Message from the Commanding Officer – Colonel Gilbert D. Juarez, USMC



Thank you for your interest in UCLA, the NROTC, and the Naval Service.  We acknowledge there are many paths to service but we also believe few can be as personally and professionally rewarding as a career in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps.  Though many career fields place you in impactful positions, few offer the scope and scale of leadership responsibility or the pertinence to our national security that you will see as a Commissioned Officer.  There is no better place to start your military journey than with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, all while attending the top public university in the nation!   

We prepare Midshipmen for commissioned service by developing them mentally, morally, and physically, instilling in them the highest ideals of duty and loyalty along with our core values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment.  In addition to attending naval science classes, physical training sessions, and our weekly naval science laboratory, our MIDN assume leadership roles in the unit, honing their own leadership skills while contributing to something bigger.  Real world experiences occur each summer as our Midshipmen travel to Marine Corps bases, Navy bases, and ships to participate in challenging 2–4-week training events.  Upon graduation, Midshipmen commission as Marine Second Lieutenants or Navy Ensigns and go on to lead Marines and Sailors around the world.  Our Navy programs include submarine, surface, and aviation programs.  Marine options can contract for ground or aviation assignments and can compete for cyber officer and follow-on law degree scholarships.  Following commissioned service, whether it be five years or 30, our NROTC alumni return to society as outstanding citizens who continue to serve their communities and their nation in civilian leadership roles. 

The NROTC is a highly competitive program with many paths leading to a commission and I encourage you to explore them all. Some of our students are outstanding enlisted Sailors selected for the “Seaman-to-Admiral” Program; some are high-performing enlisted Marines selected for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program; but most applied for an NROTC scholarship while still in high school.  We also have college-programmers: UCLA students who were inspired to serve their country, applied, and were accepted into the unit, and are now competing for their own NROTC scholarship.   

Of course, NROTC is not for everyone but if you are compelled to live a life of selfless service and experience meaningful personal and professional challenge while also excelling on campus as a student at UCLA, then our program is for you.  If you want to be part of something bigger or simply have questions about the program, I encourage you to reach out to our recruiting officer at nrotc@navsci.ucla.edu or by going here to start your application process to become a member of the Bruin Battalion.  

Go Bruins!