Richard
My son and I are driving to San Francisco on TueSep08, hope to get there on Sat.
He'll start EMT school on Sept. 14th for 3 weeks and then he has 14 days to get to Kodiak AK. with his pick-up truck.
I will fly back to Phila. on Sun. to arrive on Mon am. Busy week.
Keep praying for them always, that's what we did.
JK

Sammy T
My son said there are no height or weight requirements. BUT . . . . . he recommends having some weight to loose before you begin AST A-school. 8-9 hrs a day PT for 2 months, you don't want to loose any muscle mass, thus less strength. You want to hit your peak after 8 weeks of A-school. My sons height is 6'1" & weight going in was 184. Dropped down to 172 after week 6. He hit his peak week 9 at 180Lbs. Graduating weight was 180. 8Lbs fluctuation is norrmal in the last weeks.
JK

---

I feel ya Sammy. I'm 5'6...but 163 lol. I was about 135-140 2 years ago. PM me and I'll give you some workout, nutrition and supplament tips to help you out.

---

Hey Everyone
Thanx for the well wishes.
We are packing his pickup and he's bringing 3 surfboards????????

QUESTION is there any surfing in Kodiak????

Wendy, AMT is also a great job. I hope he gets his eyes PRK'd to where they need to be.
GOTTA RUN NOW.
JK

---

---

He said he can get a 7/5mm suit.
But you'll still get brain freeze because not all flesh is covered on your face.
Are there beaches??
JK

---

One of the great things about Cape May is the great MWR facilities on base. Take a look HERE . Look throuh the various facilities at the top of the page.

Let the adventure begin and don't forget fishing equipment!

---

---

Well, I'm back from Petaluma/San Fran.
Had a great drive cross country, took Rt. 70 then 80 north of Denver.
I didn't know that they can build straight roads like that. We only drove about 2700 mi. with the service engine lite on. We didn't have any funny noises or smells, so we pressed on at 70mph for hours/days on end.
Petaluma is quite spread out and in the middle of cow country. Lots of training goes on at
the CG base. Their outdoor pool has 81 degree water. Big gym, and a large weight room, tennis courts, and more. A great place to have intensive studies. My AST son already had his first EMT test on the first day.
Just as I got used to the cow manure smell I had to leave for Joysie.
San Francisco was nice, have to come back for a 2weeker some day, lots to see there.

---

JK,

Glad to hear you and you son had a safe trip. When my son graduated from BC we took a similar trip from NM to CA, not the 2700 miles you drove, but memorable just the same. We drove to Las Vegas and the to Oakland/Alameda. We ran into what I would say was the biggest cow/slaughter house I've ever seen north of Bakersfield. We smelled it five miles before we got there and at least five miles past (air conditioning in the 99 Honda was on the fritz).

The Coast Guard doesn't mess around when it comes to giving tests. My son has has his share of tests in Elizabeth City, they keep coming and the routine is getting tougher and tougher. He is in his fifth week. My wife spoke with him at around 5:00 our time 7:00 his time and he was already headed off to bed. Lots of sleep required!

Keep us posted on the adventures of the latest USCG AST and how his EMT training goes.

Richard

So glad you had a safe and enjoyable trip!

---

Kyle:
I wouldn't mind taking another trip like that with my wife. But a more scenic route.
We drove over 3k mi. We think the engine lite had to do with the gas additives in other states. The sensors on his '04 GMC Sierra probably got bent out of shape. He'll take it to a dealer and get plugged-in the see what it was. I know if the gas cap is not on tight it will lite the lite, and a mechanic has to reset the error.
Richard:
I hear the AST class is smaller already, than when it started. My son keps in touch with some students back in training. Sleep is a must. You never know when they get you up at 0400 for PT.

My son is AST #769. Does anyone know if that's how many there are active now, or if that's how many there ever were.

---

I believe the active # of swimmers in around 300. Could be a class #.

My son just finished his 3 week EMT course and passed.
He said it was very hard, lots of book work and cramming.
He's leaving Petaluma for Bellingham to catch the ferry for Haines on FriOct09.

Stay tuned.

---

Conrats to your son Sunny!

I'll probably send him an email and pick his brain about training a bit since it is still fresh.

Thank you for the PM.

Take care.

USCGforMe - My son called you and left a msg.

While our son was talking to us driving onto the ferry in Bellingham, WA this pm, a little boy was having a seizure and he went to help out.
Our call was cut short in a good way. EMT training is paying off already.
Onwards to Kodiak.

