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TRACEN Cape May, N.J. |
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INDIA 182 WEEKLY JOURNAL |
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"Fire! Fire! Fire!" We shout the words out aw we run full speed toward our gear. Quickly we grab our suits, flash hoods and boots. Adrenaline pumping, we don the gear and continue to the next room reaching for our helmets, gloves, and air tanks. We check each other over to ensure no skin, hair, or straps are showing. We line up in our teams and wait for the signal, hearts beating wildly with anticipation and excitement. "GO!" We rush forward into the dark, smoke filled room and find the 1 1/2 inch, 50 foot, orange fire house and make our way toward the compartment that is on fire. Keeping low and close together we make our way to the nozzle and prepare to do battle with the enemy. On a cutter a fire can take lives and sink a ship. A fire is as a real an enemy as any other. We open the bail slowly counting in our heads 01, 02, 03. Using the techniques we have been trained to use we fight the fire and we win. We close the bail and make our way out of the compartment vigilantly looking at the fire sight in case of re-flash. The lights turn on in the room and the smoke clears. We head back into the equipment room and begin to peel off the protective layers while the song Simple Man by Shinedown plays on the radio. We look around at each other with hidden smiles of euphoria. To ourselves we think, "This is our career, our lives. This is why we are here. This beats a dead end desk job. We can do this." Fire fighting class has been an exciting lesson in fire hazards, prevention, and safety. WE learned the chemical makeup of fire and how to fight it. WE started with fire extinguishers and small fires in simulated areas like a galley or gear locker. Then we fought a large fire in a compartment in full fire fighting gear. It was an exciting and surreal moment we took immense pride in. On a cutter, it's your office and your home. A fire can take all that away and it takes a team to fight the fire. We now have the skills to be on that team. We will be ready should it happen in the field. Classes in Seamanship and Fire Fighting are exciting but now so are our other classes as well. Now, the classes are about helping us to arrange for our first units. We have begun making and finalizing our travel arrangements. We have begun calling our units and speaking to our sponsors. Time has come to where questions are no longer vague references but specific inquires into out near future. Some of us are close to home and some are going clear across the globe. We have these next 02 weeks to ensure we are ready to report once we leave the gates of Cape May. This week we received our tailored dress uniforms and were checked for fitting. Green sea bags on our backs we marched toward the Uniform Distribution Center. Looking at each other we realized this is how we are going to look in just 02 weeks when we graduate, a glimpse into the future. This week Golf-182 Graduated and we stood watch guiding families to the gym, opening doors and greeting people as they passed by. Seeing them, we think of our own families and out own moment to shine. We have made it this far! We are so close! Looking at Golf Company we envision ourselves and we envision greatness. This week India Company had our Manual of Arms tests. The Manual of Arms test is the first test we had to pass as a company. The Judge was our Section Commander, Chief Bou. We made a few mistakes but we passed! We shined beyond the little mistakes and proved we know our pieces. Our next company test is the close order drill test next week. The minor errors will be erased and we will pass again because we can march. We are giving 110% because our company commanders expect no less. We want Chief Bou to see it too. This Saturday we had to opportunity to take operational tours. Those of us stationed to small boat stations and Aids to Navigation units had the opportunity to tour Station Cape May. We saw the new rescue 21 program that makes search and rescue less of a needle in a hay stack. We asked questions about watch since our first hob will be to become radio communications qualified. Then we got to go to where all the fun happens, the boats. We walked onto a 47 foot motor life boat. This is real. We chose this. We are becoming Guardians! Those of us who are going to cutters toured the 210 foot Coast Guard Cutter Dependable. Walking inside with care as doorways are not made for the tall, they had a glimpse of what life will look like for them out at sea. Only 02 more weeks-the future is almost the present. Seamen and Firemen we will enter to fleet ready to do our duty and carry on the lessons we have learned and ready to learn more. We are ready. As the week moved forward we all anticipated its end. If all went well, if we did not fail or disappoint our CC's the gift of LIBERTY awaited us on Saturday. Six whole hours of semi-controlled freedom after six weeks of lock down. No class, no marching, no place to be except in bed on time. LIBERTY. The shear idea of personal freedom made us giddy with excitement. On Liberty we listened to music and hung out at the Harbor View, we went shopping at the exchange, we watched the original version of Halloween at the auditorium, and best of all - we called home. The sound of a familiar voice makes the miles seem less between us and those we love. Letters are our fuel - praying to hear out names at mail call - but a voice, a voice has the ability to move mountains. Two weeks still lie ahead of us and although we may be weary; your words revive us and push us forward. We are ready to continue the legacy that has been set before us. We are following in the footsteps of heroes such as Joshua James and Douglas Munro. We are carrying on the legacy of the Coast Guard and al the Guardians past and present. Our mission of saving lives is as old as America herself. Born as several smaller agencies and then slowly merging into one U.S. Coast Guard, the CG maintains its missions of saving lives. Our task is to live up to and continue the legacy. Joshua James is the greatest life saver in the history of the Coast Guard saving over 500 lives from the sea. He died at 75 years old after a long day of training his team in weather no one dates to go into. On the beach, once training is over, he spoke his last words "The Tide is Ebbing" and died. To honor him he was buried in a surf boat. To live as Joshua James did with honor, respect, and devotion to duty is our goal. We are still simple recruits but in just two short weeks we will be Seamen and Firemen on cutters and small boat stations saving lives and protecting America. We are part of the legacy. Let us live up to the challenge of all that means. |
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