Fall 2011 - Parents Association

GLPA Newsletter
Fall 2011 Issue
Published by the Great Lakes Chapter
of the United States Coast Guard
Academy Parents’ Association in
August, January, and May.
2011-12 Chapter Officers
Presidents
Bruce & Peg Talbot (Erin ‘13)
[email protected]
[email protected]
Vice Presidents
Ed & Sheri Bugyis (Stephanie
‘13)
[email protected]
Secretary
Donna O’Brien (Kevin ‘12)
[email protected]
Treasurer
Carlene Smith (Kendra ‘14)
[email protected]
Web Masters
Bruce & Peg Talbot (Erin ‘13)
[email protected]
[email protected]
Newsletter Editor
Jeff Dooley (LTJG James ‘08)
[email protected]
Facebook Page Manager
Donna O’Brien (Kevin ‘12)
[email protected]
Ways and Means
Beverly Schulz (John ‘13)
[email protected]
Something you’d like to see in
the GLPA Newsletter? Send it
in to [email protected]! Submissions are always desired. I
am the editor, but YOU are
the reporters!
From the Presidents
Parents’ Weekend
The Coast Guard has a time
honored ceremony when a new
skipper takes command of a ship.
We attended our first Change of
Command ceremony for the Cutter
MACKINAW this August during
the Coast Guard Festival. A very
formal affair, the principles all
dressed in their starched white
uniforms.
Parents’ Weekend is Friday,
14 Oct through Sunday, 16 Oct.
There is an excellent page on the
Academy website at http://
www.uscga.edu/display.aspx?
id=18125. There you can find the
schedule for the weekend, campus
map, parking guidance, and even
on-line registration for the various
events. Be sure to check it out.
The Great Lakes Chapter
change of command is a much less
formal affair with most of the principles dressed in a comfy top and
shorts. Despite the relaxed dress
code, the Great Lakes Chapter
does have a tradition when the
new president (in this year’s case
co-presidents) takes over. Rather
than a “passing of the torch”, we
have a “passing of the Semper
Gumby.”
This is a great time to visit
your cadet and the Academy. If
you can, I urge you to go every
year, but it’s particularly good to
go for the Swab year and the
Firstie year. During the Swab year,
it will likely be the first good
chance to spend time with your
cadet. They’ll really look forward
to the visit — and getting off campus! During the Firstie year, there
are meetings specifically relating
to the final year and commencement.
“Semper Gumby:” morphed
words meaning Always (Semper)
Flexible (Gumby), after the Coast
Guard motto Semper Paratus
(Always Ready) and Gumby the
super flexible clay cartoon character from the 1960’s. The emphasis
to new parents is to expect last
minute changes with the Coast
Guard and be extremely flexible in
your plans. You can expect to see
Semper Gumby at all our future
Great Lakes events.
During our term of office. we
will be expanding the number of
parent activities during the year,
expand the location of our activities, and increase communication
between Great Lakes parents, all
to encourage greater participation
among our members. One of the
challenges of the Great Lakes
chapter that other Coast Guard
(Continued on page 3)
1
If you can arrive Thursday
evening or early Friday, attending
one of your cadet’s classes is
good. Other highlights are meeting
your cadet’s Company Officer &
Chief, and the Ship Simulator,
plus many other activities.
UPCOMING DATES
14-16 OCT 11:
Parent’s weekend
9-15 DEC 11:
Final Exams
16 DEC 11 – 2 JAN 12:
Winter Leave
26 DEC 11:
All Academy Ball in Troy, MI
29 DEC 11: All Academy Ball at
Westin Hotel, Lombard, IL
30 DEC 11: All Academy Ball in
Milwaukee, WI
GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
CGA LEADERSHIP 44 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
The Mission
“The Leadership 44 project is one of the most important and exciting projects ever undertaken at the Academy. Beyond that, one of the most important aspects of the program is
that it creates a fundamental building block for cadet leadership training, which will be utilized by every single cadet – 100% – for the next two decades.”
Bob Hallock ’72 Chair, Procurement Committee
Putting cadets under sail is the best way to teach our
future maritime officers the ways of the sea and for them
to acquire a love for its lore. Under sail, the future officer
gains a greater appreciation and respect for the wind,
waves, and tides.
Sailing craft also provide cadets with a valuable leadership experience – often their first experience at command and control at sea. A ship under sail tests the true
character and mettle of a young officer and provides invaluable lessons on the importance of teamwork.
