Navy Midshipman Precious Cuaycong, from La Palma, California, participated in the 2018 winter Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) ship selection draft as a future member of the Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) community.
More than 40 midshipmen from NROTC units around the country chose to serve as surface warfare officers. Each selecting midshipmen are ranked according to their grade point average, aptitude scores and physical fitness.
“NROTC has been influential on my growth in leadership skills in both a professional and a personal manner,” Cuaycong said. “NROTC taught me how to hone my strengths and use it to influence others, and showed me my weaknesses that I have improved upon for my betterment.”
According to their rankings, each midshipman provided a preference of ship or homeport to the junior officer detailer at the Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee. If these preferences were available, they were assigned as requested.
“This ship selection marks the beginning of a very exciting, adventurous, long journey ahead of me as a Naval Officer,” Cuaycong said. “The best part about this is I get to choose the experience that awaits me.”
Cuaycong, a 2014 Ernest J. King High School graduate, has selected to serve aboard USS Porter. She is majoring in mechanical engineering at Tuskegee University. Upon graduation, she will receive a commission as a Navy Ensign and report aboard Porter as a surface warfare officer.
Commissioned in 1999, Porter is home ported at Naval Base Rota, Spain. Porter is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer that provides multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, expeditionary strike groups, and missile defense action groups.
“I am looking forward to joining a lively wardroom and dedicated sailors that have the same goals as I do,” Cuaycong said. “I am excited for the challenge of my job and responsibilities with that job, driving the ship, and leading my sailors.”
The midshipmen’s ship selection is not only a major personal milestone but also an important day for the ships in the fleet. Not only do the midshipmen choose where they are going to start their Navy career, but the ship they choose will also gain a motivated, eager, young officer to help lead and improve an already great team, according to Navy officials.
“NROTC units across the country instill essential warfighting fundamentals, professional core competencies, and ethics required in a Navy or Marine Corps officer,” said Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi, Commander, Naval Service Training Command, which includes the NROTC Program. “I am enormously proud of our graduating midshipman for completing this demanding program, and look forward to them joining the fleet.”
“Enthusiasm, commitment, honesty, and hard work are the qualities I will add into the ship,” Cuaycong said. “I take great interest in learning different materials thoroughly, be it a system or my community. Having a good quality work matters so much for me because not only does it show one’s work ethic, it also shows how much one truly cares for the job or task.”
