The 18 y/o Son graduates from Coast Guard Basic this Friday. The plan is to drive his truck out, others will fly to Philly.

I’ll just be there for 2 days then make my way back. The main day is Friday, all the on base activities. I went to Ft Leonard Wood, MO about 10 years ago for a graduation, looking forward to this one even more.

He said he lost a fair bit of weight. He has a few months scheduled in RI before an ‘A’ school later on.

Congratulations!
I graduated from Cape May in 97. Where's he going after basic?

Bravo Zulu

I wish my folks could have been at my graduation at boot camp in Cape May. Just didn’t work out.

Tell him one of your imaginary friends is a retired Gunner’s Mate Chief and he approves of his choice in services.

Semper Paratus

Congrats to your son. It's the best time of the year to be there. The tourists and summer visitors are gone and the town is very nice, with great seafood restaurants. Tip your wait staff. Enjoy the trip.

Thanks, here’s a little more. He graduated H.S. this last Spring. He said he didn’t want to & wasn’t ready to roll right into a college now. He had been talking with the Coast Guard recruiter for nearly a year.

Right now he’s interest in some form of law enforcement career. He has a good mindset for it, I don’t try to talk him into or out of it. Of course non necessarily in Seattle, NYC, or the like.

He’s in as a ‘Boatswains mate’, rather general position. I asked about that as I looked through what was listed. His reasoning was that ‘A’ school was much quicker. He also said later on most get cross-qualified on a patrol boat.

His side specialty growing up has been firearms handling. Besides our modest milsurp collection he/we have done a lot of shooting over the years. We’ll see if that leads to anything related in the Coast Guard.

I’m looking forward to going. If you see me with a ‘Coastie’ sticker on my truck, now you know why.

He said he has a stash job in RI 1st, later on the ‘A’ school is in VA. I think that school is just North of Norfolk.

WRT FAI(firearms instructor) qualification, getting sent to the school is entirely dependent upon the unit he will be sent to.

I was a Gunner’s Mate and didn’t get sent to, then SAI C school until I was sent to an independent duty patrol boat billet (I had been at a small boat station and A school and was an extra guy at a group GM billet before I got the PB unit). Many units share an instructor. For example, when I was stationed at Ft Macon/Sector NC there was one bouy boat, one patrol boat, a small boat station and the group/sector all physically at the base. So I served those guys and also attended to units in our AOR including small boat stations as the SAI/FAI.

Many small boat stations have a billet for a FAI, he will need to ask the Sector’s GM about it, as it won’t be written down anywhere. It’s a challenging side job that carries a lot of responsibility. Good luck to him.

Congratulations! My nephew graduated 2 years ago and is really enjoying the CG. He currently is stationed in Key West and getting ready for Ian.

Congrats!! I graduated in company E-145 back in November of 1994 and left the USCG as a BM1 in 2004.

I went back to Cape May for my son's graduation in September of last year. He is on his first week of BM "A" school in Yorktown this week

Last I knew you had to be a BM2 (E5) or higher in order to be sent to small arms instructor school as a Boatswains Mate.

Just some follow up, back from Cape May already, all went very well. I have a few souvenirs from the Exchange, also left a few in my son’s truck.

He goes to Newport, RI for a handful of months. The plan is ‘BM’ A school in Yorktown, VA, not sure the wait time.

The ceremony was great, as with many 18-20 year old adults, initial training can be a handful. Yes, he’ll never forget it anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
Just some follow up, back from Cape May already, all went very well. I have a few souvenirs from the Exchange, also left a few in my son’s truck.

He goes to Newport, RI for a handful of months. The plan is ‘BM’ A school in Yorktown, VA, not sure the wait time.

The ceremony was great, as with many 18-20 year old adults, initial training can be a handful. Yes, he’ll never forget it anyway.

Used to know some guys at the Damage Control School. Have a friend who is a Chief assigned to Yorktown, Let me know if you need me to make a phone call. JF

Maybe he can try out as USCG Rescue Swimmer ??? God Bless

He passed the swim, but I think the ‘rescue swimmer’ level would be above his abilities.

Congrats Sourdough! Please tell your son that this old retired Coastie appreciates his service. Hope he has a long successful career.

Semper Paratus!

Congrats from a former coastie. I was there 85. Bravo 121.