In 1926, the Department of the Navy authorized the establishment of Reserve Officer Training Corps units at six colleges in order to 鈥渁fford systematic instruction and training to qualify students for appointments as ensigns in the naval reserve upon graduation.鈥� The six schools chosen were Georgia Tech, Harvard, Yale, Northwestern University, University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Washington. On 10 September 1926, Commander J.J. London and his staff began interviewing 175 applicants for the unit, which was set up on North Avenue. Membership was limited to 60 freshmen who were United States Citizens, at least 14 years of age, and mentally and physically qualified for military duty.
The initial courses consisted of training in navigation, gunnery, and seamanship - supplemented by drill - conducted aboard three 24-ft. whaleboats on Piedmont Lake. They also conducted exercises on a simulated bridge of a ship and operated a 4-in. naval gun located at the unit. When a new Naval Armory was completed in 1935, the facilities expanded to include a more elaborate bridge with a complete communications system, an operational ship鈥檚 boiler, a lifeboat with davits, a flagbag, and signal lights. Midshipmen from all six units trained together on summer cruises aboard battleships such as the USS Florida, USS New York, USS Arkansas, USS Mississippi, and USS Wyoming.
During the first ten years, membership varied between 200 and 270 midshipmen. As a
result of the limited emergency proclaimed on September 8, 1939, a Naval Reserve Indoctrination
School was set up, during summer months to provide ten weeks of instruction in naval
subjects to newly commissioned ensigns, from colleges across the nation. On July 1,
1943, the V-12 program went into effect to give experienced enlistees the opportunity
to complete college degrees and earn commissions in the Navy. The program increased
enrollment to 1040 trainees, which was gradually reduced as V-12 was phased out after
World War II. Since its founding, the unit has commissioned over 3,000 officers.
In 1980, the original Naval Armory was torn down to make way for the Edge Athletic Center, and the NROTC Unit moved to the then ceramic engineering building on the corner of Bobby Dodd Way and Fowler Street. In 2007, the unit moved again into the 2nd floor of the O鈥橩eefe building, which also currently houses the Army and Air Force ROTC units. The new building contains many artifacts from the old facilities, including an eagle figurehead from the bow of the battleship USS Georgia (circa 1910), her ship鈥檚 bell and various items from her bridge, the 4-in. gun earlier used for training, a ship鈥檚 wheel from the USS St. Louis, and timber from the USS Constitution - the Navy鈥檚 oldest currently commissioned vessel.
In 2018, 黑料网鈥檚 Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology joined the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Unit 鈥� Georgia Institute of Technology, which includes midshipmen from Georgia State University along with it. It is a part of the Atlanta Consortium, along with the NROTCU Morehouse, comprised of Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta University.
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Kennesaw State Naval ROTC Staff
CAPT Jesus A. Rodriguez Commodore Amphibious Squadron FIVE
Captain Rodriguez. a native of El Paso. Texas. graduated from the United States Naval
Academy in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. He earned llis
aviator wings in 1997 and completed Oeet replacement training at Helicopter Combat
Support Squadron Tl lREE (HC-3) in San Diego. before being assigned to I lelicopter
Combat Support Squadron flVE (HC-5) in Yigo, Guam.
I lis first sea tour nying the CH-46 included deployments on the USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS 3) as Division Officer and USNS Flint (T-J\E 32) where he served as detachment Assistant Oniccr颅in-Charge.
In 2001, he reported as Flag Aide lo Commander U.S. Naval Forces Marianas/U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) Regional Coordinator and PACCOM representative for Guam, Commonwealth or Northern Marianas Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia. and the Republic of Palau. Aftler completing Ml 1-60S Knighthawk training in 2004, Captain Rodriguez reported
to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWO EIGHT (HSC-28) and helped transition the squadron
from CH-46 Flight Operations to Ml l-60S Flight Operations.
In 2006. Captain Rodriguez reported to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWO TWO (HSC-22) and deployed aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) as Officer-in-Charge ofHSC-22's first detachment. He continued to serve as Operations and Maintenance Officer before transferring to the United States Naval War College in 2009. In 2013. he look command of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron TWO SJX (HSC-26) and in 2014 he reported to Fl FTH FLEET as the Expeditionary I lclo Boss. From 2014 to 2016. he served as Directorate Coordinator for Combined Joint Operations from the Sea, a NATO Center of Excellence. In June of 2016. he served as the executive officer for Pre颅Commissioning Unit Portland and took command of USS Portland in September 20 I 8. In December of2019. he was the Chief Of Staff for Expeditionary Strike Group THREE before taking command of Amphibious Squadron FIVE in June of 2020.