The Coast Guard Academy’s fleet of coastal sail training
craft, “the Luders,” are long past their prime and, if they
are not soon replaced, the Academy will lose one of its
most important platforms for leadership and character
development.
The Leadership 44 Campaign seeks to raise the funds needed to replace the aging Luders fleet, which has
been used for the Coastal Sail Training Program (CSTP) for more than 40 years. The Leadership 44
coastal sail training vessels
•
are the Superintendent’s top priority
•
are designed to be a floating leadership platform, providing Cadets a maritime experience that is
difficult to recreate with large cutters
•
will be the primary platform for the 2/c Coastal Sail Training Program, which is considered by most
cadets to be their seminal leadership experience while at the Academy
•
will provide all cadets with small craft command and control, navigation, and seamanship
experiences
•
will be used as an extension of the cadet barracks, with each cadet Company having access to,
and responsibility for, its own boat
•
will extend the waterfront season, providing Cadets more time underway
•
will allow for standardization of the off-shore sailing program
•
will showcase the Coast Guard Academy as one of the premier waterfront facilities in the country
Partners
U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association
Coast Guard Foundation
CGA Parents Association
Above information from www.cgaleadership44.org/mission.html (©2010 CGALeadership44.org)
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
From the Presidents
(Continued from page 1)
parent associations do not have to
deal with is the far flung geographic area covered by the Great
Lakes—a total of seven states
make up the Great Lakes chapter.
Starting this year, we have
already expanded from two events,
(Swab Picnic and August Parents
Picnic), both held at Coast Guard
Station Michigan City Indiana to
six events held in four states.
Based on the response, we plan on
repeating these events next year:
•
Strictly Sail Chicago
Show, USCGA booth at
Navy Pier, January 28,
2012
•
Welcome Picnic, Station
Milwaukee, WI June 5,
2012
•
Welcome Picnic, Station
Michigan City, IN June
9, 2012
•
Coast Guard Foundation
Cruise, Navy Pier Chicago, July 21, 2012
•
Coast Guard Festival
Grand Haven, MI,
American Legion Hall,
August 4, 2012
•
August Parents Picnic,
Station Calumet Harbor,
IL August 26, 2012
If you would like to see other
events please let us know!
To increase communication
between Great Lakes parents, we
have completely revamped the
chapter web page, which is now
part of the Coast Guard Academy
Alumni Association home page.
This move brings our chapter web
page to the same sponsor of the
Coast Guard Academy Parents
Association message list/forums
page and photo-link pages. If you
have not seen the new web page,
please check it out and let us know
what other information you would
like to see. The new web site is at:
Past Chapter President Ann Corwell passes “Semper Gumby” to
Peggy and Bruce Talbot the incoming co-presidents of the Great Lakes
Chapter during the Swab Picnic meeting at Station Michigan City.
http://www.cgaalumni.org then
click on Home Parents Association
Chapters and Great Lakes. The
direct URL is:
http://www.cgaalumni.org/
s/1043/index.aspx?
sid=1043&gid=1&pgid=1293
The other improvement to
parent communication is our new
Face Book page. Managed by
super parent Donna O’Brien,
(mom of 1/c Kevin O’Brien) our
new Face Book page has been an
outstanding way to quickly post
photos, videos, and important notices about chapter activities and
cadet news. We hope all Great
Lakes parents will register for the
page to be in on the information
stream. We know some people
have concerns about so called
“social media web sites” but
please keep in mind our Face
Book page is a “locked page”
which means no one has access to
the page unless they are approved
by Donna as a parent, alumni, or
Coast Guard staffer. Our Face
Book page is at: http://
www.facebook.com, search
groups for “Great Lakes Parents
Association United States Coast
Guard Academy”.
We are also increasing our
partnership with other Academy
stake-holders. The Coast Guard
Foundation is a separate non-profit
organization that is a major contributor to the cadets at he Coast
Guard Academy. In 2009, the
Coast Guard Foundation contributed over $1.4 million to cadet
programs at the academy including
$760,000 for a Leadership 44
coastal sailing program sail boat.
This year the Great Lakes Chapter
partnered with the Coast Guard
Foundation on two events, the
Union League Club reception for
the officers and crew of the Cutter
MACKINAW on July 14 and the
July 16 cruse and luncheon on
board “Big Mac” for the start of
the historic Chicago-Mackinac
Island sail boat race. This one
event had more parents participation than all our other events combined! I strongly encourage you to
visit their web site and become a
contributor at:
http://
www.coastguardfoundation.org
Semper Paratus!
