March 13, 2009

What a beautiful graduation ceremony. We were all beaming with joy to see the accomplishments of the ones we love. They were in such high spirits as they marched to the gym, proclaiming "We are Alfa 181" in their cadence. They all have such bright futures ahead. I was so proud to see my beautiful girl become such a strong woman. I know she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

posted March 10, 2009

Alfa- 181

Week 07

08mar09

Great day in the morning this week went by fast! It seems like we just got over the sugar high of last weeks on base liberty and they're kicking us off the base for liberty! We're now in week 08 of our 08 week training program, time has flown by and we are now the most senior (and badass) company on the regiment.

This past week, we've bee setting up our housing, moving arrangements and travel plans. We took our final exams and have an average score of 97%, which earned us the Final pennant. Also this week, we earned the close order drill pennant, physical fitness pennant, section commander and company commander pennant. The company commander pennant is held closest to our hearts, because it means that our company commanders are confident that we're ready to be guardians.

This week we were certified in CPR and first aid, requirements to join the fleet. We also had our last seamanship class, where we learned how to cast, heave and tie spring and mooring lines. A local Girl Scout Troop came to Seamanship and we had the opportunity to teach knot tying to them, we had as much fun as the Scouts. We were privileged with the obstacle course once more, with our primary focus being on the rope climb, and having almost the entire company make it to the top successfully. Our swim class was way more intense then last weeks, and we enjoyed the challenge very much. DCC Garry and MST1 Leathers even decided to join us for our swim circuit, and we attempted to meet their challenging pace, not very successfully however. Another great moment of the week was turning in our pieces, which we've grown attached too, but not enough to want to keep.

Saturday was a fantastic day, and as always the jersey weather was unpredictable. With snow still on the ground from our 14 inch mini-blizzard, it was 75 degrees and sunny at the jersey shore for our off base liberty. There was Coast Guard blue from Rio Grande to Ocean City, and everywhere in between! Many of us rented hotel rooms and took a much needed nap. The interaction with the civilians stunned us all and the level of respect they showed us, made us prouder than we thought we could be to wear the uniform of something so great. Some of us went to the boardwalk, others camped in front of Wal-Mart all day and ate junk food, talked on the phone and just relaxed.

This approaching week, we have our evaluation, turn in our PQS (personal qualifications standards booklet), sign our official orders, attended another swim class, have our company pizza party and GRADUATE! Our graduation ceremony will be Friday, March 13th 2009 at the base Cape May. The ceremony will start at 1100 sharp, so please don't be late! After graduation, you'll be shown around the regiment and shown where they make the guardians of the sea. We hope you're as proud of us as we are of ourselves, because we've come a long way, and nothing can take away the sense of accomplishment we have a whole.

Awaiting what the future holds,

The one and only,

Alfa- 181

posted March 3, 2009

March 1, 2009 Week 06 Alfa-181

Hello to all the families out there from Alfa 181! We're now in week 07 and still learning so much everyday. Our greatest achievement this week was earning our colors. We now proudly carry the flag of Alfa 181, accompanied by our pennants. Our colors were given to us after a drill search and rescue mission on the beach.

Another milestone for Alfa was scoring 09 out of 10 on our manual of arms test, given by our section commander, BMC Hampton. Chief Hampton also taught our legacy class this week, pertaining to what mark we'd like to make on the coast guard.

This week was our fire fighter training and practical. Our first class we learned all the terms and definitions of all the gear, but our second class we each put out a live (contained) fire, and put on all the required gear. On test day (practical) we had 10 minutes to put on all gear, including our oxygen tanks on and properly hooked up. All the above was done in a dark room, we then proceeded to another dark room to extinguish a fire using teamwork to control the hose. We had our SDB's (dress uniforms) tailored this week, so they fit correctly for graduation. On the subject of graduation, we set up Yankees graduation on Friday morning. Starting early in the morning, we stood greeting watches, cleaned, set up chairs, put down the carpets or went to dental appointments. Very few of my shipmates have yet to have out their wisdom teeth; at least 15 of my shipmates got their wisdom teeth out in this past week.

Saturday, we were taken on the operational tours, where we were permitted aboard the 210' cutter dependable. Those of my shipmates who got orders to a small boat station, got to tour the small boat station in Cape May, and went aboard the 47' motor lifeboat and the 25' response boat.

