cadet blogs

Can you believe it? It is already November! We are more than halfway done with fourth class year! As I sit here at my desk looking at my countdown clock seeing that I only have 1293 days to go I think, “Man that is still a long time to go…” October was a super busy month. From a corps-wide lecture with Joseph Kennedy II to having the time of my life accomplishing a Tough Mudder, the opportunities I have been able to take advantage of are endless. At the beginning of the month I was able to run in the Hartford 5K which was held at the Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon location. After running the 5K, I know my goal is to run the half marathon next year and who knows the full marathon the year after that!

The Academy has also given me the opportunity to get involved with the New London community. This past month was Breast Cancer Awareness month and I was able to start a collection to donate to the American Cancer Society and participate in the Breast Cancer walk in the local community. After surviving Hurricane Sandy, cadets have had the opportunity to get involved with the cleanup effort. It feels great to be able to give back to the community that supports us so much! I also had the chance to go to Providence, Rhode Island and see a Providence Bruins game with my fellow shipmates. It was a great bonding experience! The main highlight of my month, however, was accomplishing the Tough Mudder in New Jersey! It consisted of a 12 mile obstacle course involving walls, fire pits, electric shocks, and of course mud! I really could not believe how much fun it was! It took a little over three hours to complete but the bonding experience with my company officer and people from all classes in my company is a memory that I will never forget! I cannot wait to do my next one in August 2013!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate! Nathan.D.Belanger@uscga.edu 

More about Nathan.

At times in life there are various activities and clubs that are thrown in your direction and it is up to you to determine whether or not to take advantage of these great opportunities or not. For example, I was offered a slot at Marion Military Institute, one of the preparatory schools the Coast Guard Academy uses, and I accepted it. It wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for but, it was still an opportunity to get me to the Academy, which was my goal and I succeeded in meeting that goal. As a 4/c now, I am looking to the future and at what I can bring to the Academy and eventually the fleet.

The one that I am actively a part of is the Diversity Peer Educators (DPE). We are all trained by the Anti-Defamation League. I was fortunate enough to be able to become a peer educator in high school through the Anti-Defamation League’s high school program so of course I jumped at the opportunity to continue that work on a campus where these lessons are more important than ever. As a member of, not only the Coast Guard, but a member of the Armed Services, we should be the model of what equality in all ways is.

The military, and the Coast Guard, are certainly not perfect, but as future leaders in the Coast Guard we can take certain steps to make the environment more welcoming for all people. The Coast Guard has grown and the Academy has become a more welcoming place for people of all types because the members themselves are inciting this change through the help of great organizations like the Anti-Defamation League. Whether it is here at the Coast Guard Academy or wherever your path takes you, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way because some things only happen once in a lifetime. In my opinion, the Coast Guard Academy is filled with these opportunities to do great things to better not only yourself, but your shipmates as well. Carry on, and do great things!

More about Nelson.