01NOV09

"Juliet-182 Final Act"

It's surreal. We're less than 05 days away from graduation. It's almost like back in high school before graduation. No one knows what to expect or what's going to happen, but everyone's excited and wants to be a part of it. Our company commanders have assured us that as long as we don't do anything "stupid," this week will be smooth and easy. Hmm...Smooth and easy, that sounds familiar. So Juliet was the Langston Hughes poem after all. How long does a memory last? Most would say it depends on what type of memory it is. It could be a good memory, a bad memory, or something that was only apparent in the moment. It goes without saying that recruit training is a memory that will forever be engraved in the minds of each and every one of us. Not because of the location. Not because of the people. Because of the purpose. We all came here for a particular reason. Whether or not that reason remained the driving force within us throughout the duration of bootcamp is irrelevant. I know that we will all leave here with a sense of pride. We recognize that all of this had a purpose. It doesn’t negate the fact that we all acquired a sense of destiny as if we didn't volunteer for this. As if the decision was never in our hands and the decision was made for us a long time ago. A call to serve our country, and I'm pretty sure all of us have indeed found solace in our servitude. There's no way any of us will ever take for granted the experiences we've encountered here at Cape May. All of them have been priceless and unique in their own right, but none more important than the camaraderie that we've experienced in these short 08 weeks. So, if Friday, the morning of 06NOV2009, is indeed the last time we will all be in the same place at the same time than let us make this experience a memorable one. A good memory. For there is no room for regret on the path to success. Each and every lesson, whether try and fail or try and succeed, ends up being a valuable lesson learned and was just as important as the next. Let us be remembered as a great company. Not great because we did things better than other companies, but because we were the best that we could be and we stuck together throughout this grueling process. All the tasks conquered and all the problems solved. Our blood, our sweat, and our tears will paint the portrait of a beautiful woman with long flowing hair, pearly white teeth, and a grin on her face. She'll be wearing a t-shirt that says "Juliet-182." Someone will one day walk up to this portrait and see the shot glass and the empty gin bottle in front of her and say "Chief Ruchs, Chief Ruchs, where ya been?"

"Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much." That is Juliet-182's motto. Semper Paratus. That is the Coast Guard motto. We are the United States Coast Guard. We are Juliet-182.

Farewell, Juliet-182.

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