Bruce & Peg Talbot
GLPA Presidents
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
Great Lakes Cadets at Chicago
Memorial Day Parade
Four of our Great Lakes Cadets were invited
to join the V.I.P.s on the reviewing stand for the
Chicago Memorial Day Parade held on Saturday
May 28, 2011 along Chicago's famous State
Street. 2/c Stephanie Bugyis from Munster, Indiana, 2/c Karli Collins of Delavan, Wisconsin, 2/c
John Schultz of Naperville, Illinois, and 2/c Erin
Talbot of Bolingbrook, Illinois represented the
Coast Guard Academy at the wreath laying ceremony as well as the parade.
The cadets got to meet the parade Grand
Marshall, 4-star General Raymond Odierno and
Chicago's new mayor Rahm Emanuel, and chat
with Coast Guard Rear Admiral Michael Parks,
Great Lakes District Commander. Admiral Parks
was VERY nice to the cadets, taking time to get
to know them and encourage them to consider an
“at float” assignment coming out of the academy
saying, “It will make you a better person as well
as a better officer.” LT Leo Dombrowski, Coast
Guard Academy Class of 1950, also spoke to the
cadets about his experiences in the Coast Guard
during the atomic bomb testing in the South Pacific!
The third picture on the right shows the reviewing stand on State Street with our cadets directly behind Rear Admiral Parks as a Chicago
High School JROTC unit passes in review. The
Coast Guard had a nice parade unit with a color
guard in dress uniforms, a Response Boat Small
on a trailer and a HH-65 rescue helicopter flying
over head. A short video of the Coast Guard unit
in the parade is posted on You Tube at http://
youtu.be/GDVzIBlJHxE
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
August Picnic at Station
Calumet Harbor
June Picnics
Station Calumet
Harbor is the
largest and busiest station in the
9th Coast Guard
District. They
run over 200
search and rescue (SAR) Cases
and 1000 law
enforcement
boardings each
year, conduct
about 10 Presidential Security
Zones, and over
75 major marine
events including
the Chicago Air
and Water Show.
2015 Swabs at 11 June Picnic at Station Michigan
City: James Mueller of Brookfield, Wisconsin, Sloane
Hecimovich of Milton Wisconsin, and Kyle Sutschek of
Park Ridge, Illinois
Touring the 47’ Motor Lifeboat at Station Michigan
City
Parents get a tour of the station facilities. Note the 25’
Response Boat Small (RBS) on a trailer with bug netting over the windshield, ready for transport
Station Milwaukee Picnic on June 18 with Chris and
Marry Pappe, Carlene and David Smith, and Peggy
and Bruce Talbot.
Parents get a briefing on the 45’ Response Boat
Medium (RBM)
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
Reporting-in Day at the USCGA
A PERSONAL STORY:
I spent some time talking to our daughter Erin
about her Cadre experience along the brick and iron
fence that rings Washington Parade Grounds when I
spotted a lone female Swab.
We just returned home from R-Day and it is
amazing to see it from the eyes of Cadre Parents. We
talked to many parents while at the table giving advice
on where to meet after the class picture and to bring
water and something to eat for the 10-minute goodbye. I had three apples and looked for Swabs that
seemed to be alone during the 10 minute good-bye. I
spotted a tall boy standing in the middle of Washington Parade Ground with no one around him. I walked
up and asked, “Are your parents here?”
I walked over and asked, “Are your parents here?”
“Yes . . .” her voice trailed off. I could see her eyes
were filled with water as she tried to hold back the
tears. I looked around and saw no unaccompanied parents. Maybe she didn’t understand my question, or
maybe she had already said her goodbyes and left before the tears flowed.
He said “No, sir.” I was amazed how fast they
learned that every man except the Company Senior
Chief is addressed as “Sir”.
“Where are you from?” I asked.
“Texas, sir” she replied.
“Well, now you do. Welcome to the Coast Guard
Family.” I shook his hand and handed him an apple.
“Eat this. You'll need the energy.”
“Oh, Texas! We love Texas. My wife and I want to
retire in Port Aransas.”
“We just moved there. I don't know where that is,”
she replied.
“Thank you, sir,” he replied.
I scouted around and spotted a very thin young
man standing alone.
She looked a little shell shocked. I had seen that
same look in my daughter's eyes two years ago when
she was a Swab.
“Are your parents here?”
I handed her the apple and said, “You can do this.
