Balancing Training, Readiness, and Coronavirus

CG is always geared up ... with 10 missions besides military preparedness, there is never much let down

Have been ‘following’ CG recently and am really impressed with the complexity of their mission. Never heard much about CG back in ‘my days’ (83-87). Might have gone CG if I had known more about this branch of Military! PO1 Kevin Dougherty

I went CG because of my dad. He was Navy, but they often deployed with a sister ship that was CG manned (LST). The Vietnam was was still in full swing, and there was no way I was going to get any sort of a deferment, so since I had a rather low draft number I started looking while still in HS. I had narrowed it down to the the Navy, figuring if I was going to die, at least I could die clean. (No really, that's the way my 17YO brain was working.) I discussed it with my dad, and he looked me in the eyes and said, "Screw the Navy, join the Coast Guard, they know how to run an outfit!" The next day he took a day off and drove me to the nearest CG recruiter in Allentown PA.

Awesome! I went to college after HS graduation in 1974. I was only 14 in 1970. I had friends who were 18 & got drafted. A few made it back to NC; however, they were never the same...I joined Army after being a P/PO in NC fir 2 years. I wanted to be a lawyer. Went Enlisted (E3) with contract for OCS & Airborne. Injury in Basic was diagnosed after completion of AIT. OCS & Airborne not an option. P-3 profile; however, stayed on Active Duty. Planned to retire & then go to law school. Medicalled out in 1987 at my request. (got sober) Then Grad School 91-93....100% SC in 2011 & moved to Pinehurst. I wanted to be AF; however, recruiter was a jerk! So, I enlisted in Army. Wouldn’t change a thing or I might nit be who I am now...a smart a** with a sarcastic sense of humor!PO1 Kevin Dougherty