Introducing Fireman Apprentice Nathan

Nate graduated from Coast Guard Basic Training at Cape May, NJ on May 23, 2008.

It was a gorgeous day - a lovely ceremony. Each recruit receives a certificate of completion.

Nate lost about 3" from his waist - oh, the stories he has of training and what happens to you when you misstep - his company commanders were very determined that they would excel and achieve the highest possible standards. The company earned all 8 banners for goals set for training.

Here is the long and short of our trip.

We arrived in Wildwood, NJ Wednesday night around 8. We crashed in a cheapo hotel. Thursday we walked the boardwalk (cheapo hotel was a block from the beach) though not much was open - it was opening that weekend. And it was not warm enough to wear less than jeans and a t-shirt, and since we didn't have beach shoes, we stayed on the boardwalk (the beach was wayyyy far from the boardwalk and I didn't want sandy sneakers). The beach wasn't terribly pretty - the beaches we visited in CA had far more personality. We drove around Cape May to be sure we could find the Coast Guard station easily. We walked around there - not anything great, but a nice little beach town. We drove out to the county zoo - that was a neat little zoo that gave the animals more than a concrete enclosure like some zoos - very nice... the giraffes had a huge enclosure and telephoto shots were easy to take. We ate mostly mediocre food and kept returning to the boardwalk in different directions to walk it all off.

Friday morning we drove to the base at nine. Everywhere we had to go were recruits guiding us, yelling, "Good morning, Sir/Ma'am" and then pointing the direction in which we were to travel. We sat in an auditorium forever, saw a video (links to it are on the email) that explained what the recruits went through. Then we went to bleachers on the parade field. On the way there, we passed the recruits in their companies and eventually came upon our own graduates company. Mike - 179 was marching around the parade field. They completed pass and review, which is basically walking correctly and in step and keeping a straight face, no matter how much your family screams at you (not me, thought that was tacky - some of the other families were quite obnoxious).

Attached is the Monty Python clip "Marching up and down the square" which is how one wishes marching would be handled...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nLJ8ILIE780&feature=related

So then there was the arrival of the band, and the drill team performed.

They gave out individual awards - best scores stuff. Then each of the graduates received a certificate and were able to shake the hands of the people who made them into obedient, respectful guardsmen/women.

More speeches - one that was traditional was:

Smooth sailing, calm waters, clear skies, and a secure shoreline- we wish all for you.

...and then they were dismissed.

We did not stay after the ceremony - they were marching all morning and Nate hadn't slept that night - he was exhausted... so we returned to his bunk to retrieve his belongings and flew home.

This link is the site that gives same video we saw at the cg graduation to explain basic training - start with the videos at the bottom and work your way to the top - it shows it all very well - Nate said it is exactly what he went through:

http://www.coastguardchannel.com/24_7_vid/EightWeeks.shtml

I took some video - I'm having a hard time figuring out how to make that go anywhere except imovie on my school's apple laptop.

Nate will spend this week hanging out with friends and organizing all of his things. He will go to his duty station in Miami at 4:30 a.m. on Friday morning. He will be assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant for at least 1.5 years before he reaches the rank he needs to attend school and has served their needs. His rank is currently an E2, as he has completed basic training successfully. He will complete E3 with his Cutter and be a fireman. Then after schooling he will achieve the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class. His current plan is to remain with the Coast Guard for his career, however, that is certainly open to change dependent upon his experiences over the next 4 years...

Poor kid, he will have to have his regular weekly time off in ports in the Caribbean and the Florida Straits. Average summer temp of 92, winter 80. Rough stuff... The ship is an all male crew.

Typical day inport routine:
0600 – Reveille
0600 – Morning meal served for all hands
0645 – All E5 & below muster at VALIANT’s Flight Deck in workout attire for physical fitness program or in ODUs to commence ship's work.
0700 – Commence ships work
1215 – Sweepers, commence cleaning of ship
1300 – Liberty at Department Head discretion
1300 – Noon meal served for all hands
1600 – Damage Control Training on messdeck for duty section
1700 - Evening Meal served for all hands
1945 - Evening Reports
2200 - Taps

TYPICAL FA (Fireman Apprentice) JOB ASSIGNMENT:
Preventative Maintenance and repair of engineering machinery.

It is incredible to see the changes in Nate - his attitude towards basic was very positive - he actually liked it - saw it as a challenge and a way to better himself (especially after he got over the second week - he was discouraged that week) and his company commanders were so dedicated that they instilled that in Nate as well.

Nate Date to Graduate Basic

Nate is set to graduate basic training on Friday, May 23. He will return to Columbia that evening.

He will be at his mom's house Saturday 2-6 if you want to stop by to say hello...

He had off base leave and enjoyed Cape May and the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ. May even have pictures to post...

Nate - on base leave

Nate had free time last night on base. He went to dinner on base to have chicken fingers and curly fries. He phoned to check in. It was amazing to speak to him. The amount of maturity one person can attain over a 6 week time period! He is eager to learn everything he can. He stated that the isolation from distraction made it so much easier to focus, study and learn.

