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!

MIDN 1/C Bric Brown '25 and Earle Schweizer '25

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.

MIDN Breen '27, MIDN Hof '26, MIDN De Fina '27,MIDN Yi '27, LT Peri
MIDN Tam '27, MIDN Ganguly '27 at USNA
Notre Dame University campus
USNA campus, Annapolis, MD

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.

MIDN 1/C Hollis Paradis is relived as Battalion Commander by MIDN 1/C Hunter Brophy.
MIDN 1/C Ruiz, MIDN 1/C Liljenwall, MIDN 1/C Rozo at the end of a long day at Naval Reactors

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

Rivalry Week: USC vs. UCLA Blood Bowl

USC beat the Bruin Battalion in the annual Blood Bowl football game, followed a few days later by USC’s 19-13 victory at the Rose Bowl.

Navy vs. Army vs. Air Force ROTC Field Meet

All three USC ROTC units met in the first annual Tri-Service Cup competition.  Navy took home the trophy!

Fall Ball / 249th Marine Corps Birthday Celebration

Battalion Motivation Run

To honor and celebrate both the Marine Corps Birthday and Veterans Day.

October 2024

249th Navy Birthday Celebration

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 
Total to be commissioned: 19 (6 Ensigns in December, remainder in May 2025)
 

September 2024

VADM Robert Gaucher, Commander, Naval Submarine Forces

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.

VADM Dan "Undra" Cheever, Commander of Naval Air Forces, visited the USC NROTC unit. Admiral Cheever shared his incredible experiences in naval aviation and leadership with the midshipmen, offering valuable insights as they prepare for careers in the Navy and Marine Corps.
Lieutenant Jack Tribolet, USN

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.

On 11 September, the Army, Navy, Air Force ROTC units and the Joint Assembly for Military-Associated Students (JAMS) came together for a special stair climb in the Galen Center to honor the lives lost in the tragic attacks on 9/11. Each step in this climb represented the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of the individuals who perished that day, including the brave first responders who gave everything in service to others. As the students and staff conquered 2,977 stairs, we remember their legacy and reaffirm our commitment to service, duty, and the defense of our nation. This act of remembrance is more than just physical—it is a testament to the enduring spirit of unity that defines our ROTC students here at USC. We climb so that their memory never fades. Fight On!

Welcome Class of 2028 - August 2024

Class of 2028 Arriving
Class of 2028 swearing in ceremony
Welcome to the Trojan Battalion

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

Col Gil Juarez is relieved by Col Trace Perry as CO of the LA NROTC Consortium.
Prof. Frank Zerunyan and CDR Josh Ragadio witness the Change of Command ceremony.
Ensigns from the Class of 2024 congratulate Col Juarez on the completion of his Marine Corps service.
Battalion Newsletter - Summer 2024

Spring 2024 Awards Ceremony

Battalion Change of Command. MIDN Matt Merone, '24 passes the guideon to MIDN Paradis, '25 as BNCO for the Fall 2024 semester.
The Operations Platoon, led by PCO Andrew Larratt, '24, wins the bi-annual platoon drill competition.
MIDN 1/C Sal Rodriquez, '24 presented with 2nd Marine Division Association award
MIDN 1/C James Cook, '24 with MIDN of the Year trophy.
MIDN 1/C Andrew Larratt, '24 celebrates the Operations Platoon drill competition win.
MIDN 1/C Anne Whelan '24 receives an award from the DAR

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
League President James Hull presents the Trojan Sword to MIDN 1/C Karl Kammereck, '24