28 SEP 09

WEEK 07

Today we had classes in first aid and CPR. We practiced responding and treating various injuries, and performing CPR. When we are out in the fleet, we will be faced with emergency situations and what we are learning now is preparing us for then. We spent this evening getting ready for our uniform inspection in our tropical blue uniforms. We have been working hard on them but there always seems to be more threads to snip, wrinkles to iron out, and lint to tape off.

Right now Foxtrot 182 is quickly approaching graduation day- the end of boot camp is in sight! We have learned so much in the six weeks we have been at here- an experience that is truly life transforming. We have learned the importance and value of discipline and hard work; we have gained pride and devotion to our country we did not have before; and we are constantly realizing how the Coast Guard core values are a part of everything we do- honor, respect and devotion to duty.

All of us in Foxtrot want to thank loved ones back home for all the letters you have sent! Your support is invaluable and keeps us going strong.

30 SEP 09

WEEK 07

Yesterday was Foxtrot's tropical blue long uniform inspection and close order drill test. We worked hard on our uniforms and were thrilled to find out that we passed our inspection. As we came closer to the time, we would take our close order drill test, all of us recruits were nervous- very nervous. However we pulled together dressed to the right and passed 10 out of 10! It took teamwork, hard work, perfect practice (As our Company Commander instructed us) and all our Company Commanders pushing us on.

We are excited that we only have one and a half weeks left, but it has also made us complacent. We don't want to be a company that makes it to the end and then stops giving all we got. So together we must come together, push hard to the end and rock Cape May by how loud we sound off, fast we move, confidently we march and intricately we clean. We are Foxtrot 182!

02 OCT 09

WEEK 07

We completed our finals this morning and were excited as well as relieved to find out that our company average was high enough that we got the orange pennant to add to our colors. After taking our final test, we marched in Echo 182's graduation. It is amazing to think that our graduation is just around the corner-one week to go! Now Foxtrot 182 is the senior company on the regiment- an exciting achievement but also a serious responsibility. One glorious, triumphant event took place today- we turned in our pieces, but all in all we were ready to say goodbye.

After chow and turning in our pieces, we went through the Confidence course- an awesome obstacle course. Nothing was timed today, but we were practicing for when it will be next week. However, four recruits from our company went through it for time, seeing who would win. It was a close match, one of those recruits competing probably set a new record for the females on the confidence course. She sped through the course and made it up to the climbing rope in two minutes approximately. We are learning a lot here in Cape May. We definitely won't leave here the same people as we were when we first arrived.

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21 Sep 09

Week 06

Yesterday was a momentous day for Foxtrot 182---We received our Colors! Our lead company commander presented us with our Colors after our second off-base run. All of us held our breathe, amazed that the day had finally come. Since yesterday, we have marched proudly around the Cape May Training Center with our Colors leading the way. It took dedication, discipline, and hard work to earn our Colors---we cannot stop now though. We must keep up the hard work with complete dedication.

This week in Seamanship, we are learning the basics of firefighting. We will have our practical's on Wednesday and Thursday. Many of us are nervous, but we know that we will do fine if we pay close attention to our instructors. Firefighting skills are important, especially when we get out to the fleet.

Only three weeks left for Foxtrot 182. We cannot believe how fast time has flown by. We now must finish the remainder of our time here at boot camp with all the vigor and strength we have. We must finish well---which is what we aim to do.

23 Sep 09

Week 06

Foxtrot 182 had an exciting, awesome day. Half of the company finished firefighting training. All of us who completed our firefighting practical's have a much greater respect for firefighters and the work they do. We dressed out in firefighting gear, which was bulky and heavy then we partnered up to fight a mock fire.

The rest of this week we will be busy contacting our new units and making travel plans.

We are coming together as a team more and more, but we still have work to do. Cleaning is our weak spot, but as we pull together as a team---the better we become. We only have 14 more days to go and a wake up! All of us are excited and cannot believe we have made it this far.

Our manual of arms test went much better than expected---we got a 9 out of 10! This means we get on base liberty this Saturday...this has everyone's spirits soaring. From everyone here in Foxtrot 182, Goodnight!

25 Sep 09

Week 06

The highlight of our day yesterday was pugil sticks. All us recruits in Foxtrot 182 put up a good fight against one another. It was a good stress reliever both for those in the ring fighting and the rest of us on the side lines cheering.

Today foxtrot set up, acted as greeters, and cleaned up for Delta 182's graduation. Another company has graduated and only one more till it is Foxtrot 182's turn!

Week 06 has gone by quickly, and all of us are amazing that Week 07 is just around the corner. Tomorrow should be a fun day if all of us stay on track and do not mess up. We are scheduled to have our on base liberty in the afternoon! We have been looking forward to this for a long time. Hopefully all goes well until then.

Foxtrot 182 is certainly pressing on through training. Many of us were encouraged by company prayer time tonight. We are definitely going to leave boot camp with triumph, but we will all miss the friends we have made here when we leave.