Just take one day at a time. Forget about yesterday and
don’t worry about tomorrow. Just live for today and
Swab Summer will be over before you know it.”
“No, they dropped me off” he said with a foreign
accent.
“Where are you from?”
“Antigua” Wow, I just found one of the foreign
country cadets!
The call went out from the Cadre to form up again.
Peggy and I watched as our daughter worked on getting
the Swabs from Bravo Company into a neat unit and
then march off the field to Chase for their first night in
the Coast Guard.
“Welcome to the Coast Guard Academy. Here’s
an apple, you'll need the energy.” He smiled and
thanked me.
Bruce R. Talbot
June 27 Reporting In Weekend at the
Academy—we met new Swab parents and
had great success selling the silver Coast
Guard “cover” necklaces. Staffing the
table is Kari and David Baisden and
Peggy Talbot.
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
America’s Tall Ship, USCGC Eagle at Reykjavik, Iceland
In celebration of the 75th Anniversary, the US
Coast Guard Barque EAGLE went to Europe, leaving
New London on May 7th with approximately half of
the class of 2014 who became 3/c cadets while at sea.
The crossing of the Atlantic included difficult storms
and strong waves damaging sails and rails. They
stopped in Waterford, Ireland prior to the celebrations
and festivities in Eagle’s original home of Hamburg,
Germany. The last port of call for the Phase 1 cadets
was England where Eagle sat on the Thames River for
what turned out to be an extended stay.
The Phase 2 group had a couple days in London
and then expected to set sail only to find out they had a
non-functioning gyrocompass. They got a hard lesson
in finances as they tried to budget the extra 8 days.
Finally, they left with a new schedule for Iceland, arriving 4 days late but still planning the same number
of days in port. Though this group experienced 15 foot
swells, the Phase 2 cadets were well aware they would
not win in the battle of who had the roughest seas.
Above: USCGC Eagle moored in Reykjavik
Below and next page: Great Lakes cadets in Reykjavik
A second lesson in finances came as they faced
Reykjavik, Iceland – an expensive city. There were
many beautiful places to see and hike but getting there
was not inexpensive. One group took a bus to end up
waiting for over 2 hours for a second bus to get to their
destination.
As parents “stuck” in this beautiful country during
our Semper Gumpy test, we took advantage of seeing
more of the scenic volcanoes, craters, glaciers, and
birds, seals, and horses. When Eagle finally arrived,
she was a beautiful sight to see. We caught her first
passing a lighthouse and then watched her majestically
come into the harbor. She was received well by the
people and tourists of Iceland and our cadets represented the US well in sharing our tall ship.
Maren Balke
As they left Iceland, Eagle stopped at sea at the
spot of the sinking of the Coast Guard Cutter Alexander Hamilton and placed a wreath. The Hamilton was
the first US warship sunk after the US entered WWII
and its exact position had just been found in 2009 by
the Icelandic Coast Guard. From there, Eagle headed
north to cross the Arctic Circle, believed to be the first
time to cross that latitude. Many new Polar Bears were
given blue noses.
Eagle went on to Halifax, Nova Scotia, back on
the scheduled itinerary. The Phase 2 cadets finished
their cruise in Boston docked bow-to-bow with the
USS Constitution. Eagle finished its anniversary cruise
with stops in New Bedford, MA and New York City
where Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano joined the Eagle crew and swabs for a naturalization ceremony.
Carlene and David Smith (Kendra, ‘14)
Sam Birch
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
Kumar Brunhart-McBratney
Jamie Chicoine
Jacob Kramb
Lexie Ludewig
Will Howard
Brandy Lowary
Matt Kuehl
Ryan Moore
Carter Schlank
8
Kent Hunt
Kendra Smith
GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
GLPA at the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven, Michigan
GLPA Presidents Bruce and Peggy Talbot rented
a house in Grand Haven, Michigan for the annual
Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival, a week long celebration of the U.S. Coast Guard. There are a large variety of activities, events, and attractions for all ages
during the week, including parades, car shows, carnival rides, tours aboard Coast Guard Cutters, the Coast
Guard Silent Drill Team, etc. The Talbots plan to
make this an annual event for any GLPA parents who
want to join them.
Coast Guard Silent Drill Team
Bruce & Peggy Talbot, 3/C Kendra Smith, Carlene &
David Smith, and Ed & Sheri Bugyis
CGC Biscayne Bay, CGC Katmai Bay, CGC Alder,
CGC Mackinaw
Crew assembled aboard the CGC Mackinaw for
Change of Command Ceremony
Arrival of the USCGC Mackinaw
Rear Admiral Michael Parks 9th Dist. Commander
(center forward) presided over the ceremony.
