Embry-Riddle Naval ROTC Midshipmen Named No. 1 and No. 3 in the Nation

Embry-Riddle Naval ROTC Midshipmen Named No. 1 and No. 3 in the Nation

James RoddeyJames Roddey /

Mar 01, 2016, 5:00 PM

Embry-Riddle’s Naval ROTC unit in Daytona Beach is flying high with the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked officer candidates in the nation – Midshipmen 1st Class William Orsborn and Adam Guy. NROTC midshipmen are ranked according to their grade point average, aptitude scores and physical fitness assessments. Ship selection is one of the most significant events in their lives as they take their first steps toward joining the U.S. Navy surface warfare officer community as Navy ensigns.

Several high-ranking Naval officers were online via Google Hangout when the top candidates made their choices.

Out of more than 80 Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) units throughout the country, with over 300 midshipmen selecting their first ship assignments before commissioning and graduation, Embry-Riddle Midshipman 1st Class William Orsborn was the overall top-ranked NROTC midshipman in the nation. He selected one of the Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced ships in the fleet, the guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt, to be homeported in San Diego, Calif.

“It was an honor to be the first person to make a ship selection,” said Orsborn, an aerospace engineering major from Mt. Vernon, Wash. “The USS Zumwalt is a brand-new ship, the first of her class. It will be exciting to work with the advanced technologies found on that ship and it is a great opportunity to be a part of the ship’s history and the whole Zumwalt class of guided missile destroyers.”

Midshipman 1st Class Adam Guy, the No. 3 ranked NROTC midshipman in the nation, selected the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold, which is homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

“I chose the USS Benfold because of its location and deployment schedule,” said Guy, a homeland security major from East Hampton, Conn. “The location allows me to develop regional expertise that will benefit me as a Naval intelligence officer. The deployment rotations to the South Pacific also allows me to continue my world travels and experiences.”

“We’re proud of all six of our midshipmen who were able to choose their first ship assignments and having one midshipman in the top 10 would be an honor. Having two of the top three is unprecedented,” said Capt. Randy Lynch, commanding officer of Embry-Riddle NROTC. “It speaks volumes of how well our people have been trained by Embry-Riddle faculty and staff, by our Navy and Marine instructors and throughout the fleet when these midshipmen were on their summer training periods.”

The other Embry-Riddle NROTC midshipmen choosing ships were:

  • Midshipmen William Wilkerson and Caitlyn Rymarchyk – USS Vella Gulf, Norfolk, Va.
  • Midshipman Natalie Jimenez – USS Gonzalez, Norfolk, Va.
  • Midshipman Malana Linton – Littoral Combat Ship Crew 102, San Diego, Calif.

About Embry-Riddle NROTC

The NROTC program at Embry-Riddle gives selected men and women the opportunity to receive instruction in Navy-specified courses which, in conjunction with a bachelor’s degree, will qualify them for a commission in the United States Navy or Marine Corps. All U.S. citizen students enrolled in the university are eligible to apply for the NROTC program.

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