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Foxtrot 182 began Week 05 today. In the morning most of the company enjoyed taking out all their stress in pugil stick matches. All who were present eagerly fought their opponent with all they had. The rest of the day, we kept busy with classes in Seamanship. We are enjoying the more practical-hands on classes we have had lately.

Yesterday after Divine hours, Foxtrot 182 joined the other companies on our first off base run. It was fun, and definitely a morale booster. We sang cadence most of the way, and were cheered on by families and individuals who were out and about.

16 Sep 09

Week 05

Another day down for Foxtrot 182! Yesterday in Seamanship, We completed our radio communications practical. All of us Recruits partnered up--- one acting as the small boat station and the other as the small boat out rescuing a vessel in distress. We had a script to go off of, but it gave us a little practice in what it will be like when we are operating radios at our new duty stations. In the evening we did uniform maintenance, shined our Boon Dockers,mand cleaned our squad bays. All of us in Foxtrot 182 eagerly anticipate the day we will earn the privilege to march with our Colors like the other senior companies here at Cape May. But it is something we must earn and work towards.

Today we began with a mile run. We had more Seamanship classes, life cycle work out at the gym, and cleaning. At Seamanship, we learned about Personal Floatation Devices, and practiced putting them on the right way in one minute.

After diner we came back to our squad bays and found it in complete disarray: shoes everywhere along with our dirty laundry ditty bags and everything else. You would think we would learn the lesson of leaving our squad bays clean when we go out in the morning, but we are still not getting it---hence why we needed a wakeup call like we received when we walked into our squad bays after chow!

Tomorrow, hopefully we will work together  more as a team, continue to learn and be challenged as we face a new day.

18 Sep 09

Week 05

Yesterday and today were exciting days for Foxtrot 182. We found out our orders---where we will be stationed after boot camp. True enough not everyone got stationed where they would have liked, but most of us are excited and anticipating the new adventures and challenges we will be faced with soon. Now the next 03 weeks we spend here at Cape May, we will be finishing up training, but also preparing, gathering information, and making arrangements for when we arrive at our new duty stations. Several recruits are looking forward to attending guaranteed A school after graduation.

Foxtrot 182 is continuing to learn more of what team work is. Our squad leaders do a good job pulling us together. We are ever learning to put others first and not ourselves.

Today we marched in Charlie 182's graduation. How exciting it was to think our day is only three weeks away! So we're pressing onward through Week 05, looking forward to Week 06, and eagerly anticipating THE DAY WE BECOME Guardians.

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07SEP09

Week 04

Foxtrot 182 has made it to week 04! We finished up week 03 yesterday with divine hours in the morning. Most of us got out racks squared away, cleaned up our uniforms, wrote letters to loved ones, and some of us attended chapel services. The few short hours were a welcome break and an enjoyable down time. In the evening, Foxtrot marched with the other companies here at Cape May in the last Sunset Parade of the season.

This morning started off with a refreshing run. We cleaned our squad bays thoroughly, hoping to pass our inspection with high marks. Half of us in Foxtrot  182 shot at the range today, and the other half will shoot tomorrow. We are enjoying the training we are receiving in marksmanship, even if it is just a little taste.

Week 04 is shaping up to be an especially busy week, full of test, midterms and physical fitness tests. We are also having our class in Rates (Coast Guard Jobs) and learning about filling out our "Dream Sheets" (where we hope to be stationed after graduation).

As for Foxtrot's progress in teamwork- well, it's coming along slowly. Learning to put others before ourselves and work with people with different ideas is not easy, but truly necessary. We're not Going to quit. On a lighter note- to close the night off with- we are literally being eaten alive by the bugs here! The bug spray we have works to a degree; but at night when we hit the rack, we realize just how hard those little things work.

09SEP09

Week 04

Today was Foxtrot 182's physical fitness test day. We completed pushups, sit ups, sit and reach, and a mile and a half run. Many of us passed and are now able to breathe a sigh of relief.

In the class room today, we went over enlisted ratings (the different jobs in the Coast Guard). Tomorrow we will fill out our "Dream Sheets". Time will tell where we end up getting stationed after boot camp!

Tonight we had mail call. How amazing it was to receive letters from home. Keep them coming!

The days are long here at Cape May, but the weeks do fly by as our protestant chaplain told us at the beginning of boot camp. We are already half way through week 04. Slowly we'll make it to our goal- graduation. We are still lacking in teamwork, not meeting time objectives and not sounding off. We need to come together. Hopefully this reality is sinking into everybody's minds so we can get down to business. We have frustrating moments but everything we go through each day is for a reason. So with that in mind we push on through week 04. Let us not be quitters Foxtrot 182!

11SEP09

Week 04

Foxtrot 182 had a busy day consisting of our midterm exams, blood drive and cleaning details. We also remember that today is the eight year anniversary of the terrorist attack on our country when United States planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. We are training here at Cape May to fight for our country's freedom and to protect her citizens from such attacks.

