Alumni Page

Keep in touch with NROTC Notre Dame and let us know about address changes and occasional updates. If a Notre Dame NROTC alumni would like to post a message to their class, please e-mail the message to NROTC University Notre Dame and we will post it (with discretion) on this page. The NROTC Notre Dame email address is nrotc.1@nd.edu.

CLASS OF 1993 AND 2006

12 October 2007

USS NITZE (DDG 94), Honorary ND NROTC Host Ship: An Update

On January 5, 2007 USS NITZE (DDG 94), led by commanding officer CDR Robert N. Hein, set sail on her maiden deployment with two Notre Dame graduates. LCDR Joseph Carrigan (’93) and ENS Ryan Hackett (’06) currently serve as executive officer and disbursing officer respectively. As a member of BATAAN Expeditionary Strike Group, NITZE supported Operations IRAQI FREEDOM and ENDURING FREEDOM. NITZE also conducted maritime security operations off the Horn of Africa, in the Arabian Gulf, in the Gulf of Oman and in the Gulf of Aden

Enroute to the Fifth Fleet Area of Responsibility NITZE made a port visit to Valletta, Matla. Her crew participated in MWR tours visiting many beautiful sites of historic significance. Delicious food and European night life were also big hits.

After transiting the Suez Canal and sailing through the Red Sea and the strategic choke point, the Bab-el-Mandeb, NITZE took station off the Horn of Africa to conduct maritime security operations and anti-piracy patrols. NITZE’s visit board search and seizure team visited over 40 vessels, and drastically reduced incidents of piracy in the area making the waters around the Horn of Africa safe for commercial traffic. Having spent over 45 days at sea during this period, the crew earned the first of two “beer days” during the deployment.

In the Arabian Gulf, NITZE made port visits to Manama, Bahrain and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In Bahrain the crew got a taste of home as many made a shopping trip to the Naval Exchange to stock up on magazines, PT gear and many of their favorite snacks. Several weeks later, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz enroute to Dubai, NITZE experienced one of its most vivid – and exciting – memories of the deployment: a class charlie fire in one of its gas turbine generators caused NITZE to lose all power, propulsion, communications and combat capabilities. Within 1 ½ minutes, propulsion and power were restored -– a testament to the capabilities of a well-trained and highly skilled crew.

Following another Suez Canal transit and port visits to Souda Bay, Greece and Rota, Spain NITZE returned home to Norfolk, VA on 3 July 2007 to complete an enormously successful six month deployment. NITZE had zero safety mishaps; the crew had zero liberty incidents during five foreign port visits; the crew demonstrated its mastery of damage control, engineering, seamanship, navigation, and combat skills by attaining outstanding scores in two significant unit level training assessments; and, most importantly, the ship completed every assigned mission on time.

Following a month-long post deployment stand-down, NITZE once again got underway for port visits to Fort Lauderdale, FL and Gloucester, MA. In October NITZE headed south once more -– this time to participate in “Bay Fest,” a huge music festival featuring artists from Ludacris to LeAnn Rimes in Mobile, AL.

Following her return from Mobile, NITZE enters a three month maintenance period known as a “Selected Restricted Availability” (SRA). Upon completion of SRA, NITZE will begin work-ups for its next deployment with THEODORE ROOSEVELT Carrier Strike Group.

NITZE is the honorary host ship for the Notre Dame NROTC Battalion. Her executive officer and disbursing officer will be glad to answer questions about NITZE and life in the Navy. Please send your emails to xo@ddg94.navy.mil and disbo@ddg94.navy.mil. Go Irish!

CLASS OF 2008

05 February 2007

Dear Captain Neller,
I looked up your name on the Notre Dame website and thought I'd write you a few words about my experiences in the submarine force after Notre Dame.

I am a 2000 graduate of Notre Dame and received my commission through the Navy ROTC program. I served in the submarine force for six years, as a fast boat JO on the Columbus out of Pearl Harbor and a shore tour in Naples, Italy. I separated from the Navy this summer and am in my first year in Wharton's MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania.

