Week 07

11Jan10:    If you found someone who needed immediate medical attention would you know how to properly respond?  For most of the day Sierra was in the class room going over First Aid scenarios and learning the proper way to treat them.  If underway out at sea we can’t just call 911 in case of an emergency and have an ambulance show up.  We must know how to treat the wounds ourselves until proper medical attention arrives.  It was then time to put our newly learned knowledge to use by splitting into groups and pretending our shipmates had First Aid injuries and we attending to them. A big part of being trained in First Aid is CPR which Sierra learned by using dummies that can take in air and simulate a lung.  Sierra now has the skills to potentially save a person’s life.

12Jan10:    “Heads up on the pier,” as Sierra began throwing heaving lines at Seamanship today.  We learned how to set up a heaving line and throw it to the pier.  We geared up in Personal Flotation Devices and hard hats and started throwing lines to our shipmates on the pier.  After a long period of time throwing heaving lines in the bitter cold we went back into the classroom to take our Seamanship Final.  We did great as a class and we all passed our final earning our guidon a green pennant to display.  Later that evening we hit the pool for a swim circuit workout.  It was fun for all of Sierra Company especially because Chief Garry and even our Section Commander Chief Hampton joined in to test their skills against us.

13Jan10:    “Set mooring stations,” was heard as we learned how to moor a ship to a pier.  Petty Officer Martin had us go out to the model Coast Guard buoy tender.  We then used heaving lines to get the mooring lines to the pier.  It was good to learn this because most of us will be on cutters working on deck force and will need to know how to moor the cutter to the pier. After another long cold day at Seamanship we headed back toward the regiment and practiced marching for our upcoming Close Order Drill test.  Sooner than we knew it it was time for evening chow.  Chief Melancon said to us that we were about to witness one of the greatest moments ever.  We were kind of iffy about it and went to take our seats at chow.  A lot of Company Commanders were there and then we started hearing yelling.  The new forming company was experiencing their first time in the galley.  It took us back seven weeks ago when we were at that point.  Chief Garry told us we’ve come a long way from the time we were crazy echo ones and he is right.

14Jan10:    “Two claps Sierra.”  Early this morning we had our Close Order Drill test.  This measured how far we have come as a company.  It required discipline, attention to detail, precession, and teamwork.  We have been developing these skills ever since we arrived at Cape May and this test proved that we have mastered these skills.  In addition to guaranteeing our Off-Base Liberty we received two pennants for our guidon.  A white pennant for the physical fitness test and a blue one that is a little more special.  The blue pennant we earned is the Company Commander Pennant that not every company receives.  It is given when the company displays teamwork, confidence, and commitment.

15Jan10:    During the last seven weeks we have been in a class room setting learning the keys to success in the Coast Guard, studying  material that will make us transition right into the fleet.  This morning we had to recall that knowledge and take our Final Exam.  It looks like Sierra paid attention because we did very well on the test.  Once we received the good news about our test we went to Sexton Hall to help the new company coming into training.  After answering some questions to ease the anxieties they had we worked our way over to the Confidence Course to boost some Sierra morale.  The course had some challenging sections and the company put all they had into clearing obstacles of fear and uncertainty.

16Jan10:    Taxis lined up as Sierra recruits walked to the other side of the gates of TRACEN Cape May.  Sierra earned off-base liberty for today by passing the Close Order Drill Test and Final Exam.  Off-base liberty began at 0900 and we all made our way to the taxis in groups of four or five.  The taxis took us over to Rio Grande and dropped us off at one of the motels.  Most of us then made our way down Route 47 to Wal-Mart.  As you know Wal-Mart seems to have pretty much anything a person needs to survive, therefore Sierra Recruits made their way directly to the electronics department where the Wal-Mart staff was waiting.  Most of us bought pre-paid cell phones with unlimited minutes to call our families and friends back home.  At this point we started to branch off away from each other.  The day was spent in restaurants such as the Hibachi and Rio Station to watch the football game, lounging around hotel rooms catching up on lost sleep, seeing new movies in the theaters, and spending the day with new friends.  Everyone in Sierra was ready for this day of relaxation off-base and it was a great way to give use one more break before we go into our final week of training here at TRACEN Cape May.

Sierra would like to thank everyone reading these blogs and for supporting us while here at TRACEN Cape May. We are ready to go to our next stations and be reunited with our families. The people you have entrusted to train us have transformed us into Guardians and we are now ready to serve our country as part of the United States Coast Guard.

Fair wind and following seas Sierra Company.