cadet blogs

The sun is shining, short-sleeved tropical blue uniforms and operational dress uniforms with sleeves rolled up are breaking out, flowers are blooming, and all due to one simple fact…the class of 2016 finally received carry on! Okay, so spring might have had something to do with most of that, but that’s beside the point. The Academy has never seemed like a brighter place before April 15, 2013 at approximately 12:20 in the afternoon. That is when it was announced at lunch: the fourth class finally can talk to their friends in the passageways, walk normally to class, eat like human beings, and most importantly – use social media networking legally again.

I stress the word legally because while this week was definitely a huge milestone to our class, we also had a huge setback as well. This setback is all due to the popular social networking application, Instagram, which allows users to post photos and to comment on and like their friend’s photos. The setback occurred on the Friday preceding carry on when a guidon, the 2/c in charge of training the 4/c, found a member of my class’s Instagram account. Of course, she was not the only one who had one; I would say at least one-third of our class did. As soon as everyone found out she had gotten caught, we all quickly deleted ours hoping to avoid any further consequences. However, later that weekend, everyone was asked to admit if they posted to Instagram, so everyone who had one, whether they deleted it or not, admitted it. As our consequence, every fourth class who had the popular social networking application received a Class II offense which included 15 demerits, 1 marching tour, and 2 working hours. Needless to say, the sixty of us at Restricted Cadet Formation, held at 1930 and 2200 on weekdays and 1300, 1600, 1930, and 2200 on weekends, looked kind of silly.

The punishment we received was very fair, considering our Fourth Class Expectation Packet had clearly indicated we were not to use any social networking sites. However, it was definitely a downer on my weekend considering it was my birthday on Saturday. Nonetheless, my mom still came to visit me and brought me cake in the shape of a Juicy Couture purse, and she brought me food from the real world since I couldn’t leave the Academy. Not to mention, my friends decorated my room with pink balloons and a birthday banner. I suppose I had the best birthday a restricted cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy could have.

With all of this said, I must stress to follow all of the rules given to you at the Academy. They are here for a reason – to help you. If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me! Samantha.E.Corcoran@uscga.edu 

More about Samantha.

As I pause between lots of homework, I reflect on something that has happened to me recently. There was a prospective cadet (a visiting high school senior) in October that came to Echo Company. He was not my prospective cadet, but I found out that he played lacrosse, so we talked a bit. He seemed pretty cool, and we just kept talking about lacrosse, his senior year, and his application process. Eventually we parted ways, and I wished him luck. His almost-required thanks came out, but it seemed to be much more full of gratitude than the other applicants I had talked too. Nevertheless, that was it, and once again concentrated on my own prospective cadet.

Every so often, I do get responses from Academy hopefuls due to these blogs, and they’re great. I love getting in contact with them and wishing them well on their way to appointment or to other tracks of life. Well, a few days ago I got a response from none other than the prospective cadet from Michigan, saying he was in the same situation as I had been in: he was being medically disqualified, but for him, it was about years-old asthma, not non-existent psoriasis. He, too, had already been accepted prior to getting disqualified. What got me was this part of his opening paragraph:

“But yes, I want to attend the USCGA with everything in me, and I don't think I could even bare to get this close just to have it stripped away by something like this. I intend to do everything possible to get to the USCGA.” 

The flashback that came to me was a painful one. When I got my medical rejection letter, I threw it on the ground, ran upstairs to my room, sat on my bed, and just looked at the ceiling. At that very moment, it seemed that everything I had worked for was for nothing. The fact that I knew this kid was feeling that same feeling got me thinking. No one should have to go through that. To be accepted and then denied through medical hurts pretty bad.

I immediately responded, giving all the advice I could about how to approach the situation. We again talked lacrosse (we’re 9-1, by the way) and at this point I really wanted the kid to get accepted. He had everything that I remembered I had going into this place – dreams to go to an elite school while playing lacrosse and ending up with a commission in a U.S. armed service. It’s so easy to forget that’s why we’re here, and how fortunate we are to attend USCGA. It’s a privilege, nowhere near a right or obligation. We continued the conversation until we had said pretty much all that could be said, and he again thanked me and told me he’d update me as soon as there was stuff to be updated on.

For his sake, and mine, I truly hope he gets the waiver. There are kids beyond dedicated to coming here, with expired medical issues that no longer affect them, and still get rejected. Nevertheless, it’s just another roadblock, and no matter what, I have the firm belief that the senior from Michigan will be going places, whether it’s USCGA or elsewhere.

