Rutgers Naval ROTC Newcomers Report In

A new class of students have been welcomed to the Rutgers Naval ROTC, a relatively new program, but one that is already forging ahead in training new Naval and Marine officers.

On Thursday, 16 midshipmen - 5 women and 11 men - accepted certificates marking the completion of their week-long orientation in the Rutgers Naval ROTC program.

The orientation "gave them a small taste of what's to come for them," said Captain Philip Roos, Commanding Officer of the Rutgers Naval ROTC unit.

Over their orientation, the incoming freshmen learned about the program's basics, such as standards of conduct and the importance of uniformity.

Despite their training that will someday earn them the rank of commissioned officers, their schooling takes top priority, Roos said.

"(Their) predominant objective is to get an education," Roos said.

Diego Ovelar, 19, is a sophomore at Rutgers and in his second year in the Naval ROTC program, having been one of the students in the inaugural class.

The Naval ROTC program came to Rutgers in September 2012.

It is the only Naval ROTC program in New Jersey.

Ovelar, of Bound Brook, said he was interested in enlisting in the Military, when his recruiter informed him of the Naval ROTC program and the scholarships available to assist him in completing it.

He spent orientation assisting the new midshipmen, serving as their "mentors for the week," Ovelar said.

"It was a good experience for the unit," he said.