Coast Guard Recruit Company Echo 186 weekly journal posted Jan 30, 2012

   Week 03 started off with a bang as we were woken up with "fire, fire, fire" it was then we realized the gloves were off. We started the day with morning incentive training on the cold concrete. Something we have not done yet due to the weather conditions in the morning. We soon realized how unmotivated and lazy some us were. Later that evening we had our first official rack inspection. Our squad bays(Main Machinery Room, Auxiliary Machinery Room 1, Auxiliary Machinery Room 2, and Aft Steering) were invaded by men wearing red and gold shoulder ropes. These men are superiors to our Company Commanders and have the power to ruin your life on the spot. We all quaked in our boots as they scoured our racks and uniforms and drilled us on our required knowledge from the soul-less stare of their aviator sunglasses.

   A few of our shipmates failed the inspection and were sent to the much feared Recruit Aptitude Motivation Program or as we know it R.A.M.P.. Ramp is a three day suffer fest that is like the boot camp for boot camp. This intense program was designed to help them find the discipline and motivation they were deemed to be lacking. Our hearts went out these fallen brethren. All of these recruits were lucky enough to pass ramp and return to the company as legends. Men and women who were sent to the brink of hell and made it back alive. Not all recruits are this fortunate as we learned this week with the addition of several new shipmates who failed RAMP and were reverted into our company.

   A few more shipmates endured another flavor of special suffering this week when the U.S. Coast Guard relieved them of their wisdom teeth. These chipmunk cheeked recruits have been deprived of the joy that is known as chow time, one of the very few pleasures of boot camp.

   This week also marked the beginning of Seamanship class, a subject we will be studying for the rest of our stay at Cape May. This class has been the first time someone has shown us what the hell we'll actually be doing in the Coast Guard.

   Sunday divine hours gave us a chance to catch our breath and rally for the next week. Each week strengthens our belief that we can actually make it to the end. Till next week ECHO-186 signing off.........