---

Our AST3 got off the ferry in Haines, Ak at 12:30pm on MonOct12 and drove to Tok, Ak. arrived there at around 8pm.
Found a hotel for the nite. 20 degrees over nite.
AT&T must have service in Tok because I received a text msg at midnite while we were sleeping. (EDT minus 4hrs)
He has to catch the Homer ferry on ThuOct15 at 10:30pm for Kodiak, about a 9+hr drive.

The little boy in Bellingham was rushed to the hospital and that family missed the ferry.

Keep on truckin'.

---

Coastie Dad & Mom and Sunny

My son traveled that same road 2 months ago in the opposite direction. Cordova to Valdez and drive to Tok into Canada and down to Haines. He is now in balmy Sitka AK in his 9th week of his AST Airman Program.

Pakzone08
One of the two men that graduated AST Class 74-09 is in Sitka, the other went to Puerto Rico. My son tries to keep in touch with all of them he knows.
See pix, the one standing is in Sitka. I can't remember his name but his family came to visit us when we were in Frisco, NC. before they all left for the west coast.

I'm waiting for a call from my son. He pushed on to Homer and supposed to be there just about now.
He says he's sick and tired of looking at mountains. I guess he misses the ocean.
How long will your son be in Sitka? Mine is just starting his 2-3 year stint.

---

Coastie Dad & Mom and Sunny

His scheduled time of departure is the first week of Dec. Hopefully he will be headed to NC for A School. He sprained his ankle a couple of weeks ago and was on light duty for 2 weeks. He did have a PT test he had to take with a bad ankle, said he passed it OK but it was tough swimming with fins, but he battled through it.
Great pic. I'm sure my son knows the young man on the left, he talks to everyone especially if they are in the same field he is pursuing.
Did your son have a choice of where he wanted to go or did the CG send him there? AK is a great place, a great experience. Does your son hunt or fish?

When my son was in class 74-09, There were four choices for three men. Puerto Rico, Clearwater, Sitka, Kodiak, my son had last choice, he chose Kodiak over Clearwater.
He'll be getting on the ferry tonite for a Fri. 11:30am Kodiak arrival.
He's not a hunter, but I told him to buy a .500S&W or .460XVR for the bears.
He is a fisherman, He goes for the big ones overnite sometimes. See pix on pezmachine.com, his friend Stew used to take him along. They would take the boat from NJ to Beaufort NC for the winter and fish in NC. See pix.

If your son is careful and babies the ankle till Dec., he'll have a chance. There is a lot of running first thing in the am every day.

---

Coastie Dad & Mom and Sunny

Sunny, My son was stationed at the Air Support Facility in Cordova AK, a fishing village, population 1800. During the fall and winter there is a crew of 4 that run the Facility. In the spring and summer (fishing season) air crews from Sitka and Kodiak rotate into Cordova every 2 weeks. I'm sure your son will get an opportunity to experience Cordova. Great salmon fishing on the Copper River.
Pic is of the CG triple secure fishin' hole, (the mud hole) that the Coasties found. In less than a 12 hour period last June, 54 sockeye salmon were pulled out of that hole.
Good Luck to your son on his next adventure.

---

Coastie Dad & Mom and Sunny

Sunny,
Just to let you know I do have Joysey blood running through me. My mother was born and raised there. She grew up in Jersey City. I still have relatives there. I have an Aunt that comes all the way to OR every couple of years. We always give her a bad time about her accent. She tells us we're the ones that talk funny.
One more question, did your son have time off between his Airman Program and A School?

---

Coastie Dad & Mom and Sunny

First chance he gets, he'll head down to the Buskin River, not far from base in Kodiak.Great salmon and trout fishing. Teddy Roosevelt used to fish there!

---

As my son was driving off the ferry I ask him, do you know which way to the base?
He said no.
As his pick-up hit terra firma there were about a dozen CG waiting for him to greet him. He said most were ASTs.
They met and started bonding.
One AST invited him to dinner that nite, and he went.
Is that nice or what?
Can't get any better than this.

---

Sunny,

I called your son a little over a week ago and he promptly returned my call but I was underway.

I will be calling him back shortly.

Thanks again for the contact info.

You're welcome.
He is settling into his new station, phones work great. He's off on the weekends, remember the time change.
Out of the 18 or so AST's six of them are from NJ.
JK

---