MBU Students Tackle the Rigors of New Student Indoctrination in Great Lakes, IL
In the heat of the summer, four MBU cadets from the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (VWIL) and the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) programs trained on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Midshipmen Brandon Jones ‘26, Haven Duncan ‘26, Vanessa Gomez Villatoro ‘26, and David Shultz ‘26 participated in New Student Indoctrination (NSI) training with the U.S. Navy from June 6 to 24. Shultz, who completed this training last summer, was present as a midshipmen instructor.
Haven Duncan, a junior at MBU studying political science, explained why she attended NSI and how it made her feel:
“I was initially very nervous heading to NSI. Even though there’s a lot of info online, it’s hard to know what to really expect. It’s not a requirement for officers commissioning into the Navy through ROTC until 2027. I’m graduating before then, but it definitely felt like a chance to help my commissioning resume and make sure I’m on the right track.”
According to the Navy, NSI is a “physically demanding 2.5 week indoctrination course designed to provide standardized basic military instruction to Midshipmen Candidates. This course will facilitate the successful integration of new students into NROTC and college life.”
MBU’s cadets traveled to Great Lakes, IL, where they completed courses intended “to give a standardized military indoctrination program to all NROTC students,” per Capt. Shaun McAndrew in a 2019 informational video.
The video goes on to explain, “You should know that this will not be easy, nor is it meant to be … The program will include training and evaluations in five warfighting competencies: firefighting, damage control, seamanship, watchstanding, and small arms handling and marksmanship.”
One of NSI’s primary focuses is physical preparedness for the rigors of naval service.
“Military service is a demanding profession,” the Navy’s human resources department reminds applicants to its NSI programs. Luckily, MBU’s cadets are no strangers to physical training.
“I did a lot of running to prepare. I had never been to that part of the country before so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I heard it would be humid. So I knew I would have to be really used to running in the heat,” Duncan said of her approach. “The last thing you want on your mind while you’re training is whether your body can stand up to it.”
Brigadier General Teresa Djuric, USAF, Retired, commandant of VWIL who supports ROTC candidates at MBU, gave her highest regards to the program and the students MBU has delivered to it:
“We are grateful the U.S. Navy is committed to providing indoctrination training for all qualified Navy ROTC midshipmen. The training this summer helped MIDN Duncan, Gomez, Jones, and Shultz become top performing officers with a laser focus on various careers in the U.S. Navy. Bravo Zulu aka Well Done”
For Duncan, and the other midshipmen on the trip, completing NSI is a point of pride:
“I would say NSI solidified my commitment to the Navy … To finally graduate on June 24 and get to see my family again made me more proud than I could have expected,” she recalled. “My dad was able to come to the graduation, he drove all the way from my hometown in Tennessee, and it was such a proud and emotional moment to see him at graduation. And getting home, seeing how proud my mom and my grandparents were of me while I was there wearing my whites … That sense of pride meant a lot.”