Like many Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) students, Howard student Nathan Morgan applied to the program in high school as a means to fund his collegiate education, but it has since become a pivotal part of his life.
This semester, Morgan, a senior civil engineering major from Norfolk, Virginia, became the first Howard student and first Black student in at least 10 years to achieve the highest student rank in the George Washington NROTC unit, also known as the Capitol Battalion, as Battalion Commanding Officer (BCO).
NROTC students, called midshipmen, start their days out much earlier than the average college student.
Three days a week, they travel to George Washington University and take classes with their unit which includes Howard University, Georgetown University, Catholic University of America and George Washington University (GWU) students. These days start as early as 4 or 5 a.m..
Midshipmen take classes in naval sciences, complete weekly physical training with their class and on Fridays, all classes do drills and a unit Leadership Lab. This all happens in between college classes, clubs, sports and social life.
While difficult, Morgan said he gets immense gratification from the program and the community he’s gained from it.
“I feel like one thing that really keeps us very close-knit is that mutual sense of ‘Man, I’m struggling and we’re both showing up at 4 a.m., but we’re both giving our 110 percent,’” Morgan said.
As one of the highest leadership roles in NROTC, Morgan and his peers were examined by staff based on their leadership qualities over the course of their last three years within the program, and ultimately decided he was best suited to lead the battalion of approximately 100 midshipmen.
As BCO, Morgan communicates with staff and facilitates their expectation for the Battalion, coordinating events and ensuring daily operations are on track.
Morgan said he was excited last spring when he found out he would become the fall BCO.
“It’s what I had wanted to do since I was a freshman in the program. I finally felt like all the hard work had paid off,” Morgan said.
Karrington Cummings, a junior biology and chemistry minor from San Diego, is a second-class midshipman who sees Morgan as the perfect leader for the position.
Originally, Cummings said she was scared of Morgan after meeting him at the new student orientation, but her opinions changed as she got to know him.
“We are a very small part of the consortium, so he’d be the person proctoring my tutoring, he’d be the person taking me to all my events so I wouldn’t have to pay for an Uber, he’s always the person making sure everyone [is prepared],” Cummings said.
Morgan said he wants to challenge the entirety of the battalion to look out for each other on a holistic level, just as he does with his Howard midshipmen.
Cummings looks up to Morgan for his leadership attributes and relatability, she said, which is made personal by her familial connection to the military.
“My dad was in the military, so that’s kind of all I know, but it was nice seeing someone who’s actually my age and understands what it’s like to be a Black person right now,” Cummings said.
Given the Battalion’s racial makeup, Cummings expressed having to deal with occasional micro-aggressions and remarks from other midshipmen, especially surrounding Black hairstyles, but Morgan helped guide Cummings through those experiences.
“You don’t find a lot of sincere people like that,” Cumming said.
While Morgan said he hasn’t had any problems as a Black BCO, he believes he had to work twice as hard for his positions as a Black midshipman.
“You definitely have to work harder to get your voice out there because… you’re given a lot less chances in life as a person of color,” he said. “If I want this billet, if I want to be number one, then I know that I need to work all the time and I can’t take my foot off the gas.”
One of the most important tasks as BCO is pushing command philosophy, or the intentions and principles each BCO hopes their Battalion subscribes to. Morgan’s philosophy is knowing your people.
“I just really wanted to challenge my battalion with becoming a better leader in the sense of understanding what the team you’re leading is going through on a day-to-day basis,” Morgan said. “I’m seriously considering what you’re taking out of their daily lives, what sacrifices they’re making.”
Morgan will continue working in the Navy after graduating from Howard, intending to work in surface warfare by driving ships. He also plans to continue being a leader, hoping to eventually become a captain, one of the highest roles one can achieve in the Navy.
Copy edited by Damenica Ellis
