We make CGA sound scarier than it is. I'll say it's very unpleasant the first year. I don't think I made it any easier. I had some trouble adjusting, didn't make many friends and had issues in the gym and in the classroom (and I guess in Chase Hall…. so pretty much I had issues everywhere). When I got to 3/c year I moved companies (I'm not sure how they do it now, but when I was a cadet you were in one company 4/c year and then a different company for your remaining three years…. we also only had Xray, Yankee and Zulu companies during Swab Summer). Well, 3/c year was a nice change. I made friends with company mates, could finally be friends with members of the class ahead of us, and had a much better life. I also started studying things I was interested in. The summer between 3/c and 2/c year was a defining summer when we got MUCH closer to our classmates and tried our hands at leadership. At this point we had real ownership in the Corps of Cadets. I find when you have ownership in something (and this is just as true for me now, out in the real world) you try harder and you take more pride in what you do. The next two years, especially firstie (senior) year, were great.
And just when things got good, it was time to leave.
I mentioned how there is a network of alumni. What I haven't touched on is how close you get to your classmates. You see them at their worst and they'll see you at your worst…. and when you see someone at their worst there are less games to play. It doesn't mean EVERYONE will be your friend. Just like anywhere else, I had classmates I liked and classmates I wasn't especially fond of. But whether I liked them or not, I can say my door is always open to any of them.
And I met my best friend at CGA…. we keep in touch and see each other from time to time. After we graduated I went to Cape May, N.J. and he went to Kodiak, Alaska. We didn't see each other for a year or two, but we'd talk and after that year or two, when we met back up, it was like nothing had changed (it's still like that).
I liked the Coast Guard. I think it's a good organization with a good mission. I like what I do now better, but I'd never change my experience in the Coast Guard (maybe I'd do a little better the second time around). The military helps you grow, become a better, more complete person as you learn from failure in high pressure situations. The Coast Guard Academy contributed to that learning, and I think those ups and downs have made me a more successful person now, five years removed from the Coast Guard and nearly 10 years removed from the Coast Guard Academy.