cadet blogs

A lot of people have been emailing me asking what cadets do on the weekends. Besides catching up on homework, sleeping, movies at the Waterford 9, and Walmart, most of the cadets are involved with the sponsor family program. For those who have never heard of the program, families in the surrounding New London area, including active duty officers and civilians, “adopt” cadets and become our home away from home. I know I speak for the majority of the corps when I say that for us cadets that now live far away from home, we more than appreciate these families for taking us in. My current sponsor family happens to be two instructors here at the Academy. They try to help out as much as possible. Whether it be a ride to the airport for leave, spending the night to escape the walls of the Academy, or even a simple breakfast after church on Sunday they are more than happy to accommodate my needs. Currently, I am the only cadet that is assigned to the “family.” Normally, families can consist of 4 to 5 cadets providing relationships out of Chase Hall, which fourth class are more than happy to have with some of the upperclassman. With finals quickly approaching, I cannot wait to go over to their house, change into civilian clothes and try to study for the exams.

And for my summer I will be on Eagle going to the Caribbean and then sailing the Coast Guard Cutter Chase Hall for summer school. ¼ of the way done…..1,118 days…

Got a question? Email me Nathan.D.Belanger@uscga.edu!

More about Nate.

Never in my right mind would I have ever imagined myself to be in the position that I am today. Twice a week, instead of rushing down to the gym after class, I find myself quietly making my way to the bowels of Chase Hall and onto the rifle range. For the following two hours I stand, kneel, and lie prone through round after round of practice. On the weekends, we whisk ourselves away in the Academy vans to compete against other teams. Other times, we stay here and host matches.

Rifle is one of the two NCAA Division I varsity sports offered here at the Academy (the other is sailing). However, despite this unique position, our sport usually goes unnoticed by most. Rifle does not require the kind of physical exertion that other sports are known for. There is no impact, little sweat, and a peculiar kind of athleticism associated with our sport. In light of this downplay, I am finally giving credit where it is due. Not only do we work as hard as any other sport, we have one of the longest seasons here.

Rifle has opened many doors for me. Initially, I was skeptical about the sport and joining was a shot in the dark for me (pun intended). I had no idea what to expect. However, the outcome has presented me with many more possibilities than I could have anticipated. For starters, rifle allowed me to participate in a varsity extracurricular activity despite my injury. As I have found out that I will not be able to row for the remainder of my time here, rifle has also given me the opportunity to learn a new skill and improve myself in a whole new way. I have many new friends on the team; people I would have probably never spoken to otherwise. Also, since the start of the 2012-2013 season, our team has come a long way. We even moved up from the sharpshooter to the expert small bore division. Every single person on the team has achieved personal records this year, and we fought our way into the Mid-Atlantic Conference Championship for air rifle. Although we didn’t win, everyone shot really well and we are really excited about what we will be capable of next year.

More about Alexis.

In light of the current March Madness going on in college basketball, I did some reflecting on my “final four” experiences that I’ve had here at the Coast Guard Academy. So I now present to you, in no particular order, my “final four.” (Also note that just as in the real NCAA basketball tournament, I have divided up my “final four” experiences into separate regions where they took place!).

#1 (East Region) Without a doubt, one of my greatest memories since coming to the Academy was getting to take part in the Presidential Inauguration parade back in January. At the time, when I was writing about and reflecting upon my experience in the parade, I remember thinking that it was a lot of fun, but I was also VERY tired, had a lot of homework to do, and had the whole semester ahead of me to complete; so the parade was really not that important to me. Now, two months later, as I reflect once more, I am beginning to truly realize how special and rare of an opportunity I had that weekend. As I marched through D.C., and heard the cheers of the crowd, I remember feeling an extreme sense pride in the United States Coast Guard. I am truly honored to have had the privilege to attend the 2013 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony, and that is why it ranks as one of my “final four” experiences.

#2 (Northeast Region) Over President’s Day Weekend of my 4/c year, I attended a weekend retreat in Vermont that was sponsored by Officers Christian Fellowship. This retreat gave all of the cadets who attended the chance to relax, go skiing, visit the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream factory, and most importantly; study the Bible and gain a better understanding of God’s Word. The speakers who led the discussions that weekend were Mr. and Mrs. Van Antwerp. Mr. Van Antwerp retired from the Army in 2011, after achieving the rank of Lieutenant General and serving as the commander of Army Corps of Engineers. He and his wife are amazing and strong Christians, who shared advice on how to live boldly for Christ. Their faith was amazing and their wisdom and insight into the Bible was great! Not only that, but I also had the opportunity to grow closer to some of my classmates that weekend, who are now four of my closest friends! (One of which is 3/c Justin Sherman, you should check out his blog articles, they’re great!) That truly was one of the pivotal weekends in my spiritual life, and one of the most memorable weekends of my life , which is why it also ranks as one of my “final four” experiences.

