Im on the wall! need advice!

J

JordanMoran

5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Messages
5
Hey, I will be a senior in highschool this upcoming year and I have been searching for what future would fit for me and I love the water and this amazing country. I know the academy is a once in a life time experience but I have no military background what so ever and I can't get past the fear I have of the first year. The one thing I do know is that I feel like the coast guard is the right direction for me.

Anyone have any advice on whether to pursue the academy or not?
Any information or personal experiences will be helpful to me. THANKS!
 
Only YOU can know if it the right choice for you. My daughter is entering her 2C (Junior) year at the Coast Guard Academy and she comes from a family with no military background. She LOVES it & knows she made the right choice! One of the things she did - she joined Sea Cadets when she was 11 years old (yes, even back then she felt a calling to the military). It was a good decision on her part because it introduced her to the military regime and helped her to realize that she could work well in that environment. My suggestion for you would be to do the research for where you live and join some youth military group, whether it is Sea Cadets, Civil Air Patrol, Young Marines or a Jr ROTC (I don't know much about ROTC though). See if that type of environment agrees with you, and take it from there. Good luck!
 
hey thank you for the info i appreciate it. Would you know how the experience compares to USAFA? I just ask because my older brother goes there now and he comes back with some terrible stories haha just wondering
 
Let me see if I can help! I just finished my first (fourth class) year and will be going back to start my third class year in about a week (scary I know...summer flew by). I can understand you being nervous about swab summer and your 4/c year. Everyone is...R-Day is one of the most stressful days. But I can promise you that thousands of people have completed swab summer and 4/c year, people who were probably just as nervous as you. I won't lie, the first year is a challenge...but that is because it is supposed to be. Not only are you balancing a heavy course load but the military and athletic aspects as well. There are some days that seem like they will never end.

BUT...I can promise you that the experience is once in a lifetime. I love the Academy and I have fun while I'm there. It is supposed to be stressful because our future careers will be stressful and we need to know how to deal with that stress. Three years from now, I will have people that I have to take care of, people who are going to trust me to make the best decisions I can.

But back to the fun part. Here's my summer in a nutshell: I sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and went to Ireland, Germany, and England. Then, I flew to Hawaii for six weeks and worked at a small boat station. I was involved in boardings, flight operations, was pepper sprayed, and countless other experiences. Now I am home for three weeks and enjoying friends and family.

If you feel it in your heart like you say you do, then I would really encourage you to pursue the Academy. It sounds as if you could do well there, you seem to want it. Don't let your fear of just one year get in the way. You can do anything you put your mind to, as long as you stay focused and determined. And people will be there with you every step of the way. You won't be alone, you'll have over 200 other people going through the same obstacles you are.

I hope this helps a little bit, sorry that it kind of jumps around. Did you have any specific questions about the Academy? I'd be glad to help!:smile:

-T&F
 
Nice job, T&F! Great to hear from you and that you had a good summer. Good luck on the 3/c year...just think, no squaring or bussing! :biggrin:
 
It's a good feeling Boss :thumb: T&F pretty much nailed it on the head. The Academy also builds something in you as a result of all the things you go through, something that I noticed my friends from high school don't have: Confidence. You're sure of yourself and what you want to do.

As for me, I spent 5 weeks cruising in the caribbean on a high endurance cutter. I had port calls in Panama and Guatanamo Bay, chased down a couple go fasts and got to do helicopter tie downs. I then visited London, Iceland, and Halifax on Eagle while getting to cross the Atlantic and the Arctic Circle. And I suspect it just gets better from there.
 
Roger that, Sam. My son has been in Spain, Portugal, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Alaska, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Iceland and some others I probably forgot, thanks to the Coast Guard. He has help capture a semi-submersible sub, been a landing officer on a cutter, worked on a buoy tender on Lake Michigan, escorted several debutantes at International cotillions, briefed both Admiral Allen and Admiral Papp, been on the staff of high-ranking officers at an international conference, and many more cool things both behind and ahead of him. You guys are in for the ride of your lives...it's all just beginning!:thumb:
 
bossf51 said:
. . . escorted several debutantes at International cotillions, . . . You guys are in for the ride of your lives...it's all just beginning!:thumb:
Click to expand...

Did you son have to pass boards for that duty???
:shake:
 
Haha no he just had to take "Ballroom Dancing" and the course about which spoon and fork to use at formal dinners.:eek:
 
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