AUGUST 7, 2026 – 716 new Navy and Marine Corps Midshipmen graduated from the third and final iteration of the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) New Student Indoctrination (NSI) for 2026, during a ceremony held aboard Recruit Training Command (RTC), Aug. 3.
This year, 1,976 Midshipmen from across the country completed the rigorous 2.5-week training designed to instill basic militarization and prepare them for the demands of service and leadership.
NROTC is under the charge of Commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), Rear Adm. Matthew Pottenburgh. Pottenburgh commissioned through the NROTC program at The Ohio State University in 1996.
“NSI is our foundry which is really the foundation four our Midshipmen Candidates which our NROTC units will build upon,” Pottenburgh said. “By the time our Midshipmen graduate and commission as new Ensigns or 2nd Lieutenants., they have been transformed by the Warrior Ethos which unites all who have ever worn the cloth of our nation—one of merit, unity, accountability, and high standards. That starts here at NSI.”
Throughout NSI, candidates receive hands-on training in seamanship, firefighting, water survival, and warrior toughness from active-NROTC leadership and Recruit Division Commanders assigned to RTC.
With the conclusion of NSI, Midshipmen will report or return to their respective universities to continue training towards earning a commission in the United States Navy or Marine Corps.
Midshipman Luke Meydenbauer was selected as one of NSI Phase III’s top graduates.
“NSI was tough, but it showed me that I am capable of doing difficult things,” Meydenbauer said. “I know the legacy of this program and the caliber of leaders it has produced, so it is an honor to be a part of something like that”
Meydenbauer will be starting as a Freshman and 4/C Midshipman at Duke University.
2026 marks a century since the NROTC program was established. What started at six units with approximately 300 Naval Reserve students, has grown into one of our Nation’s proven Foundries of Navy and Marine Corps Officers at more than 169 colleges and universities across the country—forging leaders who are united in purpose, resilient in spirit, and committed to ensuring that our Navy and Marine Corps Combat Team remains trained to fight and ready to win.
NSTC, headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, transforms America’s sons and daughters into service professionals through RTC, Officer Training Command Newport, and NROTC.
To learn more about how NROTC develops the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps Officers, or explore available scholarship opportunities, please visit our website at: https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/NROTC/
Story by Lt. Beau Nickerson
Naval Service Training Command