#3 (South Region) Being a part of the men’s crew team here at the Academy has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and it is hard to pinpoint a single day or event that was most memorable with the crew team; because every day is fun and exciting. That being said, this past spring break when we went down to Florida was one of the best weeks of my life, for multiple reasons. For one, the entire week consisted of two practices a day, getting ready and preparing for the upcoming season. Besides the great team comradery and bonding that comes with spending an entire week practicing and hanging out with the crew team, I also had the special opportunity to hang out with my girlfriend for a couple of days that week! I hadn’t seen her since the beginning of January, so that’s why I was so thankful when Maureen (my girlfriend), my mom, and Maureen’s mom were willing to come down to Florida and work through my crazy practice schedule to find some time to spend with me! In fact, on Wednesday of that week Maureen and I got to go to Disneyworld together! It was a fantastic time, and we were so thankful for the opportunity. We definitely made memories that we will remember and treasure for a lifetime! Spending time with the crew team, my girlfriend, and going to Disneyworld, it is no wonder why this was one of the best weeks and best experiences of my Academy career!

#4 (Midwest Region) To round off my list of “final four” experiences, I decided to include my first trip home after beginning Swab Summer. Thanksgiving of my 4/c year – November 2011 – was the first time that I was able to return home. That was after five grueling months of Swab Summer plus the majority of the first semester of 4/c year; arguably the hardest semester at the Academy. I cannot express the emotions I felt as I visited home that first time, and how proud I felt of all that I had accomplished. It continues to be a strange yet exciting experience every time I go home, and every day that I get to spend at home with my family is a day that is truly special to me, but none are so memorable as those first days that I went home after beginning my journey at the Academy.

More about Luke.

Memory is a perplexing thing; it’s beloved, it’s life changing, it’s sweet, and it’s deceptive all at once. For all the time we spend recounting our experiences and looking back at days-gone-by, it’s vital to note that oftentimes our memories are as much the synthesis of the outside world with our own dreams, fantasies, and illusions as they are accurate depictions of the past. And this is precisely what makes them so important. Our memories are not just a reflection of what has happened to us to make us who we are; they are the very manifestation of who we are, showing, through our own interpretations of and selections of our memorable moments, how we view and define our world. I remember the things that I remember how I remember them because of who I am, and the way those events have changed me. They show how my existence is very much different than yours – perhaps we don’t even exist in the same reality, when it comes down to it. So, I say again, memory is a perplexing thing.

I’m nearing the end of my 2/c spring semester; a few more months, and I’ll have been at the Academy for a full three years. So what, then, has my experience been here so far? What are the memories that my mind has chosen to form, and how has it created them? What is my Academy reality? Accurate or not, in the absolute sense, I’ve considered my “Final Four:” the top four memorable moments without which my Academy experience would be a very different story.

Memory 1: The Challenge

When I arrived on R-Day, physically, I was not cut out for Swab Summer. About 15 lbs too skinny, with a moderate background running and swimming being about the extent of my athletics skills, I spent most of my summer feeling like “the weak link in the chain.” In many ways it was good for me; I was used to being independent, strong academically, taking care of myself and rarely having to go to others for any sort of assistance. My lack of brute strength taught me humility, and it taught me to trust my shipmates to pick me up off the ground when I needed it, and trust them not to begrudge me for having to do so. But, in other ways, my deficiency took a toll on me mentally. Even as my strength improved, I hated feeling like a failure, feeling like I still hadn’t earned the respect and admiration of my shipmates. I wanted to prove myself if the area where I knew I was weakest.

I got my chance. One blissful night toward the end of the summer the cadre were clearly getting bored with the typical IT session, so they decided to mix things up. Our company was broken into five teams, and in turn a representative from each team would challenge the others to an exercise; whichever team’s representative won the round scored a point for their team. Part of me was dreading my turn; how could I stand it if I picked the exercise challenge, and then failed? But, there was one thing I knew I could do…I could hold a plank forever. If only that exercise didn’t get taken by another team before I got up…

What is Memory? (Continued)   

More about Jessie.

Wow how time flies! I can’t believe it’s already March! This month has so much in store: in a few days I will be leaving for Deland, Florida, then I get back to the Academy and will get to take part in the annual Ethics Forum! I am very excited for this month!

Each year, the crew team takes part in a spring break training trip, and this year we are returning to Deland, Florida to practice twice a day in a warmer climate in order to get prepared for the spring season! I had a blast on spring break last year, and this year promises to be just as fun! It’s a lot of hard work, and it can be grueling and painful, but going through it all and sharing that time with the crew team really brings us all closer together and helps us as we enter into the spring racing season.

When we get back from break, I have the Ethics Forum to look forward to! The Ethics Forum is something that the Academy has been hosting for over twenty years now, and it is a day where leaders from around the country come to the Academy and hold various sessions and discussions about ethical leadership. They always bring in extremely interesting and dynamic speakers and I am particularly excited for the lineup for this year!

Also, later in April, my girlfriend and my parents are planning to visit and attend a crew race, so I have a lot to look forward to and a lot to be thankful for the rest of the semester! Life is good and God is great!

If you are a student in high school reading this, I hope that your semester is going just as well as mine, and if you have any questions about anything at all, please, please, PLEASE to do not hesitate to email me at Luke.W.Carani@uscga.edu. Thanks!

And whenever you are reading this, if you need some encouragement, here is a little pick-me-up from the most encouraging and motivational piece of literature that I know: straight from the mouth of God!

Matthew 11: 28-30: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
–Jesus Christ 

More about Luke.