Company assignments for Swab Summer?

nigel

5-Year Member
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Aug 5, 2012
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DD just found out her company assignment for swab summer. Two questions...

1. Will this be her company just for the summer, or for her entire 4/c year? I've done a search of past discussions and there seems to be some discrepancy about this. Does anyone know what the plans are for this class?

2. Is this just for R-day? I remember reading that at some academy, new cadets are assigned one company just to report in with, and then are assigned to another company for the summer. The problem is that I don't remember which of the academies does this!

Nicole
 
This is a post from Objee from last year that may answer your question

Admissions is only involved with the Swab Summer company assignments, so I can't comment on how cadets are assigned to their companies after that; however, Swab Summer company assignments are essentially random. We try to ensure a gender balance and an equal distribution of CGA Scholars (Prep School) graduates throughout the eight companies, but that's about it. I'm just guessing, but I think the 4/c company assignments are probably pretty random too...although they may take into account how the cadet performed during Swab Summer. Cadets will be in one company for Swab Summer, another for 4/c year, and then another for their last three years.
 
Last year, for the class of 2017, the company assignments for swab summer were for the entire 4/c year. At the end of 4/c year, everybody was reassigned to new companies which is where they should remain for the remainder of their stay at the USCGA.
 
Last year, for the class of 2017, the company assignments for swab summer were for the entire 4/c year. At the end of 4/c year, everybody was reassigned to new companies which is where they should remain for the remainder of their stay at the USCGA.

They have been doing this since Swab Summer 2011.
 

There is no bad company. Well, unless your Golf Company then that's just bad luck. :biggrin: Honestly, there's healthy competition between companies but your DS/DD would be fine in any company. I know the Company Staff really well for the summer in Foxtrot and their great people. Foxtrot is the conduct company which means they're in charge of Cadet Regulations, investigations into conduct offenses, and a couple of other things. It doesn't really matter for Swab Summer but during the school year, there's a high probability that your DD will be helping with some of those tasks.
 
What T&F said. My son was in Foxtrot this last year, for Swab Summer and 4/C. He was involved in all those things as a 4/C cadet.
 
After rereading my post, I apologize for my poor grammar due to laziness and the fact that it should read "they're great people" not "their great people." I'm just going to blame it on my 4 hours of sleep. :smile:

What did we learn today kids? Always proofread before posting. :thumb:
 
Swab Summer company assignments, as related to the regular academic company assignments, has changed a number of times. It was different long before I attended CGA and it has changed since I left.

When I was a swab/cadre we had three companies, Xray, Yankee and Zulu. In each company we had three platoons. Cadre and swab company assignments were generally random. After the seven weeks of Swab Summer, swabs were place in one of the eight companies, Alfa through Hotel, where they remained for their 4/c. After their 4/c year, they moved to another company for the rest of their cadet careers.

The change to that form started after 2008 sometime. The idea behind the change, in part, was accountability. In the older form we experienced, a set of cadre trained us, and after seven weeks went off into the Corps of Cadets. Most did not have direct contact with us during our training. They didn't "continue on" what started over the summer. Sure, their classmates did, but those classmates were delivered the 4/c, a group of cadets they had little involvement with prior. The other side of that coin was the fact that 2/c, having completed their swab summer training as cadre would go back, away from the eyes of their swabs, and slack off. By continuing with their cadets, it was thought that there would be greater pressure on those 2/c to continue to be role models for their swabs.

Did that work as planned? I have no idea. I can tell you the flip stide of that thinking was, after Swab Summer, a number of 4/c cadets need clean slates, and a fresh set of eyes judging and evaluating them. Not everyone is a great swab (I certainly wasn't), so do you want the same cadre who just beat you down and yelled at you for weeks and weeks, being there with a certain swab summer frame of reference for you? Eh, I generally think not. As a cadre, my platoon had some swabs who did not do well. I happen to think they benefitted from getting away from me and my classmates to start anew, still being expected to be good cadets, but being evaluated with new eyes. I probably benefited from that as a swab myself... although classmates talk and they do know problem children coming to their companies.

All of that is old news though.... it's different now.

Your company assigment is a nice reference point. Swab Summer isn't as important at the end of the four years, but you WILL make some great connections with folks in your company, not only in your class but other classes. And you'll make great connections outside of your company too.
 
STN,

When everyone starts asking what that means...you get to explain. :)




Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
STN,

When everyone starts asking what that means...you get to explain. :)




Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app

T&F... we both know that if I just choose to sit here and not explain, you'll eventually cave and explain it for me. I know you too well :wink:
 
T&F... we both know that if I just choose to sit here and not explain, you'll eventually cave and explain it for me. I know you too well :wink:


Challenge accepted! I will not cave!


Sent using the Service Academy Forums® mobile app
 
Golf Company

There is no bad company. Well, unless your Golf Company then that's just bad luck. :biggrin: Honestly, there's healthy competition between companies but your DS/DD would be fine in any company. I know the Company Staff really well for the summer in Foxtrot and their great people. Foxtrot is the conduct company which means they're in charge of Cadet Regulations, investigations into conduct offenses, and a couple of other things. It doesn't really matter for Swab Summer but during the school year, there's a high probability that your DD will be helping with some of those tasks.

Uh oh- my swab is in Golf. Is it the laundry or the maintenance that makes it bad luck?
 
We all just have our personal preferences and biases based on which company we were in. No company is inherently worse than any other company.

... Welllllll except maybe Golf. :p


Proud member of USCGA c/o 2013

Assigned to USCGC POLAR STAR (WAGB 10)
 
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