The reason I decided to write was to use my experiences to convey some of the long term value proposition of choosing the submarine force as a career path, even if one does decide to leave the Navy. I wanted to do this because I felt that seniors making their decisions on what community to join had a lot of information on their prospective career path in the Navy, but didn't (at least I didn't when I came through) have much information on what impact their choice would have should they decide to leave the Navy after their commitment is over (as most statistically do).

I have been surprised to find the submarine/nuclear alumni community to be a very strong presence as I have been recruiting for summer internships here at Wharton. Submarine veterans have been prevalent in investment banking, consulting, and in industry, and have succeeded in all these fields. Being a "known commodity" in the business world as ex-submariners is very valuable, as it reduces the risk employers feel they are taking on a non-traditional background while still standing out for the leadership and management experience.

The veterans club in my class at Wharton tells a similar story - of the U.S. veterans, we have six ex-submariners, one ex-surface nuc, one former seal, two former supply officers, one Marine, two Army vets, and two Air Force vets. Now, Wharton is a quantitative school so that may bend the odds a little, but I think the numbers are instructive.

While I do not presume to think that you and the other current instructors do not already have and convey this type of information, I know as a senior I did not have this information and would have appreciated this kind of input into my decision making process.

Surface and aviation careers can be great choices, but I think that the submarine force can be a harder sell than it should be because of the up-front costs in power school and qualifying.

I would be happy to talk with any current students that have questions about post-submarine life.

Good luck, enjoy your time at Notre Dame, and GO IRISH!

Best regards,
Matt Ulman

MBA Candidate, Class of 2008
The Wharton School
ulman@wharton.upenn.edu
215.910.2187

CLASS OF 1974

04 January 2007

From: Ledford, Kevin J CIV FISCSD Code 621 [mailto:kevin.j.ledford@navy.mil]
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 3:12 PM
To: nrotc.1@nd.edu
Subject: ALUMNUS CHECKING IN

Unfortunate reader: I had cause to look at the University's main website today, responding to a survey request, and found myself looking at the "A to Z" link to Navy ROTC. I am a member of the Class of 1974, still "serving" the Navy in civil service for the past twenty years after being involuntarily retired from a not-very-distinguished active duty career due to physical disabilities (what's the big deal over eight knee operations?), and currently located in Philadelphia. You're all still recovering from last night's debacle in the Sugar Bowl, I'm sure, but Christmas break probably has some time to run yet, and unless things have changed, South Bend is probably "enjoying" typical winter weather. So, let the healing process continue, with the aid of the basketball and hockey teams, they're doing well so far.

I'm a bit disappointed that the NROTC alumni page has so few entries, and none more recent than 2005; maybe there just isn't room for more, which is great if that's the case. I am in regular contact with two terrific classmates, Jim DeMartini and Mike McCarthy. Jim has been at Bath Iron Works in Maine for over twenty-five years, and Mike is in business for himself near his original hometown of Reading PA, retired as a CDR after twenty-one years in the Supply Corps. Both have sent at least one offspring to ND. I also keep in touch with our old CO, Captain McLean, still living in South Bend after retiring from his second career at the Law School. He still has a Notre Dame E-mail address, and might still be in the faculty listings (I didn't check that before starting this letter); if he's not, I know he's on the roster at the Notre Dame Online section of the Alumni Association's website, along with many classmates of all classes . . . if you're not subscribed to it, join up, it's a good way to search for old friends, which might help solve the problem mentioned by one of your other writers. Those of you on active duty probably are using NMCI, the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet, which lists the vast majority of both active duty and civilian members; regardless of whether you like or dislike NMCI, and I know it's a topic of huge debate, it does take a lot of the guesswork out of finding an E-mail address, both afloat and ashore.

I wish any of you who must go in harm's way a fast ship, and a very fast return from those harmful situations. Keep the faith with Notre Dame and all shipmates past and present. KJL

All,
A couple pictures of the flag of the Fighting Irish flying proudly over our HAS at Al Asad AB, Iraq. Looking forward to a great season!!!

