After enough time you usually wind up serving with the same folks more than once. The CG is way more intimate than the larger services. TEAM Coast Guard really describes it. It’s a great branch and I’ve made life long connections with Petty officers to Admirals. The respect among rates and ranks is amazing.
Happy 1st year as Officers & Happy Anniversary to you both, thanks for sharing your lives with us here in Internetland. Great video answering our queries about your experiances so far.
E & N....another great video. Love that you guys continue to share your experiences. Congratulations on Your 1st Year as Commissioned Officers AND on your 1 Year Anniversary as a really cool Couple...wishing you MANY more. A couple thoughts: a. Friendships with Enlisted Personnel: Your response was spot on... this is an area that can go wrong...mostly for the Officer... very quickly. You have to have excellent working relationships with your crew...but this has to be a Professional relationship for the good of the mission and the unit. BUT, You also have to rely on your crew to do their jobs ...and to follow your orders...this means a shared respect. You have to learn from your Senior Enlisted...they have WAY more experience than a new Ensign on a WMEC, or a LTJG who is CO of a Patrol Boat, etc. I still have friends who were enlisted personnel I worked with over my 30 year career. b. Working with CG Auxiliary: It is really great that you were able to make use of CG Aux on your Africa Patrol. They are "Force Multipliers" with some limitations...such as drug enforcement. My most significant experience with CG Aux was at a Group (now Sector), where they helped with Search and Rescue (subject to the limitations of their boats), Harbor patrols, Safety and Security patrols for special community events on the water, and such. They are a GREAT Resource when used right. c. "How do you like it?" Nolan said it best... you start out knowing nothing, and then during the course of normal transfers you transition from the "student" to the "teacher." Where else does this happen after 1 year on the job??? Additionally, where does a College Graduate get the level of responsibility for a ship (worth a LOT of money) and development of personnel...like the Coast Guard (or other Service.) Should Erin go to an 87' WPB as she has mentioned before, she will be Totally Responsible for a CG Cutter and it's Crew... an awesome responsibility, builds character... and when you make the first dangerous search and rescut save of lives and property at Sea, you will realize just how WORTH IT it all is. Love You Guys!!
Thanks for sharing your experiences! Is this first assignment 2 or 3 years long? When will you find out where you go next? Do you have a choice as to where you will go?
Hello my name is 3/c Dereck Kim. I am wondering if you can do like “A day as a Coast Guard Officer” video so that us cadets and other people can know what officers typically do. Thx V/r, 3/c Dereck Kim
I am a auxiliary in the coast guard I highly recommend the auxiliary for boating experience and search and rescue patrol before actually joining and getting on a pay role . Now if I was to actually do it every day I rather shorter boats cause I like to go home every day after a shift of patrol 😉. long boats are out for months just know that guys for those who's watching and wanting to join . congratulations guys happy Year anniversary 🎊
Charlie Bucko and his fiance would have been an awesome husband wife team. I hope the coast guard eventually "officially" recognizes his sacrifice as well as the other direct and indirect fatalities resulting from the loss of the "Can Do" in the blizzard of 78.
