The Coast Guard Academy - Twenty Years Later

Twenty years ago, I graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy and joined the ranks of the finest military service in the world - the United States Coast Guard. That accomplishment would have been hollow and devoid of meaning, however, without my classmates. They were, and are, some of the most exceptional people I've ever been honored to meet. If you have ever met any of the members of the USCGA Class of 2000, you already know. They are a very special group.  

When people find out I graduated from the Coast Guard Academy, they usually ask the following questions and usually in the following order:

(1)  Where is it?

(2)  Is it really military?

(3)  What’s it like to be there?; and

(4)  Would you do it all over again?

The Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) is located on the western bank of the Thames River in New London, Connecticut. It has been in continuous operation since 1876 when the first officers were trained aboard the Revenue Cutter DOBBIN in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The present Academy was first opened in 1932. It is definitely a military academy, similar to the other federal academies (the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis; the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point being the others). Cadets live a relatively austere life compared to other colleges and universities due to the demands of the military culture there. Additionally, USCGA is the only federal academy which does not require Congressional nominations to attend, meaning that admissions are completely merit-based (and extremely competitive). Because it is relatively lesser known than the other Academies, no one gets into USCGA without striving to do so. 

Life at the Academy leaves a deep impression. I still fold my laundry the way I was trained to do so in the summer of 1996 (trifolded t-shirts placed facing up; socks folded into smiles to greet you when you open the drawer). The culture there is one of service—to each other; to our Nation; to humanity. The concept of sacrifice is ever-present. What would it take for you to potentially give up your life to save another? What would it take for you to gladly lay down your life in defense of your Nation? Can you be trusted to lead American men and women into harm’s way? Can you be counted upon to make the right decision at the right time? 

Amid the drudgery of a crushing academic course load and the demand for shiny shoes and sharp 45-degree hospital corners on your bed (which is called a rack), cadets learn the life of a junior military Officer—and how difficult that life can sometimes be. The demand, at all times, is to be Semper Paratus. Always ready. For anything that the mission can throw at you. For the people you lead. For the people depending on you to accomplish your mission, no matter what.

It is very difficult to be at the Academy with the knowledge that there are other choices one could make, for a ‘regular college’ or a more lucrative career starting out. Summer breaks are filled with military training, and time off during the academic year is extremely limited. Of course, with such demands there are losses, referred to euphemistically as ‘attrition’. Some leave because they can’t compete with the best and the brightest academically. Others decide to leave, or are shown the door, because they can’t deal with the military culture of the Academy or the high standards expected of a future military Officer. Classes are tight-knit. Every person who leaves is sorely missed. 

Sometimes the days are very hard at the Academy. Demands are great and it is just so easy to quit. It is daunting. Making it through requires looking forward to the next break (Christmas is the big one); or the next long weekend; or even just Saturday when things relax a little around the Academy. Cadets learn that surviving the Academy is like eating an elephant. The only way to do it is to take it one bite at a time. 

So. Knowing all that, would I still do it again?

In a heartbeat.

You have to understand. For some reason I was found worthy to join an absolutely incredible group of people. I went to school with people from around the globe—literally—and all 50 states in the United States. People who were at the top of their classes. People who were top athletes. 

We learned how to be military leaders of the men and women of the United States Coast Guard—to save lives, protect the environment, and defend our Nation and our allies in difficult, sometimes deadly, conditions. My classmates and I learned how to lead in peacetime and war, in normal operations and emergencies. My classmates were destined to do incredible things.

I have seen true courage from my classmates. I have witnessed incredible heroism from them. I have seen strength, determination, love, loyalty, patriotism, and grace in their faces and through their actions. Our Nation, and truly our world, are richer, safer, and better from their service and sacrifice. 

So yes, absolutely. I would do it all again.

I give thanks to those of my classmates who still walk the Earth, both in uniformed service and in other capacities; and I offer my most heartfelt prayers for those who have gone before us. I am incredibly proud to be a member of the Class of 2000.

To paraphrase an eloquent thought from my dear friend and classmate Commander Tyson Scofield, I have known my classmates longer than I didn’t know them. 

I am truly fortunate for it. 

Semper Paratus.