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
Cadet & Alumni News
and Photos
GLPA at the Chicago to Mackinac Island Sailboat Race
2/C Stephanie Bugyis (’13) was a member of
the color guard at Mystic. She was a SWAB cadre
for Bravo for part of the summer.
The Coast Guard Foundation hosted a luncheon event
aboard the CGC Mackinaw at the start of the annual
Chicago to Mackinac Island sailboat race. Everyone
aboard the Mackinaw had an excellent view of each
group’s start. Over 350 boats competed in the 333
mile long race.
————————————————-
3/C Kendra Smith (‘14) is back in class at the
Academy and recovering nicely following surgery
for a benign tumor that was discovered after
Kendra was having trouble during fitness training.
CGA Certified Athletic Trainer Sara MacDonough
Civitello pulled Kendra out and referred her to the
Medical Clinic, where she was checked thoroughly
and sent to the Emergency Room. Kendra’s parents Carlene and David Smith wished to express
their gratitude to Civitello, the personnel at the
Medical Clinic, and Commandant of Cadets CAPT
John O'Connor for all their efforts.
————————————————While we missed some, we managed to gather the following GLPA members for a group photo.
Back Row: Schultz (Martin & Bev), Nolan (Mike &
Barb), Howard (John & Julia), Sutschek (Scot & Michelle), Dooley (Anne & Jeff), Vinnie Matic
Front Row Bruce Talbot, Smith (David & Carlene)
Bugyis (Ed & Sheri), Peggy Talbot, Carol Matic
Peggy Jordan Martin is pleased to announce
the wedding of her son, LT Victor Yaguchi
(USCGA '07; Falcon Pilot Station Cape
Cod) to Sneha Barve of Naperville, IL on Sept 2
& 3rd, 2011. Victor and Sneha have been friends
since high school, and have dated since 2004. A
Christian wedding on Friday will be followed by
an Indian wedding on Saturday. The after party
will be a Cubs game on Sunday. Sneha has attended college and law school in Chicago; we all
hope she can adjust to the quieter life of Cape Cod
and the long commute off-Cape for lawyer job
opportunities in the Boston area.
One missing from the group shot is Kristi Collins of
Delavan Wisconsin, pictured with her brother.
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
Useful Links
Coast Guard News & Newsletter Links
♦ Coast Guard Visual Imagery Database, your link to Coast Guard video, photos, art, graphics, and
audio: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php
♦ Proceedings: http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/archive/index.asp
♦ Coast Guard Magazine: http://www.uscg.mil/magazine/
♦ The Reservist: http://www.uscg.mil/reservist/
♦ Seapower Magazine: http://www.navyleague.org/sea_power/
♦ Coast Guard News Channel: http://www.coastguardchannel.com/index.shtml
♦ Navy Times: http://www.navytimes.com/
♦ Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety: www.USCGboating.org
♦ CG Auxiliary's official e-magazine "SITREP": http://www.teamcoastguard.org
♦ Maritime Safety: http://homeport.uscg.mil
Basic Military Information
♦ Military Ranks – Military ranks & insignia: http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/insignias/
officers.html
♦ Military Pay Scales: http://www.dod.mil/dfas/
♦ USO Web Site – A key resource for all military personnel: http://www.uso.org/
♦ Cutters & Aircraft of the Coast Guard: http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/
♦ Coast Guard awards and medals: http://kepler.egr.duke.edu/USCGRibbons.html
♦ The Service Academies: http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/20.html
♦ Washington Post military index: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/fedguide/
military.htm
♦ Military School: http://www.military-school.org/
♦ Military schools throughout the U.S.: http://www.military-net.com/
Official (mostly) Coast Guard Links
♦ US Coast Guard Academy – "THE" home page: http://www.uscga.edu/
♦ US Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association: http://www.cgaalumni.org/
♦ Academy Coast Guard Exchange System – Shopping!: http://www.shopcoastguard.com/ (There
are also LOTS of CG items on E-bay — check it out!)
