USA: Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Program Returns to Yale

The Secretary of the Navy and president of Yale University signed an agreement May 26, to bring the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program back to Yale for the first time in almost 40 years.

The new agreement between the Navy and Yale establishes that NROTC active duty Navy and Marine Corps officers will instruct Yale NROTC midshipmen on the Yale campus. The agreement provides an opportunity for Yale students to earn a commission in the United States naval service through the NROTC program. This returns a Navy and Marine Corps ROTC presence to Yale, which was one of the six original partner institutions of NROTC when ROTC was established in 1926.

“A renewal of a formal relationship on campus will serve to bring dozens of new and talented officers who will carry on Yale’s tradition of service into the Navy and Marine Corps each year,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “The presence of NROTC will enrich and strengthen both the military and the educational experience of all students.”

The Yale NROTC unit will be part of a consortium with the NROTC unit at The College of the Holy Cross. An NROTC consortium is formed when two or more host units are located geographically close to one another. NROTC courses and professional instruction will be held on both campuses, however the units may share resources, as the Navy and Marine Corps deem appropriate, in order to maximize available funds and promote program consistency.

“The new Navy ROTC unit at Yale continues the University’s proud tradition of educating students who serve our country’s armed forces,” Yale University President Richard C. Levin said. “From Lexington to Afghanistan, our students and graduates have contributed to the nation’s defense, and the return of NROTC will make it easier for the most talented young men and women who aspire to leadership in our military to gain a Yale education.”

“Together, we have made a decision to enrich the experience open to Yale’s students, make the military better, and our nation stronger,” Mabus said. “Because with exposure comes understanding, and through understanding comes strength.”

The NROTC program develops young men and women morally, mentally, and physically, and instills in them the highest ideals of honor, courage, and commitment. The program educates and trains young men and women for leadership positions in an increasingly technical Navy and Marine Corps.
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Source: navy, May 27, 2011;