Battalion News
May 2025
Spring 2025 Commissioning
On 17 May, 12 seniors were commissioned at 0800 in Bovard Auditorium. See the details on the Commissioning page.
Spring 2025 Dining In
The Battalion held its annual Dinning In/Mess Night event on 2 May. Photos from the gathering have been impounded to protect the reputations of all attending.
April 2025
Spring 2025 Midshipmen Awards Presentation
The Alumni League presented officer swords to the following midshipmen for excellence in their chosen warfare specialty:
- Submarine Warfare Excellence Award: MIDN 1/C Earle Schweizer
- Surface Warfare Excellence Award: MIDN 1/C Brice Brown
- Naval Aviation Excellence Award: MIDN 1/C Matthew Villena
- Special Warfare Excellence Award: MIDN 1/C Hunter Brophy
- United States Marine Corps Excellence Award: MIDN 1/C Thomas Salva
- Drill Team Commander: MIDN 3/C Ryan Tran
The Alumni League also awarded $2,000 scholarships to five USC Midshipmen. Visit the AWARDS page to see the recipients of the Alumni League Scholarships for the Spring 2025 semester.
Other awards presented included:
- Chief of Naval Operations Graduate Award: MIDN 1/C Hollis Paradis
- Reserve Organization of America Award: MIDN 4/C Blaise Moynihan, MIDN 3/C Jerry Xie, MIDN 2/C Pierre Briand
- Military Order of World Wars Award: MIDN 4/C Benjamin Huang, MIDN 3/C Cian McKelvey, MIDN 2/C Nolan Walsh
- Major Jack (John) Bachelor Award: MIDN 1/C Thomas Salva
- 100th 442nd Veterans Association Go For Broke Award: MIDN 3/C Nicholas DeFina
- AFCEA Los Angeles Award: MIDN 2/C Pierre Briand
- 1st Marine Division Award: (MECEP) Staff Sergeant Antonio Letizia
- 2nd Marine Division Award: MIDN 3/C Jerry Xie
- USAA Spirit Award: MIDN 4/C Alexander Baret
- NFCU ROTC All-American nominee: MIDN 2/C Pierre Briand
- Ben Duma Fight On Forever Scholarship: (MECEP) Staff Sergeant Antonio Letizia
Benner Memorial Trophy Field Meet
On 19 April, the USC Trojan Battalion proudly hosted the annual Benner Trophy, a day-long competition against the UCLA Bruin Battalion in a spirited test of physical endurance, mental sharpness, and unit cohesion. This year’s event was especially exciting with the addition of several new events, bringing the total to seven dynamic challenges: Shooting, Knowledge Drill, Dodge Ball, Tug-O-War, Damage Control, and Basketball. The Benner Trophy remains a cornerstone event for the battalion honoring Bob ‘45 and Carole Benner while offering the midshipmen a chance to demonstrate their progress, bond with teammates, and take pride in their training. UCLA walked away with the trophy with a 0.05 point lead, however, the Trojan Battalion is ready to bring the trophy back home next year.
Small Arms Training
On 5 April, five midshipmen had the opportunity, thanks to the Alumni League, to perfect their shooting at the Los Angeles Rifle & Revolver Club!
First, the midshipmen participated in a three-hour range safety class to review basic gun safety and shooting principles. The latter half of the day was spent shooting live on the range. This was a great opportunity for our midshipmen to practice core marksmanship skills and shooting techniques. Participants were:
- MIDN 4/C Alex Baret ’28
- MIDN 4/C Spencer Williams ’28
- MIDN 4/C Raphael Abreu ’28
- MIDN 3/C Kameron Scott ’27
- MIDN 3/C Ryan Tran ’27
In total, each MIDN shot over 100 rounds, competing against each other for top shooter. All shooters earned either sharpshooter or expert, the two top grades of marksmanship in the NRA qualification program. MIDN Tran qualified for the Distinguished Expert Marksmen Badge (Unofficial) with the score of 291 out of 300.Ultimately, it was an extremely beneficial and fun experience for all of the participating MIDN.