He loves his company commanders - he stated that one of the recruits who was reverted (held back for behavioral reasons) was going on about how much easier the company commander is in his new company. Nate scoffed at that, asking, "Why would you want it to be easy, why wouldn't you want to push yourself to be the best you can be?" His company commanders expect their achievement will exceed the minimum at all times, pushing them constantly. Nate's response to this has been to push himself and develop a focus. He looks back on his time between graduation and basic and sees that he was drifting, and is so delighted to have a path to follow.

For his career focus, he hasn't completely picked a career focus yet, so some of the previous information I have in the blog is just his first impression. He now states that he has decided to go Seaman vs. Engineering (damage controlman). In the first place, he wants to be on deck. In the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Miami, they will be surrounded by such beauty, he doesn't want to be buried in bowels of the ship, working on operations. He will start on watch, and take physical care of the topside of the ship, and learn helmsman (driving) the ship. He was able to tour the same type of ship he will be stationed on, and is very excited.

He LOVED learning to fight fires. He has to qualify in damage control, but he no longer wishes that to be his MOS because the job is below deck. They all have to be proficient in many of the jobs on the boat... there are only about 80ish people on board.

He is particularly excited that they are a southward bound vessel, as he will see so much beauty. He said they would be able to exercise on deck, unlike the boats north of Miami, which travel to the north, where the climate is harsher, even in the warmer months.

He plans to learn everything he can.

He has 5 days leave here, prior to going to Miami. I asked if he needed or wanted anything, and he didn't have any food he desired, but he wants a full sized ironing board and iron so he can get his dress uniforms ready!

He has been ill, is still, and his voice was sometimes difficult to understand. He said if he had been in the infirmary one more day, they would have had to hold him back a week medically.

Next weekend, if they are performing where they should be, he will be able to leave base to go into Cape May for the evening, after they are done working on Saturday for the day.

Another day, another phone call

I had mailed Nate a list of questions after his first phone call. He phoned just now to help me understand his situation.

He is going on the boat as helmsman/watchman. He will stand watch and he will learn to pilot the Valiant. He has to earn E3 status prior to being allowed to go to his "A" school. He will go to "A" school in order to earn an AMT instead of an AET. He did not say why. He toured a boat that is larger than his, but it gave him a sense of what his will be like. He said they do have access to the information that I sent as well in an internet lab and that he had had the chance to check out his future home.

I inquired about his buddy, who entered with Nate. He has been reverted one week and may stay back a second week.

Nate stated, "We have a tremendous responsibility and some people who sign up aren't ready/mature enough to face it and handle it.

Nate has an upper respiratory infection. He just finished a course of antibiotics and is feeling a little better, but you can hear the illness in his voice.

The connection was awful, and again he had to go.

Orders: Coast Guard Cutter Valiant

Nate phoned!

I received an extremely brief phone call from Nate. He has his orders.

He will be based in Miami, FL. He will be on the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant, a 210 foot cutter. He will be assigned to this boat until he is able to go to "A" School, which he could not define a specific date for, but said "a long time".

His MOS is: Strike Damage Controlman - he is going to be a fireman/engineer on the vessel.

Wikipedia states that his job could entail: Fabricates, installs and repairs shipboard structures, plumbing and piping systems; uses damage control in fire fighting; operates nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological defense equipment; construction work.

Here is a link to a military news story about his cutter.
Coast Guard Cutter Valiant Haiti Story

This caption accompanied the above artwork.

210 Cutter by Malcolm Bryant (ID# 90419)

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Valiant, a 210-foot cutter, is a multi-mission, medium endurance cutter home ported, and was commissioned in 1967. VALIANT operates in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico conducting search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection, and national defense operations. A feature of VALIANT is the 70-foot flight deck for Coast Guard HH-65A Dolphin helicopters. The helicopter extends the ships surveillance range for law enforcement and reduces response time for search and rescue mission.

He also stated that he was hospitalized on Monday with stomach problems, with what they originally thought was appendicitis, but ended up being a kidney stone. He currently has a bronchial infection.

Then he had to go...

Here is a link to his cutter's website, with many photos.
Coast Guard Cutter Valiant

Here is another really cool site with a ton of pics about everyday life
Fred's Place

Wiki -USCGC

Check out the sites - enjoy!!

Nate Update!

Nate wrote his dad.

Among my jobs, I'm also the "mail guy", and I'm now the National Ensign on the Colors Team (carries the flag). All is well. My ankle is basically fine now. We don't swim anymore, not since the weekend of week 2, because I passed the test then. I also passed my open book midterm with a 96% as well as passing my physical fitness test. 5 people reverted so far out of 54. 2 medical discharges. But I'm not too worried.... More reverts tonight.

Nate said the food is good - if a "5" is Chik-fil-a, all of the food is better than that!