Coast Guard Recruit Company Zulu 182 weekly journal posted March 9, 2010

Week 03

Zulu company’s third week of training began on a downward note.  Unfortunately we saw some of our shipmates give up, pack their things and return home.  It was hard to believe at first that anyone would give up on such a huge commitment.  The oath all of us took when we became Coast Guard recruits is not something to be taken lightly.  It take strength of will and character to follow through, and seeing our shipmates fail deflated morale greatly.  Our Company Commanders were impatient with our sulking and with good reason:  there simply isn’t time to sulk during the intense eight week training regime.  Luckily, we came out of it as a stronger team.  We held each other up and continue to march on.  Zulu company began learning how to be sailors this week.  Seamanship class became an instant favorite.  We learned practical  knowledge and performed hands on training.  Since many of us will find ourselves on cutters, it’s vital to be able to find our way around and understand basic orders.  We had the chance to practice knot tying and even take control of the helm in a virtual simulation.  We have also taken more time to march the ground as a company as the weather gets better.  We maneuver well together as our Company Commanders call commands.  Some shipmates have had the chance to march the company around and call cadence.  The company drill and colors teams have begun practicing, remedial swimmers continue to wake up early for pool workouts.  The company continues its night watches and everyone is working hard to impress our Company Commanders.  We are very busy.  Taps is looked forwarded to and sleep comes down like a heavy curtain, blocking out everything else.  Then, before we know it, Zulu is rolling out of the racks and stepping off to the gym to prepare for the fitness test.  IN our third week, we got used to the long days and rigorous workouts.  We became almost too comfortable with the routine making foolish mistakes and losing focus.  Discipline has been a chief issue this week.  Especially now, with newer companies coming behind us, it is important to maintain focus.  We know what is expected of us now and what happens when we don’t meet our Company Commanders expectations.  As you may have guessed, there is a lot of pushing the deck and plenty of other unpleasant activities waiting for us when we fail to meet time objectives or do something stupid.  It happens often.  The company still has a lot of work to do to grow as a team of shipmates and get things done.  Zulu has come a long way in the three weeks, but we are not finished and we won’t quit until we’re done.  Zulu-182: to the end through it all.

Blog