University of Nebraska-Lincoln NROTC

Congratulations to our newest officers for graduating and earning a commission into the United States Navy and Marine Corps on 18 May 2024.

Peyton Weigand and Kenneth Reese commissioned as Ensigns in the U.S. Navy. Dane Bowers commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ensign Weigand, from North Aurora, Illinois, selected to be a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO). He will be serving on the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) following completion of Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) in San Diego.

Ensign Reese, Houston, Texas, selected to be a Submarine Warfare Officer (SUB). He will be heading to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend Naval Nuclear Power School (NNPS).

2nd Lieutenant Bowers, Westlake Village (LA), California, is set to attend The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, on 15 October of this year with hopes of becoming an Aviation Management Officer.

The Midshipmen and Cadre of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Naval ROTC would like to wish these new officers fair winds and following seas.

On 07 May 2024, the UNL NROTC Battalion held the change of command ceremony that takes place each semester. MIDN 2/C Henexson relieved MIDN 1/C Weigand as Battalion Commander (BNCO).

Congratulations to MIDN 2/C Morgan (BNXO), MIDN 3/C Kohler (BN OpsO), MIDN 3/C Sherman (BN AdminO), MIDN 3/C Thibodeau (ACoC), and MIDN 3/C Linhardt (BCoC).

On behalf of the Midshipmen and staff of the Blackshirt Battalion, we would like to congratulate MIDN Weigand for his successful leadership for the Spring 2024 semester. The Battalion is looking forward to a new semester and what it will bring!

On 05 May 2024, three of our Midshipmen, MIDN 3/C Linhardt, MIDN 3/C Sherman, and MIDN 1/C Bowers ran in the 47th Annual Lincoln Half Marathon. This was the first time Linhardt and Sherman have run in a half-marathon.

MIDN Linhardt and MIDN Sherman would both like to thank all of the officers and fellow Midshipmen that came out to support and cheer them on!

MIDN Sherman plans to run in the Good Life Halfsy in October next semester.

We'd like to thank Westlake Ace Hardware for the Blackstone grill! It's already being put to use! On behalf of the Blackshirt Battalion, your generosity is greatly appreciated.

It’s MIDN Monday!

This week, we’d like to showcase MIDN 1/C Peyton Weigand from North Aurora, Illinois. He’s majoring in Economics with a minor in Military Leadership. He enjoys golfing, weightlifting, and watching football.

MIDN Weigand picked UNL for the Big 10 university experience while still being able to do NROTC. “My biggest inspiration to join the military was my Grandfather, a Marine Officer in Vietnam. He then went on to work in education and help his community, something that I am interested in doing in the future.” MIDN Weigand’s favorite NROTC memory is taking second place in Color Guard at the Colorado Drill meet and hearing the entire unit chant “go big red.” Looking forward, he’s excited to move into the fleet and work with sailors to help fulfill a meaningful mission, no matter which service selection he receives. Keep up the great work!

This MIDN Monday, we’re showcasing MIDN 1/C Olivia Nolan from Fremont, Nebraska. She’s majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife Studies. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and hiking. MIDN Nolan joined UNL NROTC after transferring from the university’s Air Force ROTC. “The people in this program were very welcoming and encouraged me to improve; they kept me excited about the unit.” She says her biggest inspiration has been First Sergeant Glotzbecker, “who showed up no matter what and pushed us all to be our best self.”

While in the program, MIDN Nolan’s favorite memory has been her summer cruise to Japan, which gave her first-hand experience in the fleet. She hopes to become a pilot and is looking forward to starting her career.

Marines work on the weekend...

Marine option midshipmen attended a joint field exercise (FEX) at Camp Dodge hosted by Iowa State University this weekend. The first day included a 6-mile ruck, dropping into SULEs with Black Hawk helicopters, a force-on-force paintball evolution, and an MOS mixer with the MOIs. On the second day, MIDN conducted fire team level SULEs to prepare for OCS, participated in a land navigation course, went through a confidence course with a relay race, and learned ground fighting skills. The day finished with an endurance race and a barbecue. Thank you again to everyone involved in organizing the FEX. Semper Fi!

It’s MIDN Monday!

This week, we’d like to highlight MIDN 1/C Kenneth Reese. Congratulations on passing the Naval Reactors Interview! MIDN Reese is commissioning this spring and will join the Submarine Warfare community. Originally from Houston, Texas, he’ll graduate with a Chemical Engineering degree. His favorite memory was his submarine cruise on the USS San Juan. He is grateful for all the opportunities he’s been given while in NROTC and says his biggest inspiration comes from “our MOIs and AMOIs, past and present.” Keep up the great work!

For last week’s lab, the Blackshirt Battalion had a chance to get involved in the community. Staff and MIDN picked up trash along the unit’s “Adopt a Highway” stretch. Keep up the great work; let’s finish the semester strong!

We’re featuring MIDN 1/C Matthew Alarcon this week from Green Brook, New Jersey! He’s majoring in Civil Engineering with a minor in Math. When he’s not doing homework, MIDN Alarcon loves playing guitar, working out, and traveling. His favorite NROTC memories are intramural sports (volleyball and softball) with the battalion, breakfast PTs, and the Endurance Team Race. MIDN Alarcon is looking to go into aviation, hopefully jets!

“Unlike many people, I didn’t know where I would end up after high school. I decided to go far from home, and Nebraska seemed like a nice fit; they had NROTC, which I was interested in. Once I got past the first couple semesters, I realized a commission in the Navy was something I wanted to put all my effort towards.” MIDN Alarcon said his mom is his biggest inspiration, “I derive my leadership model from how she leads her teams at work.” As the school year ends, he looks forward to finishing strong academically. Keep up the great work!

Last Friday, MIDN competed in the “Longest Mile” to finish out the Fittest MIDN competition. The workout consisted of four laps around Mabel Lee Field with burpee broad jumps, water jug carry, bear crawl, and a sprint. Congratulations to this year’s winners, MIDN Harju and Martinez!