As an honorable mention, the drill team preformed a 21-gun salute at the funeral of a retired Senior Chief on Thursday. They were quite nervous, but preformed exceptionally well and were proud to show their respect for the legacy of guardians who have come before us.

On a separate note, we found out Saturday evening, that 64 members of our families and friends gave blood to the red cross when we did the week before last, and we wish to thank you so much for honoring the cause and giving what you could.

After our operational tours on Saturday, we were granted our on base liberty. Many of you received phone calls from us I'm sure, as the phone lines were packed the entire time liberty was granted. We went to the exchange and spent $45 each on junk food. We then proceeded to the harbor view, the on base bar/ restaurant, where we played pool, listened to music, used the phones, ate a waited meal and played in the arcade. It was a very relaxing atmosphere, and we enjoyed it very much.

Sunday, we had divine hours and went for a walk all over the base, looking at all the historical things, such as the old air strip, and the mast of the USCGC Spencer. It was a long day that ended with quite a bit of snow on the ground. Most of the week, we've been making travel arrangements, planning our moves and contacting our new units. This week flew by and next week should as well, due to its busy schedule. From our finals, CPR/First Aid class, piece turn in (about time!), Confidence Course to off base liberty, it's going to be crazy busy every day.

We were told, we were stronger, smarter and more capable than we thought we were, we believe you now. Thank you to all our families for the amazing support you've been giving us and the mail and encouraging words.

We thank you for helping us become what we are today, Alfa 181.

posted February 24, 2009

ALFHA 181 WEEK 05

It was a great week at TRACEN Cape May! The most exciting part of the week was we all got our orders. Many of us getting our top picks. The hardest part, were our company commanders finding out our duty stations early in the morning and using the information to torture us all day. And it sure was a long day, with a cybex (weight lifting) class in the morning, a risk management class and a unit reporting class shortly after. By now, everyone has gotten to make a phone call home, and tell their families where they're going to be stationed. We were very excited to call our families, and a few of my shipmates cried after getting to talk to their loved ones.

In other news, we were issued our dress uniforms this week, and while they're still being mended by the tailor, they look very sharp. We also had a telephone practical this week, where we learned the proper etiquette for radio and telephone communications. We were given radios and separated, taking a practical exam and doing quite well. We had a pennants and flags class, where we learned how to properly identify the flags, such as papa; return to the ship. Our operational risk class taught us how to use the proper caution to evaluate certain situations we may encounter in the fleet. In our boat crew class, we learned the jobs and duties of each member of a ship, from helmsman to watch stander.

This week we also received our small pox vaccines, and they were accompanied by 04 other shots. It was a long day, because the shots were followed by our operational dress uniform inspection by the battalion commander. Throw in finance class, aviation physicals, bike workouts, remedials and seamen ship midterms, it was a crazy week. Sunday, on our divine hours, we really came together and helped each other iron and shine boon dockers, and helped each others with other deficiencies such as studying.

I can now say proudly, we are no longer a team, but a family, helping each other every step of the way and accomplishing things we didn't believe we could.

Proudly,
ALFA-181

posted February 17, 2009

ALFA 181 WEEKLY JOURNAL
Graduation 3/13/2009

Alfa-181 week 04

We had a very busy week! We're now in week 05, more than halfway done! This week flew by; we learned how to use firearms and earned a pennant for 84% of us passing our qualifications. It's a hard pennant to earn and we're proud it's going on our colors. Two of my shipmates, Arenivar and Mcnash, shot an expert course, a very hard task to accomplish.

This week we also got to use computers and research some of the stations and cutters we're interested in. Shortly after that, we got to fill out our assignment data cards, aka dream sheets. The dream sheets let us tell the coast guard where we would like to be stationed. It was very exciting to fill them out, and we had plenty of time to look and carefully choose the stations we thought would fit our wants and needs.

This week we also took our physical fitness test and very few of us failed. The shipmates, who did fail, only are required to attend an extra workout in the morning before reveille. Shortly after our physical fitness test, we got the privilege of the confidence course indoctrination. We got to climb the standing rope, and were even allowed to cheer on our struggling shipmates. It brought us closer together than we have been until now. This week we also got our individual pictures taken, selected the packages we want, and some even ordered rings.