It’s not just the Academy and cadets that have an impact on the prospective cadets. Sometimes those prospective cadets have an impact on the cadets themselves.

More about Sam.

Spring is attempting to come peak out of its winter hibernation one colorful flower at a time. With spring comes a flurry of last minute tests, huge projects and any other work that will hopefully get our grades where we need them to be. We only have a month or so until we have our summer trainings to think about. Starting to think about what the summer brings gets me excited to learn and grow as a leader. Granted I did not get the cadre section I had hoped for, I am still looking forward to helping the swabs grow as leaders but more importantly as effective followers. This summer marks the turning point for our class where we go from the effective followers to the leaders, and hopefully learn something in the process. I often stop to think how far we have come since it was our turn to raise our right hand and take the oath of office, not knowing what was coming next. Some of us were newly graduated high school kids, some came from prep school, while others were prior enlisted or came from college. Whatever the case, these strangers were now going to see us cry, laugh, and help us through the tough times.

As often as we think about the bad things about this place, and how much it can bring you down, we forget to stop and be thankful for the good things that we do have, that very few people only imagine of doing. The bonds we have here will never be broken, regardless of the years and miles that separate us. We are like a big family, where most of the people will have your back no matter what. They will be there for you through the good, but will also give you a helping hand when you are down. That is what I like the most about this place. There will always be someone there when the going gets tough and you think that there is no hope left. I can’t wait for the summer, to instill in my future swabs the same work ethic my cadre instilled in me.

More about Cameo.

For those that have been following me, know that I am from the little town of Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island on the coastline of New Jersey. Despite what is depicted on MTV’s show the “Jersey Shore,” the town I live in is nothing similar to the show. Ship Bottom is one of a few small towns on our 18-mile island and probably has about 500 residents in the winter months but a few thousand in the summer. The beautiful Island, along with the rest of New Jersey and New York had been due for the “Fifty Year Storm,” and it just so happened to come this past October. Unfortunately, my family was directly impacted by Hurricane Sandy and had to be away from home for five months. Luckily, my loving Uncle opened up his home to us and let us stay with him while the house was being rebuilt. Fortunately, I was able to stay with my family in our house over Easter weekend. Although everything was not finished, it still felt nice to be in my home with everyone.

Despite the delay in returning home my family, with support from our friends and relatives, were able to overcome. I’d like to especially like to thank my Uncle Matt, my best friends Bobby and Brian along with their families for opening their homes to me over winter leave, and lastly my close friends at the Academy (you guys know you who you are) for being my support, I could not have made it through with out you all.

More about Michael.

Its dark, taps just went off, I have signed in for the night, its 10 p.m. and I am ready for bed. Sadly, it is only the start of my night. A lot of my friends at a “normal school” talk to me about the nights that they go to bed at 9 o'clock if they aren’t feeling too well. They were able to finish their homework during the evening, and throughout their day. Here at the Academy, it is definitely not that easy. After a long day of class, finishing around 4 p.m. we then go to our respective sports practice. Luckily for me, I do not necessarily have to go to sports. (I do inter-company sports, which counts as my sports credit.) I do tend to workout during this time frame. After running back to the barracks, I take my shower and get dressed to go to dinner. Having a pretty decent meal, I return to my room to see what I have to accomplish for the rest of the night. It’s now about 7:30 and I begin to start my list, Chemistry online homework due tomorrow night, Calculus homework due tomorrow morning, Statics of Engineering and Design homework due tomorrow afternoon with an exam the next Thursday, reading 58 pages and taking notes for Leaders in American History, and writing a paper and doing research that is due this upcoming Friday. Oh yeah, on top of that I have to go to a corps-wide lecture tomorrow night, there is a Personnel Inspection on Wednesday morning, and a formal room and wing this Saturday. (A formal room and wing is an event in which the 4/c clean the barracks. It is an all-night affair.) This is an average week in the life of a cadet at the United States Coast Guard Academy.

The Academy is not like a normal college at all. We have about 20-22 credit hours per semester, where each professor expects you to spend the same amount or more time on their class, than all of your other classes. Yes, we do not have to make the decision of which outfit to wear, or when to go to work, or worry about a car payment, etc. but we have a very stressful lifestyle. Every day I wake up I have a to-do list. Every night when I go to sleep it seems the list is longer. I am going to be honest with you, my readers, life is difficult and it is a hard transition from high school and even prep school. A lot of my shipmates, along with me, are having a tough semester. We, however, all see the light, even though it is dim right now, at the end of the tunnel and cannot wait to get our ensign shoulder boards in the short time frame…only 1130 days to go…

More about Nathan.