It's Alive!
Hi everyone!
I'm finally taking time to update.
It has been an interesting time here at the Coast Guard Academy.
First I have to say, Just 10 days until I get to see Ravenfrog again!
I always have to have a count down to the next exciting thing right? *grin*
So I checked in with 11 other people on Sunday, 11 May. It was all fine, I got a room in the barracks with a guy who has been in the Coast Guard as an enlisted person for about 18 years. He is really cool and helped me figure out how to do things.
So we got settled in, and stuff that day, then monday was also some orientation things, but mostly fairly laid back. The instructors were distracted by getting ready for another class of Reserve Officer Candidate that arrived on Monday. The real fun began at about 5:30am on Tuesday morning. That was when the screaming and pushups started.
I kind of lost track of time and what day it was for the next couple of days. It was kind of cool to learn to march correctly and handle a rifle (it was one with lead in it, from WWII, so not to shoot, but to learn how to carry). I was not in as good of shape as I could have been, but I did fine, and survived. That part of the course only went on until Saturday morning and almost all of Thursday and Friday was spent doing drilling practice in preparation for a drill competition. The competition was on Friday afternoon. The instructors were quite impressed with us, since there were several of us who had never done this sort of thing before, and getting the group to work together in just three days was really good.
So on Saturday, we had a little ceremony where the instructors put our shoulder boards on us and that officially allowed us to be "real people" again. We all moved out of the barracks, which were more dorm like, to another building where the rooms were more like a hotel, with basic maid service.
Now for the last couple weeks we have been attending classes for about eight hours a day. The rest of the time is spent doing homework, and just hanging out.
I have gotten out to see some things around New London on the weekends, so that has been fun.
Other officers have joined us for the four week course and 5 week course. Now that we have just two weeks left we are up to 21 people.
Let's see, I also got to watch some of the graduation ceremony for this year's class of cadets. The Secretary of Homeland Security was here, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Very impressive stuff. They also had a few flyovers by helicopters and jets, and there were plenty of cannon solutes. Very loud. So that was cool.
Well, I have to get to class now. I should be posting more regularly from now on.
Just 10 more days! yeah!
I'm finally taking time to update.
It has been an interesting time here at the Coast Guard Academy.
First I have to say, Just 10 days until I get to see Ravenfrog again!
I always have to have a count down to the next exciting thing right? *grin*
So I checked in with 11 other people on Sunday, 11 May. It was all fine, I got a room in the barracks with a guy who has been in the Coast Guard as an enlisted person for about 18 years. He is really cool and helped me figure out how to do things.
So we got settled in, and stuff that day, then monday was also some orientation things, but mostly fairly laid back. The instructors were distracted by getting ready for another class of Reserve Officer Candidate that arrived on Monday. The real fun began at about 5:30am on Tuesday morning. That was when the screaming and pushups started.
I kind of lost track of time and what day it was for the next couple of days. It was kind of cool to learn to march correctly and handle a rifle (it was one with lead in it, from WWII, so not to shoot, but to learn how to carry). I was not in as good of shape as I could have been, but I did fine, and survived. That part of the course only went on until Saturday morning and almost all of Thursday and Friday was spent doing drilling practice in preparation for a drill competition. The competition was on Friday afternoon. The instructors were quite impressed with us, since there were several of us who had never done this sort of thing before, and getting the group to work together in just three days was really good.
So on Saturday, we had a little ceremony where the instructors put our shoulder boards on us and that officially allowed us to be "real people" again. We all moved out of the barracks, which were more dorm like, to another building where the rooms were more like a hotel, with basic maid service.
Now for the last couple weeks we have been attending classes for about eight hours a day. The rest of the time is spent doing homework, and just hanging out.
I have gotten out to see some things around New London on the weekends, so that has been fun.
Other officers have joined us for the four week course and 5 week course. Now that we have just two weeks left we are up to 21 people.
Let's see, I also got to watch some of the graduation ceremony for this year's class of cadets. The Secretary of Homeland Security was here, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Very impressive stuff. They also had a few flyovers by helicopters and jets, and there were plenty of cannon solutes. Very loud. So that was cool.
Well, I have to get to class now. I should be posting more regularly from now on.
Just 10 more days! yeah!