On Friday, we had our company blood drive, and every member of Alfa volunteered to give blood. We earned a special pennant for our colors for that, but it's more a reward to give to what we can than to carry the pennant. After we got our blood, the males got their haircuts, because they looked very straggly. Then we took our midterms, and got an average score of 95%. We earned a pennant for that as well, the more we come together, the more we seem to earn. On Sunday afternoon, Chief Hampton, our section commander, took us to the beach, where 04 of my shipmates had never seen the actual ocean. It was quite emotional for them.

This week we're looking forward to our pugil stick tournament, dress uniform issue, unit assignments and our phone calls home.

Coming along nicely.

helpful Coast Guard websites

http://www.uscg.org/ a forum for recruits and families
http://www.uscgbootcamp.com/ a weekly blog and journal for bootcamp
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=7485219566082721240&postID=4519215160258860678 A181 Blog
www.uscg.mil/hq/capemay Cape May, NJ with links
www.coastguardchannel.com/24_7_vid/itsjusteightweeks.php a video

posted February 10, 2009

ALFA 181 WEEKLY JOURNAL
Graduation 3/13/2009

Alfa-181 week 03

The beginning of this week was rough. Many of my shipmates had a hard time. We were stressed, sick and pushed farther than we thought we could be. We got together and decided to get serious as a team. Since our motivational talk, we've been doing a lot better. We've been very team oriented, and have had only a few slip up's.

This by far was the best week for classes. We learned knot tying, where they taught us the five basic knots of seamanship, the bowline knot, square knot, clove hitch, slip clove hitch and round turn and two half hitches. How to navigate a ship, using a simulator, we got to drive different vessels and reply back to the commanding officer. Deck and vessel seamanship, was a blast, we learned every part of the ship and what it's called, where it is and some of the sailor slang for it. Coast Guard history was very interesting; we learned all the major figures and events of the Coast Guard that led us till today. Our favorite was SM1 Douglas Munro, who gave his life to help many injured marines returning from war. We learned all the ships and aircrafts the Coast Guard uses, learned how to identify them from their masts, and their colors. Our favorite class this week by far was the survival swim, we got to put on mustang suits, and the entire company had 02 minutes to do it. We were all ready and secured helping out our shipmates in no time and had time to spare. We then got to jump into the pool and learn the floats we need to know if we ever have to abandon ship.

On Sunday, it was a great break from the cold weather and we got to go for a nice long run. It was on special commission, due to the fact that 03 week recruits don't run as a company on Sundays. But Chief Garry pulled some strings for us and we got to run proudly behind our colors. Not one of us fell behind and we sang cadence as well as every other company out there. The weather was about 65 degrees, so it was the nicest day we've had here by far.

Every night when we take our muster, we are now getting regular mail. It's the best time of day for most of us, and we really appreciate the support we are getting from all of our families. We do however request you don't send any care packages.

This week in Alfa, we are going to the range to qualify for marksmanship. The company has been split in to two separate groups for this assignment, for more personalized training experience. The entire company is striving for the marksmanship award. Also we have a blood drive on Friday, and the entire company, including all our company commanders have signed up to donate blood. We have 64 of 64 who are willing to help the cause and that makes me proud that we have such a good hearted group. In Alfa it's not quantity, its quality and we've got quality.

Trying to be the best we can be.

posted February 03, 2009

ALFA 181 WEEKLY JOUNAL
Graduation 03/13/2009

ALFA-181 WEEK 02 01FEB09

Hello from ALFA-181! We have come a long way from forming week, and are glad to be done with our 02 day Physical and Dental adventure. Forming week was tough mentally, but the real challenge is James Hall. We've started classes such as Saluting, Customs and Traditions, as well as Physical classes like Core Strength training and Cybex.

Snow fell 02 days this week and many of my shipmates from Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico have never seen snow until this week in Cape May, NJ. It took much self discipline for them to resist making their first snowball, but for the good of military bearing, they resisted the urge.

We've been finding it hard for 64 people with nothing alike or no knowledge of each other to come together as a TEAM; however we all share one commen goal, to be Guardian.

We've been working on Manuel of Arms, studying and working out together better then we though we could. We're learning we need each other and we're forming bonds for life. Many of our shipmates are having a hard time being away from home this long, and its taking it's toll.

STRUGGLING FOR UNITY,
ALFA-181
SR. GRAEBER
HISTORIAN