Naval ROTC training and activities
Get involved in community
The U of I/WSU Naval ROTC unit provides many opportunities for Midshipmen to participate in the battalion and the community. These activities provide leadership opportunities and create a positive, extracurricular learning environment.
Training opportunities
Semper Fi is a club for Marine option midshipmen that helps prepare students for Officer Candidate School (OCS), which takes place during the summer between your junior and senior years. It is run by the Marine Officer Instructor, the MECEPS and midshipmen who have completed OCS.
Semper Fo is a club for Navy option midshipmen that provides extra preparation for the fleet after commissioning. Semper Fo teaches naval and leadership skills outside of the NROTC curriculum. It is run by naval science instructors, OCs and upperclassmen.
Field Exercise (FEX) is a physically and mentally demanding training event put on by the University of Idaho/Washington State University NROTC to prepare our Midshipmen and MECEPs for OCS, TBS, MOS School, and the Fleet. We take advantage of our geographically unique environment here in rural Northern Idaho and spend a weekend in the mountains conducting a variety of training events, including hikes, bivouac, day land nav, night land nav, grappling/ground fighting, and tactical small unit leadership evaluations. It is planned and executed by student leadership to provide the experience of practicing, planning, and leading a complex event similar to the evolutions they will have in the Fleet. The UI/WSU FEX is widely known to be extremely effective in preparing Marine Options to excel in their follow-on training. On a volunteer basis, many Navy Options participate in the FEX as Opposing Force (OPFOR), simulating enemy combatants. Conducted once per semester, this training event not only significantly enhances each midshipman’s capability, but it is also a camaraderie-building event for every Marine and Navy Option.
Close Quarters Battle (CQB) midshipmen conduct room/space clearing operations, enhancing their ability to operate with precision under pressure, and learn to lead under pressure
Self-Defense derived from the basic aspects of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), Midshipmen learn basic self-defense techniques.
Paintball in the nearby mountains, the entire battalion engages in a large-scale paintball event. Midshipmen, OCs, and MECEPs demonstrate their skills in a fun, enjoyable environment.
Summer training: An annual summer training period provides NROTC midshipmen with the opportunity to gain experience in the practical application of their studies in naval science. These training periods are normally three to six weeks. NROTC scholarship midshipmen are required to participate in summer training during each summer, beginning after freshman year. For scholarship program students, the timing of the appointment to scholarship status determines the requirement for participation in summer training.
Third class summer training is a warfare community indoctrination for all scholarship students, conducted between the freshman and sophomore academic years.
Second class summer training for scholarship students is conducted between the sophomore and junior academic years. This at-sea training on surface ships and submarines teaches midshipmen with basic shipboard orientation and is an introduction to enlisted life and the roles of the work center supervisor. Marine option midshipmen attend an amphibious surface cruise.
First class summer training is for all first class NROTC midshipmen and is conducted between the junior and senior academic years. First class cruise exposures midshipmen to the officer and wardroom environment in an at-sea training environment aboard a ship. First class Navy option midshipmen may also opt for aviation, submarine or Foreign Exchange Training for Midshipmen. Marine option first class midshipmen attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, Virginia.
Engage in Activities
Color Guard: This team consists of four to five midshipmen that present the colors during the National Anthem at various sporting events at U of I. The team also competes at the Northwest Navy Competition in the spring.
Toys for Tots: The Navy ROTC battalion is a proud annual supporter of the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. The Toys for Tots Foundation is dedicated to collecting and distributing Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. Their goal is to bring a message of hope and to help children everywhere experience the joy of Christmas. NROTC provides active administrative support for the Moscow/Pullman community during November and December. U of I fraternities help the unit collect, sort and prepare gifts for distribution.
Veterans Day: The battalion participates in several local Veterans Day events around the to honor our veterans and their sacrifices. These events include a wreath laying and a flag laying ceremony at U of I’s and a ceremony at WSU. The U of I/WSU NROTC Color Guard has the honor of presenting the colors at the Veterans Day Ceremony on the U of I Administration Lawn.
Homecoming: The UI/WSU NROTC Battalion leads the renowned Vandal Homecoming parade through the City of Moscow. The event provides the local community with an opportunity to see and interact with the aspiring Navy and Marine Corps Officers they support.
Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Recognition Ceremony: Each September U of I Navy, Army and Air Force ROTC units host the annual POW/MIA ceremony, and a joint ROTC force provides Color Guard. POW/MIA Day honors those still missing from our nation’s past wars and conflicts, as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice and whose remains have not yet been recovered and returned home.