Captain Rodriguez received a Mastcr路s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and his awards include the Legion of Merit Medal. Navy Meritorious Service Medal (3), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (2), and Navy Achievement Medal.
Commander Thomas E. McNeil
Commander McNeil (T-Mac) is a native of St Louis, Mo. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Morehouse College and commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) in 2005.
CDR McNeil鈥檚 operational assignments include a division officer tour with VAW-124 where he completed one deployment in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. He served as a training officer with VAW-112 from 2014 to 2016 where he completed one Western Pacific deployment. He was later assigned as a department head on board VAW-125 鈥� part of Carrier Air Wing Five and Forward Deployed Naval Forces 鈥� from 2017 to 2019, where he served as quality assurance officer, administration officer, and operations officer, in three Western Pacific deployments. He has accumulated over 2,500 hours in the E-2 Hawkeye.
Ashore, CDR McNeil has served as the training officer at the Carrier Airborne Early Warning Weapons School (CAEWWS) 鈥� a department of the Navy Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) in Fallon, Nevada. At U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), he served as part of the corporate governance team, robotics process automation (RPA) coordinator, Financial Management (FM) data strategy program manager, and FM training program manager as part of the J8 Directorate. He was also selected to lead the TRANSCOM Headquarters COVID-19 Response Cell Entry Control Point. At U.S. Seventh Fleet He served as the Chief of Fires as well as Deliberate Plans lead for Korea Plans.
T-Mac鈥檚 current assignment is the Deputy Commander at the Atlanta Region NROTC Consortium, serving both Georgia Tech and Morehouse NROTC Units.
CDR McNeil鈥檚 awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, and Joint Service Commendation Medal.
Major Myron J. Thomas, USMC - Executive Officer
Major Myron J. Thomas was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and grew up there and in
St. Louis, Missouri. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 1999, and attended
recruit training at MCRD San Diego, California. After graduation in November of 1999,
Major Thomas attended Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton, California, and then
reported to Financial Management School in Camp Johnson, North Carolina.
Upon graduation, Major Thomas reported to 2D Force Service Support Group where he
served as a fiscal budget technician and comptroller until 2003. From 2003 to 2005,
Major Thomas served as a Financial Manager and Resource Analyst at the Marine Corps
Mobilization Command and subsequently at Defense Finance and Accounting Services,
Kansas City, Missouri. In his subsequent assignment, Major Thomas served as the Regional
Account Manager for Reserve Financial Affairs and as the physical training and martial
arts instructor for the Mobilization Command.
Following the duty at Marine Corps Mobilization Command and Defense Finance and Accounting
Services, Major Thomas was ordered to 3rd Marines Regiment and served as the Financial
Analyst and Budget Chief for the Regiment from 2005 to 2007. In 2007, Major Thomas
departed for the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program.
Major Thomas was assigned as a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia under the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program from 2007-2010. Upon graduation from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelors in Finance, he attended The Basic School and subsequently Infantry Officer鈥檚 Course. In October 2011 he reported to 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, and was assigned as a Platoon Commander and Company Executive Officer for Company C. During this tour, he completed two deployments to Sangin, Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
From August 2014 to April 2017, he served as the Company Commander for Company B,
Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry-West in Camp Pendleton, California.
Upon his relief in 2017, Major Thomas was transferred to 2D Battalion, 1st Marines
for duty as the Headquarters and Service Company Commander. Prior to deployment on
the Unit Deployment Program-West 18.1 to Okinawa, Japan, Major Thomas became the Company
Commander for Company F, where he participated in Exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness
and Training Brunei, Exercise Tiger Strike, and Fuji Viper.
From August 2018 to July of 2021, Major Thomas executed orders as the Charlie Company
Inspector-Instructor, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion located in Riverton, Utah. During that duty he prepared the company to conduct Integrated Training
Exercise 4-19 deploying them to Twenty-nine Palms, California and assumed duties as
the company commander for several high-profile training events.
In July 2021 Major Thomas assumed the duties of the Executive Officer Naval ROTC Unit
Atlanta Consortium.
Major Thomas is a graduate of the University of Missouri in 2010. His personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat 鈥淰鈥� with gold star, the Combat Action Ribbon and other personal, campaign, and service ribbons.
