Alumni Spotlight
ENS Alex J. Hosko, USN
Ensign Hosko is from Plymouth, Michigan and began his time as a Midshipman and student at Ole Miss in the Fall of 2014. Throughout his four years in the program, he cherished most the friendships he acquired along the way. In May of 2018, ENS Hosko graduated from The University of Mississippi and commissioned as a Naval Officer with orders to begin flight training in Pensacola, FL.
Along his journey in Naval ROTC, ENS Hosko spent the summer of 2017 with the Royal Danish Navy to fulfill his 1/C cruise requirement and was at sea for 6 weeks participating in NATO's "DYNAMIC MONGOOSE" exercise. While he was in Reykjavik, Iceland, the Commodore of the entire Standing NATO Maritime Group hosted a celebration aboard a Norwegian frigate. Officers from Spain, Norway, The Netherlands, Canada, France, and Denmark helped introduce ENS Hosko to the benefits of naval partnerships with our NATO allies.
After reporting to NAS Pensacola as a Student Naval Aviator, ENS Hosko commenced Introductory Flight Training (IFS) where he soloed an airplane for the first time. Soon afterward, he began Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API), a 6-week intensive course covering the basics of Naval Aviation engineering, aerodynamics, navigation, physiology, and water survival. While the academic work can be grueling at times, one of the best aspects of the process according to ENS Hosko is the broad spectrum of people that you meet along the way. ENS Hosko commented, "You meet someone new everyday and nobody's path here has been the same."
On the right, you can see ENS Hosko in his newly earned uniform on Flight-Suit-Friday!
Recent Events
Warrior's Night
On the evening of Friday March 29th, the entire Ole Miss Rebel Battalion met in a field in Water Valley, MS where they played corn hole, danced to live music, ate BBQ, chowed down on mac and cheese, devoured some of the best banana pudding in the South. Luckily, no one got stuck in the Mississippi mud this year, and the weather was about as good as you could ask for. Throughout the night, each class within the unit performed a skit that highlighted the most memorable moments from the past year.
Warrior's Night Gallery
Fundraising
Midshipmen have been working vigorously throughout the Ole Miss Baseball season to help pay for reserving facilities, catering food for unit events, sending students to leadership conferences, graduation gifts, drill meets, and much more! Both the Active Duty and Midshipmen staffs are always looking for ways to expand the resources available to students in the unit, and raising money is one of the fundamental steps toward achieving this goal.
They've worked the following games:
- Long Beach State (Double Header)
- Alabama
- Florida (Double Header)
- Kentucky
Ole Miss vs. Florida
While the Ole Miss basketball team fizzled out early on in the NCAA Tournament, the baseball team is indicating another promising season, exemplified by their sweep last week against Florida. They climbed 7 spots after the series win and are now ranked #11 in the nation with a 23-10 record!
Spring 2019 FEX
From Friday, 05 April to Saturday, 06 April, the Marine Options of Naval ROTC commenced the Spring 2019 Field Exercise (FEX) in the woods of Oxford, MS. Throughout this 24 hour exercise, they practiced squad tactics, conducted night land-nav, completed a 9-mile hike, and executed a Small Unit Leadership Exercise (SULE).
Upcoming Events
Double Decker 2019
The Double Decker Arts Festival takes place every Spring in Oxford and was inspired by the Double Decker bus that Oxford imported from England in 1994. Throughout the weekend, the square is closed off to traffic, and vendors flood the streets with artwork and food. In the evening, musicians from all over gather on-stage to play for more than 60,000 visitors. This is a great weekend for Midshipmen within the unit to fully experience all that Oxford has to offer! The 24th annual Double Decker Festival will be held on April 26-27, 2019.
Alumni Reunion
To kick off the summer festivities in Oxford, one of the Ole Miss NROTC alumni classes will be hosting a reunion in May to relive the glory days in the velvet ditch.
If any alumni or parents of alumni are planning on visiting Oxford in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out to us, and we would be more than happy to help plan your stay!
Contact: nrotc@olemiss.edu