This morning the weather was blustery and how the rain poured! Laundry detail nearly got swept away as they pushed the carts of dirty clothes over to the laundry building. It is really hard to believe Foxtrot is coming to the close of week 04. Only four to go! However, many of us would have hoped the we would have come together as a fully functioning team. We are not giving up though, we will become a team. One thing from yesterday, that has us all excited, nervous, worried, eager, and feeling a whole lot of other things, is that we filled in our "Dream Sheets". Hopefully next week we'll find out where we will be stationed.

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31 Aug 09

Week 03

Foxtrot 182 began Week 03 with an early morning run. We ran one mile around the track, preparing for our physical fitness test next week. We also spent time at the gym, working on core strengthening exercises.

Our day was filled with Incentive Training and other team building activities. Our muscles are being tested and stretched, but really our inner resolve and determination is being measured and displayed for all to see. Daily we are learning about discipline and prioritizing as a team.

Today classes went well and we learned a lot; but are constantly reminded of how far we have to go. Those of us who are truly committed will press on no matter what, until we learn to work together as a team.

02 Sep 09

Week 03

Yesterday Foxtrot 182 spent most of our day in class, learning more about Coast Guard History, safety procedures, and other important aspects of the Coast Guard. We had our very first free time at night and were able to receive and read our mail. It was the high light of our day to hear from our loved ones back home.

Today however, we have still not grasped the concept of sounding off, cleaning our squad bays, and moving fast. We have many things to work on as a company, but what would life be without challenges?

As for the high lights of this day: we learned a few more movements with our demilitarized pieces, enjoyed our weekly visit from a chaplain, and worked on upper body strength, using the good old fashioned method---pushups.

At the gym we worked out on the cybex machines. At the present it may feel as though we are taking one step forward and a zillion steps backwards, but slowly and surely we will make progress. Either we will become smart---and start acting like a team---or we will become strong because we do not act as a team; as one of our company commanders tells us. We hope to be smart, but it is taking a while to accomplish.

04 Sep 09

Week 03

The past couple days have been a whirlwind of activity for Foxtrot 182. We began Seamanship Classes yesterday, beginning with the basics---learning nautical terms. Today we went over Coast Guard cutters, small boats, aircrafts, etc. and how to identify them. We also learned about different kinds of lines and how to use them.

This morning was Foxtrot 182’s first time to march in a graduation ceremony for one of the other companies. We all enjoyed the event and eagerly look forward to the day that it is our turn.

We are finally coming to the end of Week 03. We have run into many bumps along the way and are still trying to come together as a team. We cannot expect the road to be easy that leads to becoming a Guardian, and we can be sure that all the challenges we are facing now will make us the guardians we need to be. So we press on through the end of Week 03, anticipating and maybe half dreading-half excited about Week 04 starting soon.

18 Aug 09- 23 Aug 09

Week 01

Forming week for Foxtrot Company 182 began with the long bus ride from Philadelphia to Cape May, New Jersey. Eighty individuals from all different backgrounds, walks of life, and geographical locations came together to begin Coast Guard boot camp. We all came prepared as best we could, but found out quickly that boot camp is an experience you have to live through and persevere in to completely understand.

Our first couple days here at Cape May were spent filling out forms and going through medical processing. Our first weekend as Foxtrot 182 was filled with many beneficial challenges, presented to us from our company commanders. We know that the time objectives, incentive training, drills, and other various challenges that our company commanders give us will mold us into the team we need to become. As we found out the first weekend, we have a long ways to go to begin working effectively as a team in order to accomplish the tasks given to us, and we have much to learn; but, that is exactly why we are here in Coast Guard boot camp---to learn, be stretched, and become better people. Our muscles may feel sore, but we are excited to see the finished product of our training.

By the end of Week 01, Foxtrot 182 has begun to see the importance of team work; but we struggle coming together---putting our differences aside. We know though that our company commanders will be aiding us and causing us to gel together as a team.

24 Aug 09-30 Aug 09

Week 02

Beginning Week 02, many of us have begun coming down with the Cape May crud; but spirits are still up as we learn new things each day. We are beginning to look like we are in the Coast Guard as we proudly wear our new uniforms, but we are only just beginning to come together as a team---we have a long ways to go.

We are learning how to make our racks, prepare for our day, and clean our squad bays within the time objectives our company commanders give us. It takes team work, something we are learning about more each new day. The classes we have taken so far are beginning to teach us more and more about Coast Guard customs and the core values. We are learning Coast Guard history and about the proud heritage we have as Coast Guard members.

Week 02 we began working out in the gym; strengthening our bodies and building endurance. We have also been working on learning how to move faster and sound off. Things seem impossible now, but we are encouraged as we see our shipmates in other companies graduating. We know our day will come as we press on with good attitudes, learning to work as a team, and becoming an effective unit, instead of just individuals looking out for ourselves. We must come together if we are going to succeed.

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