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our Alumni League, who are always seeking out exciting opportunities and experiences for our midshipmen. We’d like to thank the Alumni League for generously sponsoring this activity!
March 2025
Yale Leadership and Strategy Conference, New Haven, CT
On 28 and 29 March, MIDN 2/C Aragon, 2/C Briand, and 3/C McKelvey attended the Yale Leadership and Strategy Conference in New Haven, Connecticut.
During their visit, they listened to a variety of speakers among three panels, including Keynote Addresses from General (Ret.) David Berger, 38th Commandant of the Marine Corps, and RADM Craig Mattingly, Commander, Naval Service Training Command. They were fortunate to meet other midshipmen from units along the East Coast, including cadets from USMA West Point, USAFA, and USNA. They also had the opportunity to meet international service academy students from Poland, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Trojan Battalion Excels at 30th Colorado University at Boulder Field Meet
Members of the Trojan Battalion traveled to Colorado to compete in the 30th CU Boulder Meet the weekend of 7-9 March. Your Alumni League provided financial assistance to facilitate their participation. During the Field Meet USC midshipmen showcased their skills across military knowledge, close order drill, color guard, shooting, and a 2-day endurance race.
Day one kicked off with the shooting team hitting the range, followed by a unit hike through Chautauqua Park before the official opening ceremony. As the Knowledge team battled it out against other schools, the endurance race team powered through the swim portion of their event. The Knowledge team brought home 1st place!
Day two brought even more action with Drill and Color Guard competitions and the final leg of the endurance race. The Drill team won 2nd place. The meet wrapped up with the closing ceremony, marking another successful year of competition.
Bravo Zulu to all the midshipmen who trained relentlessly to represent USC at the highest level! Fight on!
[Click on the pictures below for a full screen view]
February 2025
Nukes Pass Interviews with Flying Colors
USC midshipmen continue to excel in Washington, D.C., as they tackle their Nuclear Interviews at Naval Reactors! MIDN 1/C Schweizer and Brown showcased their mastery of physics and calculus, sharpened through dedicated study sessions with Submarine Officer Instructor, Lt. Peri. After a grueling day of complex problem-solving and interviews, they successfully passed the Admiral’s interview. Upon graduation, they will head to Naval Nuclear Power School.
Congratulations to our newest Nukes! Trojan Alumni are incredibly proud of these men! Bravo Zulu!
Alumni League and Navy Yacht Club Long Beach offer sailing opportunities to the Trojan Battalion
January 2025
Midshipmen Travel to Leadership Conferences
Members of the Trojan Battalion traveled to two different leadership conferences at the end of January.
MIDN Hof ’26, MIDN Yi ’27, MIDN De Fina ’27, and MIDN Breen ’27 traveled to South Bend Indiana with LT Krishna Peri USN to participate in the 30th annual Naval Leadership Weekend hosted by the Notre Dame NROTC unit. 225 midshipmen from 36 schools learned about and discussed issues critical to their roles as future leaders in the Navy and Marine Corps. It was a chance for Midshipmen to hear from successful leaders in the military, providing them with the tools and information that will guide them to success beyond the realm of college and into their challenges as active duty officers.
MIDN Ganguly ’27 and MIDN Tam ’27 attended the Naval Academy Leadership Conference at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The theme was “Leading from Within: Embracing Authenticity in Leadership.” They had the opportunity to meet other midshipmen from the Academy, exchanging differences in the lives of a NROTC student and an Academy student. They listened to panels of Naval personnel from a variety of different backgrounds, as well as keynotes featuring distinguish Navy and civilian speakers. The conference included more than 400 participants from over 45 military and civilian colleges.
Battle Study Hawaii
MIDN 1/C of the Trojan Battalion (plus MIDN from Cal State Westwood) flew to Hawaii for a battle study, where they spent time exploring different aspects of Naval history. They had the opportunity to visit COMSUBPAC, the USS ARIZONA Memorial, USS MISSOURI, and other Pearl Harbor sites. Prominent Hawaiian battles, such as the Battle of Nu’uanu in 1795, the final major battle in King Kamehameha I’s unification of the Hawaiian Islands, were explored. Between hiking scenic trails and climbing up Diamond Head, our midshipmen explored the natural beauty that Hawaii offers. The weekend was topped off with well-deserved time at the beach and a barbecue. Alumni participating included Jerry Vieau ’68, Bob Bennett ’79, and Steve Van Horn ’79.
