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Cadre 2010

(The Cadet Experience, Class of 2012) Permanent link All Posts

In 48 hours I will take on one of the most unpredictable and exciting leadership challenges of my time at the Academy. Monday the 28th will start my time as cadre, waterfront cadre to be exact. Our entire class has been waiting and preparing for this for months. The command tells us we are the best trained class so far, and I’m proud of it. It’s funny looking back on when we were swabs. We thought being cadre was so easy just because they could look around. After having to spend all last week preparing and looking at the week ahead, I think everyone realizes it is probably twice as hard to be cadre. A testament to that is the fact that I am sitting in my room on a Saturday night because I’m so exhausted. That never happens here. Everyone in our class is excited to yell and scream and scare the incoming class, just like we had done to us. Being that all of my swabs are now in New London and have no way of reading this, there is one thing that makes me most proud of my class. I think, as a whole that we realize that at the end of the day, the swabs wear the same uniform that says “U.S. Coast Guard.” We all go back, completely exhausted, to a room in Chase Hall and take off our pants one leg at a time. Is 2012 going to challenge 2014? You bet. But at the end of the day, it’s nice to know that we are all on the same team, and that my class and I have the privilege of shaping and developing our new teammates.

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Last Edited by Leann Strickland at 2/8/2012 3:09 PM