Dear New Student,

On behalf of the Staff and Battalion, I would like to welcome you to the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Unit at University of Kansas, and take the opportunity to provide you information about the 2012 NROTC Freshmen Orientation and Indoctrination (O&I). O&I is scheduled to start on Tuesday, August 14 at 1400 in the Military Science Building (MSB) at the end of Summerfield drive. Please arrive early enough to allow time for parking and walking to the MSB. You may park in the garage adjacent to Allen Fieldhouse for a $1.25 per hour and it is about a 5 minute walk from the garage.  This is the closest parking to the Military Science Building (MSB). O&I will end on Saturday afternoon, August 18 at Holcom Park with a picnic; families are welcome and encouraged to attend.

O&I is not designed as a screening or evaluation. It is used to introduce you to the NROTC unit and to military customs and courtesies, and to promote a sense of class camaraderie with your contemporaries. It also instills a mindset for professional and academic excellence. We will challenge you both mentally and physically. A positive attitude and good level of physical fitness are essential for success.
During O&I, you will reside wherever you have arranged to live during the semester. If you plan to live in the dorm, the earliest you may move in is 0800 on the 14th. This is earlier than the rest of the student population, so we will need to know who is living in the dorm in the Fall semester and which dorm you have chosen to live in. All incoming students are required to notify the Marine Officer Instructor (MOI), Major Seelmann, on your living arrangements as soon as possible but no later than 1 August. Notification will be made via email to nrotcmoi@ku.edu . For those who plan to live in the dorm and would like to have a roommate that is also in the NROTC program, include this in your email to the MOI and every effort will be made to get you a roommate in the NROTC program.  The NROTC unit will not pay for any extra cost incurred with the additional 3 days in the dorm. The NROTC will provide 3 meals a day during O&I at no cost to you.

You will need to complete several paperwork items during the initial day of O&I. Bring all of the listed paperwork and forms with you when you arrive on 14 August for O&I. Additionally, you will need to send us a uniform fitting form. Please fill in the measurements and sizes according to the directions given. Do not just provide your sizes. Complete and send the form as soon as possible, but mail no later 10 July. You may email (this is the preferred method) the form to nrotcsupply@ku.edu  or fax it to 785.864.3144.

For NROTC Scholarship midshipmen, the Navy will pay your monthly stipend via direct deposit. If you do not already have a direct deposit account, you will need to establish one with your bank when you arrive for O&I. The account can be established by filling out the direct deposit form (which can be found at website at http://www2.ku.edu/~kunrotc/forms.shtml) and have your bank complete the appropriate blanks or by bringing a voided check. Bring the information with you the day that you arrive for O&I. NROTC Scholarship Midshipmen will also need to bring their W-4 and the Welcome Letter sent by Pensacola. The O&I program will include:

• Introduction to physical fitness, physical fitness training, and risk reduction training
• Classes on the following subjects:
• NROTC Unit and Battalion structure/Chain of Command
• Enhancing your academic experience
• Military courtesy and close-order drill
• Safety at home, during recreational activities, and while driving
• Drug and alcohol awareness/training
• Navy and Marine Corps Core Values, Honor Code
• Study Habits
• Uniform wear, preparation and maintenance
• Individual counseling with Class Advisor and Academic Advisor
• Swim test and Physical Readiness Test (USN) or Physical Fitness Test (USMC).
• Institution learning and technology resources
• O&I completion picnic.

During O&I week physical training will start at approximately 0530 and will consist of stretching and aerobic calisthenics, multiple sets of sit-ups and pushups, and several runs at a 9-minute mile pace. I encourage you to arrive in good physical condition, able to complete a three mile run without stopping. The physical readiness guide will help prepare you for O&I. If you are a student who is unfamiliar with physical training, I highly recommend you start a fitness program prior to your arrival.

You will also take a swim test during O&I week. The test consists of treading water for five minutes, demonstrating your ability to swim using three survival strokes, and an inflated clothing float. There will be plenty of instruction and demonstrations on the proper techniques required for the test. If you are not a strong swimmer, I would suggest that you take the time to strengthen your swimming skills at a nearby swimming pool prior to arrival. Many of these items are required for the NROTC Program, if not completed during our orientation period they will be accomplished during the academic year. Previous Midshipmen have found that O&I serves as an invaluable introduction for the student and can be a key to your success within the NROTC program.

When you arrive at O&I, there will be a welcome brief with the NROTC staff for both the parents and students. Immediately following this brief quickly say your “good-byes” before we start the in-processing.  Immediately following the brief with everyone, the staff will be available for parents if there are any unanswered questions or if they would just like to meet some of us on an individual basis. It is our hope that before they depart, they feel comfortable and confident that you are in good hands and ready to safely embark on your own adventure.

You are strongly encouraged to be within “regulation” grooming standards when you arrive. For Navy option males, your hair must not touch the collar and will be tapered upward to a maximum length of four inches; the bulk of your hair must not be more than two inches high. Conservative sideburns are authorized; sideburns will be trimmed, and will not extend past the middle of the ear. For Marine option males, hair must not touch the collar and will be tapered upward to a maximum length of three inches. Sideburns are not authorized. For the training evolution, mustaches are not authorized; all those attending O&I will be clean-shaven at all times. For all females, you need not cut your hair but while in uniform you must wear it so that your hair does not fall below the lower edge of the collar. Pigtails and ponytails are not permitted; while in uniform. However, French-style braids are authorized as long as the end of the braid is neatly tucked under and out of sight. Pins and barrettes of similar color to the individual’s hair may be worn. If you arrive out of standards a haircut will be provided but at your own cost. The official Navy Haircut Regulations can be found later on within the Orientation and Indoctrination Informational Packet.

University of Kansas Housing Regulations will not allow you to move your belongings into your room until Tuesday, 14 August. If you anticipate arriving for O&I with all your belongings and need a place to store them until you move into University housing or other housing, please contact us in advance. We will assist you in making arrangements for temporary storage of your belongings.

O&I week will conclude on Saturday, 18 August with a swearing in ceremony at the Military Science Building at 1100. Following the ceremony there will be a picnic at Holcom Park. The picnic event will begin at approximately 1200 and conclude at approximately 1400. Your family is invited and encouraged to attend the event.

My unit staff, senior Midshipmen, Officer Candidates, Marines, and I will provide all of your instruction. Keep in mind that you are participating in an officer accession program. More will be expected and demanded of you academically, professionally, physically, and socially than is expected of your fellow university students.  As future leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps, you will set the example for others to follow. We live by the ideals and concepts expressed in the Navy and Marine Corps Core Values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. I applaud your decision to become a future leader of Sailors and Marines. If you have any questions about any aspect of the NROTC Program, call us at 1-800-JHK-NAVY.

CDR John Clark