USS Miami CO Visits Maine ROTC Units

The commanding officer of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Miami (SSN 755) visited two Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) units in Maine, Oct. 22-23.

Cmdr. Roger Meyer, commanding officer, USS Miami; Chief of the Boat, Master Chief Yeomen (SS) Tyrus Rock and Lt. j.g. Benjamin Hankin a junior officer assigned to the submarine visited with nearly 100 midshipmen attending the NROTC programs at both the University of Maine, which was founded in Orono in 1865, and Maine Maritime Academy, which was established in 1941.

“Visiting the various NROTC units provides me an opportunity to discuss my experiences with them and helps to build future naval leaders. Specifically, this visit provides these future leaders an opportunity to increase their level of understanding of what they are going to be doing when they get to their first boats in the fleet,” said Meyer.

A native of Blue Grass, Iowa, Meyer has an extensive experience teaching ROTC midshipmen. In the late 90s, he served as the associate professor of Naval Science at the Naval Reserve Officer Training Unit, University of Utah.

Meyer discussed the advantage of bringing along two fellow crew members during the two-day visit.

“By bringing my chief of the boat and one of my junior naval officers with me provides these NROTC midshipmen an opportunity to ask as many questions and by doing so provides them firsthand knowledge of what to expect when they hit the ground running at their first command,” said Meyer.

Miami, currently undergoing maintenance and several system upgrades at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, is the third Navy vessel to bear the name of the city of Miami, Fla.

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Naval Today Staff,October 29, 2012