24JAN10

We are so close to being out of boot camp it is intoxicating.  Yesterday, as many of you heard with your phones ringing off the hook, we had our Off-Base Liberty.  Most recruits marched to the front gate and got in taxis towards Rio Grande (the only place with things going on, mid-winter).  The taxis dropped us off at a Super Wawa (the New Jersey version of the best 7-11 you’ve ever seen), and we peeled off in all different directions from there.

Recruits had a marvelous time wandering with their shipmates.  Some went immediately to the Walmart to buy prepaid cell phones; some went to buy coffee or soda or snacks; some went to the movies.  Every single recruit was, at some point during the day, accosted by someone and thanked profusely for their service.  It felt incredible to have that happen, especially since we haven’t really done too much yet.

People offered to buy you snacks, coffee, lunch, or any sort of candy you could want.  They were complete strangers, but “they love the Coast Guard here.”  Those were the exact words that came out of Petty Officer Vanover’s mouth minutes before we all left.  He was very right, and we all did not demand to pay for our own things.

Most people spent at least 2 hours on the phone, calling parents, spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, fiancées, etc.

As we returned to the base, we had everyone get on line and muster.  Everyone kept it really locked on, and after we cleaned a little bit (in the best spirits ever) we hit the racks.

The next morning, we woke to “fire-fire fire” and yelling.  After a muster on the Parade Field, we had chow, and then switched into our Modified Bravos.  As we marched to the galley, everyone’s marching was straighter and more precise that ever.  It was the shirt stays.  They run from the bottom of your dress shirt to the tops of your dress socks.  They keep your legs and back at a certain angle to keep your shirt down, but it does make it harder to move (turns out to be a good thing).

This evening was a very different experience.  Petty Officer Giaccone sat down with us and held an open forum for questions.  People asked questions about the Fleet, about the training, about Company Commanders, and about Petty Officer Giaccone.  It was a true bonding experience.  Seeing that Petty Officer Giaccone could smile, laugh, and joke truly changed our Company’s perspective.  Petty Officer Giaccone released us back to the real world of training, and recruits acted with maturity and level-headedness.

The more and more our Company Commanders treat us like true non-rates, the better our Company pulls together.

25JAN10

This morning, we began the Week 08 schedule.  According to the paperwork, we are supposed to have reveille at 0530 and then chow at 0545.  If we had teleporters, this would all be no problem.  But we all have to take muster, brush our hair, comb our teeth, and get into whatever the uniform of the day is.  This takes about 20 to 25 minutes, depending on any number of variables.

This last week has been very bittersweet.  We all knew that it was only a few days until we graduate, but we were still very low from Petty Officer Garza’s speech about how disappointed our Company Commanders were with us.  We could just graduate, sure, but we’d rather do it and know that our Company Commanders think something more of us than, “What a bunch of jack-freaks.”

As Petty Officer Vanover capped us in our new ball covers, complete with a Coast Guard insignia (the symbol of a Seaman, being that none of us have ratings yet), he made an impassioned speech about how we were now really Week 08 and would be treated as Seaman in the Fleet.

Then he said how proud he was of how much our Company has grown, both as a team and as individuals.

This is the first time we have really been told, “You’re doing a good job.”  It deeply meant something to our Company to have a stated positive reinforcement of behavior.  With our now 5 achievement pennants adorning our colors (including the most important, a blue pennant meaning that our Company Commanders approve of us), we will try to make sure we are one of the few companies awarded the coveted Battalion Pennant from Senior Chief Wong during our inspection tomorrow.

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