♦ Critical Academy Dates: http://www.uscga.edu/calendar.aspx
♦ USCG Auxiliary – National home page for the Auxiliary: http://www.cgaux.org/
♦ DOD Installations: http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/sites.html
♦ "Semper Paratus", the official Coast Guard song: http://www.uscgaparents.org/links/semper.htm
♦ History of Coast Guard Day: http://www.defenselink.mil/afd/military/coastgrd.html
♦ U.S. Coast Guard – Home page of the "World's Premier Maritime Service": http://www.uscg.mil/
♦ CG Work-Life Program: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/hsc/worklife/
♦ Coast Guard Wives: http://www.coastguardwives.com/
♦ Coast Guard units: http://www.uscg.mil/top/units/
♦ Chief Warrant Officer Association: www.cwoauscg.org
♦ Chief Petty Officer Association: http://www.uscgcpoa.org/
♦ The Foundation for Coast Guard History: www.fcgh.org/
Unofficial (but good) Coast Guard Links
♦ CoastieChicks.net – Support for CG Spouses: http://coastiechicks.net/
♦ USCGA Girlfriend and Boyfriend Support Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
USCGAGIRLSANDBOYS/
♦ Fred's Place – Dedicated to U.S. Coast Guard Active Duty, Retired, Reserve, Auxiliary, "All Those
Who Served", Coast Guard SPARs, and past or present civilian co-workers: http://
www.fredsplace.org/
♦ Coast Guard Foundation: http://www.coastguardfoundation.org
♦ Title 14, United States Code: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/14/
♦ Federal Agencies – a pretty complete listing: http://www.lib.lsu.edu/gov/index.html
♦ Naval and Maritime Links: http://vlnavmar.usnaweb.org/
(Continued on page 12)
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GLPA Fall 2011 Newsletter
Useful Links (continued)
Other Military Academy Parent Associations
♦ USNA Parents Network: http://www.usna.org/
♦ West Point Parents Net: http://www.west-point.org/
♦ USAFA Parents Clubs: http://www.usafa.af.mil/superintendent/development/parentsclubs.asp
♦ USMMA Parents Association: http://www.usmma.edu/parents/Default.htm
♦ NAPS Parents Page: http://www.usna.com/NAPS/
Fun Coast Guard Links
♦ Ken Laesser's Coast Guard History Page: http://www.laesser.org/
♦ Kids Corner – Coloring books, fun, games & links to kid's sites: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nmc/
mail.htm
♦ Trivia quiz: http://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/World/A-year-at-the-US-Coast-Guard-Academy173127.html
Sites to Remember…
Mission Statement of the Great Lakes
Chapter of the U.S. Coast Guard
Academy Parents’ Association
The Great Lakes Parents’ Association website is located on the CGA Parents’ Association website at http://www.cgaalumni.org/
s/1043/index.aspx?
sid=1043&gid=1&pgid=1293. The purpose of
the site is to provide a resource of information on meetings, newsletters, meeting minutes, directions to meetings, links for Coast
Guard and Coast Guard Academy information and a place to see our cadets and the
quality of their achievements. The web site is
of particular interest to parents of Swabs and
4th Class cadets and potential cadets, but all
cadets and their families have found the site
to be interesting regardless of their level of
progress through the Academy.
The Association is a non-profit organization
which exists for the sole purpose of supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and its
Corps of Cadets. It seeks:
• to expand public understanding and appreciation of the Academy
• to encourage well-qualified young men and
women to apply for appointments as cadets
• to promote communication between parents, cadets, and the Academy administration
• and to make known to its membership the
opportunities for participating in Academy
and support projects offered by the U.S.
Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association
and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Also, we’re on Facebook! go to http://
www.facebook.com and search groups for
“Great Lakes Parents Association United
States Coast Guard Academy”. It’s a locked
page, so you’ll have to be approved to join.
Want to feed your cadet? Just go to www.uscgaparents.org, click on “Members”
and scroll down to Cadet Cakes or Ensign Edibles for more information. As you can
see, there’s a lot of great information available on this site.
The USCG Auxiliary is the volunteer unit of the USCG. It
performs the same missions as the regular Coast Guard
(except law enforcement and combat). Our duties include
surface patrols (safety, search & rescue, pollution, regatta); air patrols; vessel safety checks on boats; teaching
safe boating classes; speaking to children about safe
swimming & safe boating; visiting marine dealers & others
to spread information about boating regulations; pollution; Homeland Security; recruiting students for
the AIM program and the Coast Guard Academy; radio watch standing at USCG stations; cooking for
the crew at USCG stations; and supporting the USCG in any way we can. Since 9-11 the USCG and the
Auxiliary have come under the Department of Homeland Security and we have been asked to perform
more duties and get the word out to the general public so that they can assist us by becoming extra
eyes and ears. Go to www.cgaux.org for more info.
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