The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa welcomed its first cadre of Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) midshipmen on August 17, in a ceremony attended by top Hawaiʻi military leaders and the U.S. congressional delegation.
UH President David Lassner and UH Mānoa Provost Michael Bruno hosted the event that highlighted the partnership between the campus and military counterparts. At the brief ceremony U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, U.S. Rep. Ed Case and Adm. Sam Paparo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, acknowledged the long road to establish the program at the campus and honored the first group of students to enroll in the program.
Paparo also administered the Midshipman Oath of Office to the 19 students present for the ceremony. There are 23 students enrolled in the program. The program is expected to attract more students in upcoming years.
About half of the students are from Hawaiʻi, and the student who traveled the farthest was from Kentucky. The program covers the Navy and Marines. Top leaders from the two military branches were present for the ceremony including Rear Adm. Tim Kott, Navy Region Hawaiʻi and Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder, Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi.
UH Mānoa is the first university to host a new NROTC program in the country since 2016. UH Mānoa has been host to the Air Force and Army ROTC programs under the Office of Student Academic Success.
This work is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of Enhancing Student Success (PDF), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.
