Career Orientation and Training (CORTRAMID)

During 2/C Cruise, Midshipmen are fully integrated into the shipboard organization and are assigned the duties of middle level enlisted personnel regularly assigned to the ships. The goals of this training are:

1) To familiarize midshipmen with shipboard organization, ship systems, evolutions, and safety requirements at sea and in port
2) To develop an appreciation for tasks, responsibilities, and living and working conditions of enlisted personnel aboard ship
3) To provide hands-on training in seagoing skills through personnel qualification standards (PQS)
4) To emphasize the importance of maintaining military courtesy, smartness, and discipline

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Navy Option Midshipmen are fully integrated into the shipboard organization and are assigned the duties of junior officers. The goals of this training are:

1) To prepare midshipmen for commissioned service through active participation in the duties and responsibilities of a junior officer at sea
2) To further the development of officer-like qualities and leadership skills
3) To familiarize midshipmen with warfare systems
4) To emphasize the importance of maintaining military courtesy, smartness, and discipline

Midshipmen will spend approximately 4 weeks between their junior and senior years aboard a ship or submarine or assigned to an aviation squadron. They will be assigned a junior officer as their running mate. The purpose of this training period is to teach midshipmen the day to day life of a junior officer and their place in the chain of command.

Midshipmen desiring to go into the Special Warfare community (i.e. SEAL's) will be sent to Mini-BUD's for training and evaluation by officers and enlisted in the SEAL community.

Midshipmen who plan to be future Marine Officers are required to attend OCS at Quantico, VA, for six weeks in the Summer between their Junior and Senior year. OCS is a right of passage for all future Marine officers and requires that each candidate has the physical and mental strength to handle the demanding career that lies ahead of them.

So much activity occurs at OCS that it is near impossible to sum it up in a few paragraphs. At OCS, a candidate must be prepared to endure tough physical exercise that includes running long distances and conducting timed assault courses. Candidates will also be required to do long conditioning hikes up to 15 miles.

Much of OCS is designed to see whether a candidate can not only endure the physical strains of OCS, but that a candidate can lead future Marines under such stressful conditions with little or no rest. Leadership evaluations are often conducted at times when the environment is the most chaotic. Sergeant instructors are trained to create these environments of chaos and evaluate how candidates lead under such conditions. OCS is one of the most challenging yet rewarding experience Marine Option midshipmen will have.