PENSACOLA, Fla. – A North Palm Beach, Florida, native and 2012 graduate of Cardinal Newman High School was recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s (NETC) Military Instructor of the Year (Naval ROTC) for 2024 during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Feb. 20, 2025.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. John Merten, the primary instructor for Naval ROTC classes in evolution of warfare I and II, NROTC Unit, The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina, was one of five instructors acknowledged for their dedication in training future warfighters for service in the world’s most lethal Navy.
“Leading Marines in any capacity is an honor that few Americans have the privilege to experience," Merten said. “The sacrifice and hard work of the Marines I have served with inspire my passion for training the next generation of honorable Marine leaders. Marines deserve the best from their leaders, and I strive to uphold that standard.”
Merten credits much of his success to the values his parents instilled in him at an early age.
“My parents provided a stable home and encouraged my passions,” Merten said. “Growing up on the water gave me a sense of adventure and freedom that I am eternally grateful for. My parents allowed me to boat alone with friends from an early age and I was responsible for safe operation and problem solving if anything went wrong. This sense of adventure and a desire to seek responsibility sticks with me today.”
Merten answered our nation’s call to service and primarily joined the Marine Corps to “lead young warriors through adversity.”
Working at an NROTC unit, Merten sees firsthand the challenges that prospective naval officers must overcome during training, and he offers a piece of advice to anyone considering military service.
“Military service comes with a litany of advantages from the assurance of a stable job to the multitude of [Department of Veteran Affairs] benefits,” Merten said. “These are fine as secondary motivations but if you join with the attitude to receive rather than give, you will likely be disappointed.”
Instructors serving throughout the MyNavy HR Force Development domain competed against nearly 6,500 instructors for this prestigious distinction. The five awardees demonstrated superior sustained performance in their instructor roles, excelling as leaders and mentors at their respective commands while actively engaging with their commands and local communities.
“Our instructors here today are an exclusive and elite group – the very best of the best, each playing a critical role in ensuring that when the Navy fights, we will fight and win decisively,” said Capt. Gregory Tiner, NETC chief of staff. “In and out of the classroom, each personifies the meaning of personal excellence.”
Other MIOY awardees included:
• Junior Enlisted – Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Alexander Craig, Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center, Panama City, Florida.
• Mid-Grade Enlisted – Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Johnelle Jones, Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois.
• Senior Enlisted – Senior Chief Musician Josh Neumeyer, Naval School of Music, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• Officer – Lt. Katherine Bertschi, Mariner Skills Training Center Pacific, San Diego, California.
NETC recruits, trains and delivers those who serve our nation, taking them from “street to fleet,” by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational, and combat-ready warfighters.
For more information about NETC, visit the command’s website at https://www.netc.navy.mil/ and follow the command’s social media: Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NETCHQ, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/netc_hq and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/netchq/.