December 2024
USC NROTC commissioned six Ensigns on 19 December. Visit the COMMISSIONING page for pictures and more info.
Visit the AWARDS page to see the recipients of the Alumni League Scholarships for the Fall 2024 semester.
Trojan Battalion Change of Command
The Fall 2024 Battalion Commander, MIDN 1/C Hollis Paradis ’24, hands off leadership of the Trojan Battalion to MIDN 1/C Hunter Brophy ’25 for the Spring 2025 semester.
Nuclear Power Interviews
Three USC midshipmen traveled to Washington, DC for their nuclear propulsion program interviews at Naval Reactors. MIDN 1/C Marisol Ruiz ’24, MIDN 1/C Kaisa Liljenwall ’24, and MIDN 1/C David Rozo ’24 were required to demonstrate knowledge gained through study sessions with Submarine Officer Instructor Lieutenant Peri and underwent a long day of technical interviews and the all important Admiral interview. All passed with flying colors!
Upon commissioning every Ensign selected for Submarine Warfare attends one year of advanced nuclear power training, starting with six months of classroom training at Nuclear Power School (NPS) in Charleston, S.C. After NPS, they will have six months of practical, hands-on training at one of the Navy’s two shore-based reactor training facilities (NPTU) in upstate New York or Charleston, South Carolina. Next comes the Submarine Officer Basic Course (SOBC), a 12-week course of instruction located in Groton, CT. There prospective submariners learn all about submarine operations, including safety, damage control, seamanship and sonar systems along with the responsibilities of leading an advanced submarine crew as a division officer before reporting to an assigned submarine.
November 2024
October 2024
Service Selection Day
The Class of 2025 received their service assignments this week. Starting with the midshipman’s preferences, these assignments are based on specific Department of the Navy requirements and consider both a midshipman’s aptitude and preference for a particular specialty. Midshipmen who will commission in the Spring as Surface Warfare Officers select their first ships during the annual NROTC Ship Selection Day, typically held in February. Below is the breakdown for our current MIDN 1/C cohort by warfare specialty:
- Aviation: 9
- Navy EOD: 1
- Marine Corps: 2
- Special Warfare: 1
- SWO: 0
- SWO Nuke (SEAL option): 1
- Submarine: 5
September 2024
VADM Rob Gaucher, COMSUBFOR, met recently with USC MIDN 1/C who had applied for submarine or Surface Nuke warfare specialties. The meeting took place at the UCLA NROTC offices.
LT Jack Tribolet, the unit’s aviation office instructor, was announced as a winner in the 2024 CNO Naval History Essay Contest sponsored by the Naval History and Heritage Command. LT Tribolet placed third in the Rising Historian category for his essay, “Mapping the Messaging of Midway: Navigating Navalism in the 21st Century.”
LT Tribolet won a cash prize and a trip to Annapolis in October for breakfast with the CNO, ADM Franchetti, and the other essay contest winners.
Welcome Class of 2028 - August 2024
35 new students were sworn in before classes started in August. The new MIDN 4/C include 28 Navy (27 mids and 1 enlisted officer candidate) and 7 Marines (4 mids and 3 MECEPS). Welcome to all!
Change of Command - July 2024
Spring 2024 Awards Ceremony
The Alumni League BOD adopted a Midshipman Battalion proposal to expand our annual office sword award program. The following seniors were recognized for their superior performance based on criteria set by the Unit and Battalion staffs.
- Parker Sword: MIDN 1/C Blake Harrison
- Surface Warfare Officer Sword: MIDN 1/C William Durban
- Submarine Officer Sword: MIDN 1/C Grant Addington
- Student Naval Aviator Sword: MIDN 1/C Max Jenson
- Marine Officer Sword: MIDN 1/C Sean Katzmannand
- Trojan Sword: MIDN 1/C Karl Kammereck
