Brighter Days Ahead for SU Naval ROTC

The Naval ROTC on Southern University’s campus was established in August 1971. Red Stick Battalion is the nickname of the program, and it is derived from the english translation of Baton Rouge.
Midshipman 2nd Class, Pat Cadoret is a twenty-one year old Computer Science major from Pensacola, Florida. Cadoret wants to make sure the school knows what is going on when it comes to the Naval ROTC and public relations, and he also wants to spread word of the military after college and its many benefits.
There are many scholarship opportunities associated with the Naval ROTC, and according to Cadoret, the application process for the program is fairly easy, yet tedious.
First, an applicant must score at least a twenty-six on the ACT. Then, there is the actual application for the navy at www.navy.mil/scholarships. The goal of the process is to make sure applicants are capable of performing the job tasks to his or her full potential.
Scholarships are offered primarily to freshmen and sophomores, but juniors and seniors are also able to receive scholarships. Many students enter their freshman year of college coming from high school Jr. ROTC programs.
The men and women of the Naval ROTC program are also students.
In addition to attending the classes in their majors, they must also attend Navy classes. Such courses include Nutrition, Suicide Prevention, and Anti-Terrorism Training. They also report for morning workouts at 6 am.
There are also fun things that come with being a part of the program. The students in the Naval ROTC program maintain close brother and sister relationships with LSU’s Naval ROTC and many other systems.
Cadoret explains, “It is kind of like a big fraternity and I love it.”
Some of the activities that the Naval ROTC participate in are camping, land navigating at night without lights, and participating in a champion race. When asked, Cadoret reported that the goal of the Naval ROTC program is to “produce leaders to lead men and women to do great things.”
Harvey Dixon is a junior Marketing major and when asked what he thought about the Naval ROTC program on Southern University’s campus, answered by saying, “I think that the ROTC is a great addition on campus, and offers a number of great opportunities for the student body.”
There are many ways the Public Affairs team intends to continue to spread the word about the Naval ROTC program at Southern University.
Interested students can always contact Cadoret, as well as the Public Affairs team at the Naval ROTC at [email protected]