Thanks, Mom & Dad, for sending the flag -- the troops love giving me grief about my Irish. Lots of Ohio St., Mich., Mich. St., Penn St., and of course Navy fans here. We are actively working the Naval Academy to do the ND - Navy fly over in Baltimore this fall, so hopefully we can do that one. Pretty much my last chance, as the flying days will end next spring with my change of command.

Hope all are well. Things here are good. Flying a lot, pretty much 3 of every 4 days with the average sortie being about 5 hours long (longest for me so far has been 7.5). The temps haven't been too bad yet, mostly around 110 with no humidity so pretty much beats DC in the summer!! The troops are doing well, working 12 on/12 off, so not much free time, though there is little to do besides eat, sleep, workout, and work.

Have to run to a meeting, but I will try to send more pictures later. Having some problems downloading some of them -- I think I have a bad disk in the camera.

GO IRISH!!,

CDR John "Woody" Hayes, USN
Commanding Officer, VAQ-209 Star Warriors CENTCOM
SIPR: john.hayes@acemnf-wiraq.usmc

Greetings!
I am an Alum, commissioned and graduated in 1980. My best friend (Joe Scalzo) and I were talking last night about trying to find our NROTC classmates. Is there any way you can help us? I do not know who is still in the Navy, but there may be some. I live in Norfolk, and have run into a few (Mike Carlson and Mark Shofner) who have retired recently, I am still in the reserves, and I am sure a few got out right after our commitment was up. So both the University and the Navy may be able to guide us, so may I ask for your help in trying to locate our group?
VR/
Andy Baan
CAPT USNR
c-303-919-4492

Greetings from Kuwait!

We are just about to wrap up our 6 month deployment at US Military Hospital Kuwait and I was curious to see what other NROTC people were up to! After graduation in '98 I went to NH Jacksonville for 3 years followed by 2 years in Rota, Spain (the best duty station the Navy has to offer!) I had been at NH Great Lakes for a year when I was deployed here as an ER/trauma nurse. We had a great experience here taking care of Coalition forces as well as some civilians. We ran a 44 bed tent-hospital which included 4 ORs, an ICU and an ER. I had the pleasure of working with other ND grads- there is an Internal Medicine physician here who graduated in '72!

Please feel free to pass my email along to anyone interested in Navy Nursing. I hope everyone is safe and doing well!

LT Tabitha Sobel
tsobel@hotmail.com

Greetings from Pearl Harbor, HI. I am wrapping up my first division officer tour on USS PORT ROYAL(CG-73) and preparing for Nuclear Power School in Charleston, SC. I was reminded of the fine Fighting Irish Navy ROTC program when I ran into an old classmate of mine, LTJG Tim Lyden at a reception on the Chilean Frigate LYNCH. He was in town from San Diego on USS RUSHMORE for the upcoming RIMPAC exercise in Hawaii and happened to be invited to the same reception. We spent the night reminiscing about the good old days in South Bend, so I checked out the website to see what the latest was. It looks like it was business as usual for you all, and I imagine everyone is enjoying the summer break right now.

I had the distinct pleasure of living with Tim and Gavin Noble in Newport while attending the old 6 Month SWOS program. We represented ND well in Newport as I am sure all the SWO's will during their abbreviated visits after reporting to their ships. I have heard that Gavin is on deployment from his homeport of Japan, Emily Rosenbach is doing well in San Diego and Becky Ward is in the class ahead of me at Nuke School. Anyways, I just wanted to say hello and offer some news for those that remember the class of 2002. I will offer my email if anyone has any questions about the Surface Navy or the Surface Nuke pipeline. rsulliv3@alumni.nd.edu . Once I get settled there in a few months, I will be able to field questions about Nuke School. Also, I have lots of ENSIGN insignia and shoulder boards I would love to pass on to a senior DOMER. Just send me a name and address and I will send it their way.

Take care and enjoy the next football season. I hope it is a good one! Go Irish!