On May 15, the University’s NROTC annual Pass in Review ceremony was celebrated aboard the USS New Jersey.
On May 15, a sunny Saturday with calm seas, 15 1/C midshipmen were commissioned as ensigns and 2nd lieutenants aboard the USS New Jersey. The ceremony, called Pass in Review, is a longstanding military tradition, and historically has been a way for a newly assigned commander to inspect their troops. The modern ceremony, held each spring, marks the midshipmen’s “graduation” in a special ceremony, aside from Commencement, shared with family members and guests, and Vice Provost for University Life Mamta Accapadi.
Eighty-one years after being established at Penn, NROTC is still an active part of University life. In 2021, Penn’s Naval ROTC saw 15 future officers in the Navy and Marine Corps presented with their rank and insignia.
Penn’s history of producing military leaders dates back to the first commandant of the Marine Corps, Samuel Nicholas, a Penn student in the 1750s, and the first secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddert, a 1777 graduate. Historically, more than 1,500 officers have graduated from Penn.