accounts gave our future Naval Officers a focused view of the current and future challenges they will face as officers and leaders.”
Bernacchi and Hailey spoke with the midshipmen about leadership, changes to the NROTC program to improve training, and the need for Warfighters, ready to lead the Navy and Marine Corps into the future.
"The Midshipmen Battalion of Texas A&M NROTC is grateful for Admiral Bernacchi taking the time to visit and share wisdom on the bigger picture of naval service training and the future of the service as a whole,” said Midshipman 1st Class Victor Jury, midshipmen battalion commanding officer.
During his visit Bernacchi met with the university Provost & Executive Vice President Dr. Carol Fierke, and the Corps of Cadets Chief of Staff, retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. Byron Stebbins, to discuss NROTC programs as well as unit and midshipmen support.
The NROTC program is overseen by Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi and his Naval Service Training Command staff at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. NROTC was established to develop midshipmen mentally, morally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, loyalty and 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 uniformed services and have a potential for future development in mind and character so as to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.
NSTC oversees 98 percent of initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy, as well as the Navy's Citizenship Development program. NSTC also includes Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy's only boot camp also at Naval Station Great Lakes, the Navy ROTC program at more than 160 colleges and universities, Officer Training Command (OTC) Newport, Rhode Island, and Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NDCC) citizenship development programs at more than 600 high schools worldwide.
For more information about NROTC, visit www.nrotc.navy.mil
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