Anybody else coming along for the ride? I'm shipping out of Seattle

My son is shipping out that day as well from Lansing, Michigan!

Good luck to you!

thats great! how old is your son?

He'll be 18 before he leaves on 11/29. I'll get him on here too

My recruiter told me that is my ship date as well.

From Brooklyn, NY, and prior service Army.
Been out since 2005, so nope, i am no longer in the military mode.

Looking forward to come back in.

I was thinking of doing my old job from the Army which in the CG is SK, but the Maritime Security Response Team from the DOG unit looks interesting. I think the rating to start is ME.

So hopefully from here till November i am good, and don't get into anything that would disqualify me from coming to the CG.

awesome, glad to have you on board! what made you decide to come into the cg?

Got board of my civilian job.
Working in a bank is not the most exciting life.

So i wanted to give a go to the Coast Guard. It sounds interesting.

lol I've worked retail since i was 15, took a year off of school after I graduated high school to figure out what I wanted to. Ultimately decided that I really didn't want to go back to school any time soon, and didn't want to stay in a ski shop for much longer. A family friend suggested the CG, I looked into it, and here I am.

I'll be shipping out that day as well. I'm not going very far though, just out of Harrisburg PA

The only bad thing about this ship date, is that it's close to Christmas and New Year eve. It's going to suck spending that on Boot Camp.

I wish i would have left earlier, or on the new year.

But what can you do. It is what it is.

Yea that does suck, but like you said it is what it is. Sacrifices must be made. Maybe we can convince the CC to let you lead us in a stirring rendition of Happy Birthday to Jesus a la Full Metal Jacket

The good thing is, if you have earned it, you will be able to participate in Operation Fireside. You will be in week 4 on Friday, December 23rd. So that means you will have Christmas day off, be able to go to someone's house (Cape May residents volunteer to take in recruits), enjoy a meal, watch some football, call home. So you won't be actually stuck at boot camp all day.

The following week is week 5... you will get to call home again, for New Year's with your orders! How is that for a Happy New Year! You will know where you are going!!

Then the next week is week 6, on base liberty, again call home if you like. The following week, off base liberty and then graduation! Doesn't really seem to suck too bad when you think about it that way!

Not too bad at all. Nice way to break up training and have something to look forward to at the end of the week

Yeah, that'll definitely be some good incentive to work a little harder lol
I'm just glad we at least get Thanksgiving right before boot

Was wondering about the list you will put down as for the base you would like to get station at. If the Coast Guard accepts.

Got any place in particular?

I was hoping to go overseas. Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Guam are the only overseas. I wish they had more bases in other locations.

Alaska & Saipan are also overseas.

Ideally where I'd like to be is somewhere in the Florida area and given all the bases and cutters around there I guess it's not entirely out of the question but I wouldn't mind Puerto Rico, Hawaii, California, Texas (pretty much anywhere warm) but I also wouldn't mind doing a stint in Seattle, Alaska or Boston at some point.

I ship out Nov. 29 too out of Beaumont, Tx.

I've lived here all my life and have never been in any cold weather. wooo!

glad to have you on board!
ive lived in seattle most of my life, im used to wet and cold haha, idk if id be able to take texas heat

I'm not gonna lie, the cold sucks, but it seems like the past couple of years up here the worst month is February

Well I've never even seen snow... yeah I know.
I could be in for a rude awakening

The heat sucks here I hate it.
can't even take the trash out without breaking a sweat

hey at least its consistent haha
here you'll get rained on, hailed on, snowed in, and sun in less than 4 hours.

Hey Guys, I will also be shipping Nov. 29th, from Cleveland, Ohio.

Man, what haven't I done in preparation? lol I'm in the gym for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours a day doing everything (running, swimming, cardio, lifting, pushups, ab work), learning required knowledge, and getting my affairs in order to get ready to leave this place. From what my recruiter told me, if you're in decent enough shape you shouldn't have too many problems just that a lot of people underestimate the swimming portion of boot camp.
I have a degree in Digital Media and worked a few years as a graphic designer so I'm thing of doing PA but I've also been told IS is a way to go for me as well so I guess we'll see.

Hey guys,
Congrats on shipping out guys, I shipped Nov. 29th of last year and thought I would chime in. Don't worry to much about the PT, if you are decent shape and don't play MW3 all day until your ship date you are going to do fine. The hardest part was the weather. Being there for 3 blizzards is brutal but it makes you tough. Focus on getting through each day and all the BS stops at 2200 each day. Once you guys are out in the fleet work hard, When I saw this ship date it kinda took me back, time goes by real quick once your in the fleet. Its almost been a year now and Im starting my Airman Program within a few months, just remember to work hard and it will pay off.

Im also shipping out nov 29th Im from south florida and only seen snow once needless to say im not cold tolerant whats so ever kinda nervous bout that but
o well somthing i just gotta deal with,also does anyone know what happens on christmas i heard they foster recruits out to local familys??

What's happening? Grew up in Thomasville, GA and currently in San Antonio, TX. I just got out of the Marine Corps in July and will be with you guys Nov 29th. I'm trying not to think about the jobs. For a while I was juggling a lot of them but honestly it's tough to judge something before you've seen in first hand. I know a lot of Marines that want to be gun slingers and eventually find out they are glorified barracks cleaners or living out in the field training all the time. You gotta think, when looking at jobs, 1) how much down time will there be 2) what will I be doing during the down time 3)am I going to get satisfaction with the whole package. I'm hoping to have a job that at the end of the is very satisfying and requires hard work. I was a supply guy in the Marines and know for sure I don't want a desk job. I was bored out of my mind most of the time. I'm leaning towards MK but keeping all my options open. About Christmas I would expect the worse and hope for the best. Maybe we get warmed up with hot coco and pumpkin pie in our bellies, or maybe we all are sweating after being IT'd for the past hour. Well I'll see you guys there. Nothing beats that first rush when you meet the instructors on the bus. Most people have never been yelled at like that before. Watching all the videos you want will never prepare you when the person screaming is directing it your way. Keep a level head and do as your told. simple. right?

Man, you guys from the South are gonna be in for a cold shock! Hopefully the weather won't be too bad although it's tough to predict since we had a snowstorm last week already but now it's close to 60 degrees. From what I understand about Christmas is as long as everything is going well we'll be at the end of week 4 so we'll get to participate in Operation Fireside and have the day off.

anyone else starting to get anxious?