Enlisted Commissioning Program

This semester, the Koa O Ke Kai Battalion welcomed two new active duty Marines, Staff Sergeant Kurtis Vanderstelt and Staff Sergeant Donald Moore, to the student body. Both Marines are participating in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) - a highly competitive program that allows Marines to complete their education full-time while remaining on active duty.

In conjunction with counterparts from the Navy's Seaman to Admiral-21 (STA-21) program, our prior enlisted students are able to share their wealth of military knowledge, skills, and experiences with the battalion - helping to forge the most effective and versatile naval officers possible.

We were able to recognize numerous achievements and milestones for our MECEP and STA-21 students this semester. Of note, two of our Marine noncommissioned officers were promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and we had the privilege of conducting two reenlistment ceremonies, reaffirming our enlisted students' commitment to the nation and the naval service. Additionally, this semester saw Sergeant William Morrison being awarded the prestigious Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal for his highly impactful service to the O'ahu community since arriving to the island in 2018 . We salute the achievements of our enlisted Marines and Sailors this semester!