During Swab Summer, what is the port call schedule like? Will my swab have time to visit with us? He gets on the boat on a Saturday.Will he be required to be on the boat the whole time before it leaves the port? How do i connect with him?
@ekb1398 gave you an excellent answer so I won't repeat any of that information. However, I will highlight the information captured in both the Class of 2025 Parent Handbook and the USCGA Alumni Association FAQs:
Handbook:
Swab Summer culminates in a leadership and seamanship experience aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, America’s Tall Ship, which your cadet will sail aboard for one of three short cruises dedicated to Swab training. Eagle does make port calls to embark and disembark cadets, so you may be able to spend a few hours with your son or daughter depending upon their individual duty and liberty schedules. Remember that even though they are away from the Academy, time on Eagle is still part of the Swab Summer Training Program, so it’s highly recommended you confirm your cadet’s availability prior to making your own travel arrangements. If they are available, please note some cadets will be on duty, your cadet will be proud to give you a tour of the ship and demonstrate her or his new independence.
Alumni Association:
Each swab will spend time on EAGLE at some point during the summer. EAGLE visits are an option when companies board or disembark the EAGLE or while the EAGLE is in port. The most important tip about visiting your child on the EAGLE is to be prepared to be flexible. You will not know about when or how long you will be able to visit until last minute. Your swab may or may not have liberty. Typically, the EAGLE is open to the public for tours when in port. Even if your son is aboard the EAGLE, again you may or may not be able to see your child depending what his/her duty schedule is. Many parents do “chase” the EAGLE port to port and typically at some point see their child. At this time your child will have their cell phones so coordinating visits will be easier.
As you can see from the above, the key takeaway here is flexibility. If I remember correctly, I had a few hours of liberty as a swab in Fort Lauderdale, but had no liberty in our second port call, Savannah. I would not bank on your swab having liberty that first day, although I suppose it is possible. Remember, this is a training evolution for your DS, with liberty being a nice side benefit. Typically, the first day onboard Eagle consists of swabs reporting to Eagle, checking in, receiving their berthing assignments and unpacking, a safety orientation, and assisting the crew with preparing for their short cruise. Once all that is done, there may be liberty granted but, as it says above and as
@ekb1398 mentioned, your DS could have watch. In that case, you will only see him if you are physically on Eagle. I can tell you the flexibility piece doesn't change as your swab advances through CGA. When I left London to head back to USCGA prior to traveling to my second training unit for the summer, our group had been told we would get overnight liberty the day we arrived. So, my mom traveled up for the day and reserved a hotel room so I could spend some time with her. Needless to say, when we arrived at USCGA, that overnight did not happen and, although I did spend a few hours with my mom, she spent the money/time in the hotel on her own before heading home the next day.
What? This isn't true at all.
@ArmyandCGmom yes, your swab will likely have some time to visit with you. Your swab will get their phone back (roughly) upon departing for Eagle. Eagle generally has three day port calls - you can expect your swab to have duty (which may be only during the day or may 24 hours in length) at least one of those three days. He will not be required to be on the boat the whole time, though he may and likely will have to spend nights on it.
Agreed with the three day port calls. Looking at Eagle's schedule though, I don't believe those three days will apply to the swabs. For their cruises, it looks like Eagle arrives in port on a Friday, phase change happens on a Saturday, Sunday is a day inport, and Monday Eagle departs. So, I would say Sunday is probably the best possible chance for swabs to be given the maximum amount of liberty.
This may be an unpopular opinion on this forum, particularly among parents, but I'm going to say it anyway. Eagle is an opportunity for the swabs to truly bond with their classmates, especially those not in their company, away from the stressors and arduous time demands of swab summer. That includes while on liberty. It will truly be their first opportunity to be themselves in public, albeit in uniform, and enjoy some well-earned downtime with their classmates and absorb the first few weeks of their journey in the Coast Guard and as independent adults for most of them. While I certainly appreciated my classmate's parents who did chase Eagle, as they were extremely welcoming and hospitable (including offering rides to places, meals, to take photos we could send to our families), I don't think it is the best time to see your swab. Labor Day weekend and Parent's weekend are two much better options, where liberty is guaranteed unless your DS has duty. While those weekends may seem light years away right now, the time until then will pass quickly, particularly for Labor Day. That being said, every swab and family is different, so I certainly wouldn't presume to tell you not to go. This is just my opinion.
