Adapted from full Naval ROTC article available from DVIDS. Photos by Petty Officer 1st Class Reymundo Villegas.

GREAT LAKES, Ill., Feb. 26, 2026—216 Midshipmen from 67 colleges and universities across Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) selected their first warship assignments, Feb. 25-26, during a video call hosted by The Navy Personnel Command PERS-41 Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Assignments.

Midshipman 1st Class Nicole Samella '26 from Virginia Beach was the first to pick and selected USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) home ported in Mayport, Florida. She will commission in May and graduate with a degree in electrical and computer engineering.

“I chose USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) because I wanted to be on the east coast and close to my family while still being somewhere tropical,” said Samella. “One day, I hope to attend the Navy Postgraduate School, and earn my master's degree in engineering, but for now I’m just very excited report to my first warship, qualify, and contribute to a mission bigger than myself!”

Samella's success and designation as the top cadet for this selection demonstrates how hard work and dedication in the classroom and in ROTC training pays dividends and can open many doors for cadets post-commissioning.

- VMI Naval ROTC -