The wait time depends on how early your flight gets there. If you get there before 1630, eat first. If not, go to the USO lounge first so that youre not late. You do get a meal ticket. The USO lounge is a private lounge for military and their families. There's lounge chairs, TV's, snacks, etc. The bus ride is about 90 minutes and it's pretty talkative right up until you get to Cape May, where it becomes dead silent.

Will there be food at the USO, or do you have to eat BEFORE you enter the USO?

If you get there pretty early, before 4, eat before. You will get a meal voucher before you leave on the plane. But they have food if there, if you are so inclined or arrive kind of late.

Thanks again Florida Girl!

That's what we are here for. PS, the food is hotdogs, maybe subs, chips and fruit. At least when I went through

lol-that's a legit meal to me. I'll save my self the ten bucks.

You get a meal voucher from the government that's $26. So, you aren't spending anything.

I still remember the sound of that bus backing up 13 years ago lol beep beep beep and like you said the onslaught began haha! I tell my applicants if possible try to grab a nap on the bus, it won't happen but if by chance one of them did get some shut eye it can only help!

eat for sure, they wouldnt let us leave the USOwhen we got there.

The bus ride is awesome, you will always remember it. The best part is you hear people saying stuff like "they cant yell at me, Ill show them whats up, there not gonna get in my face, Ill get in their face". Then when the bus lights hit those big gold words that say US Coast Guard training center cape may it goes quiet. No more badasses on the bus.

Another thing that was funny is I was told when the bus passes the sign for the city of cape may everyone gets nervous and their bowels start moving. Everyones ripping farts and the bus will smell. It did stink after the cape may sign but I think there must have been a sewer treatment plant or something near by. From what I learned in psychology when your brain goes into fight or flight mode all digestion stops. So thats my theory behind the smell.

Id love to ride that bus again. Not as a recruit though

Id love to ride that bus again. Not as a recruit though

I got to ride the bus when I was in Recruiter School from the gate to Sexton Hall. It was surreal and familiar at the same time. And, me being me, I couldn't help but smile when the mayhem started. The CC's forgot two of us would be observing from the bus and were threatening to rip me all kinds of new ones. It was awesome.

Posted By Gears on 04 Jul 2012 03:47 PM

Id love to ride that bus again. Not as a recruit though

I got to ride the bus when I was in Recruiter School from the gate to Sexton Hall. It was surreal and familiar at the same time. And, me being me, I couldn't help but smile when the mayhem started. The CC's forgot two of us would be observing from the bus and were threatening to rip me all kinds of new ones. It was awesome.

When we got to the front gate 2 guys in CG uniforms got on and went all the way to the back. Not sure why. Maybe the same thing.

Yeah the bus ride is very memorable. You can TRY and make small talk on the way, but once all the girls hair is slicked back and the guys heads are shaved, you wont recognize hardly anyone for a few days anyway. Its insanity.
BUT if you're a real good company, you might be able to watch a batch of new recruits come in during your final week. Its so crazy seeing how far you've come in only 8 weeks.

Ironman, it likely was. Myself and another recruiter were the first to be granted the privilege. We enjoyed the experience so much the instructors started offering it to every class. I'm glad they're keeping it going. It's an interesting feeling to come full circle like that.

Posted By LauraDK on 05 Jul 2012 07:21 AM
Yeah the bus ride is very memorable. You can TRY and make small talk on the way, but once all the girls hair is slicked back and the guys heads are shaved, you wont recognize hardly anyone for a few days anyway. Its insanity.
BUT if you're a real good company, you might be able to watch a batch of new recruits come in during your final week. Its so crazy seeing how far you've come in only 8 weeks.

We got to go stand near the bus and get beat while hearing the recruits get off the bus. I wanted to watch.

I was up in sexton hall once when a new company came in. I had to sort through the goretex jackets and see which ones really were bad. In all the panic recruits grab the wrong zipper and think its not working and ask for a different one. I sorted them infront of the door so I could look in the room and watch. BCGs were good to hide your wandering eyes LOL. My eyes werent in the boat most of the time.

Posted By Gears on 05 Jul 2012 07:28 AM
Ironman, it likely was. Myself and another recruiter were the first to be granted the privilege. We enjoyed the experience so much the instructors started offering it to every class. I'm glad they're keeping it going. It's an interesting feeling to come full circle like that.

That way you can see what your going to put all your new recruits through.

I was there once already. I had a pretty good idea of what they're about to go through. I will tell you this.. it wasn't nearly as horrifying the second time around.

Haha the famous bus ride!! Good times

Lol, ahhh the bus ride. When you see exit 0 on the Garden State Parkway, you know you're almost there. My favorite moment though is when the bus started backing up, and we glanced a peak at all 10 CC's waiting outside wearing there Winter Dress Blues, everyone let an oh s**t gasp, a really loud gasp too. Lol

When the bus was backing up there was about 15 CG people standing on the steps of sexton hall and a few guys with the CC covers. Everyone was in ODUs The only thing that came to mind was F%#$.

When I seen all those people in ODUs the best way I could explain it is they were like aliens. You seen these people before, on TV, you even talked to one, your recuiter. They seemed like aweome people. They invided me to the mother ship. Then I realized I walked straight into their trap.