My Intro

[PaulR]

I should have done this a while back, but...

I graduated from Nederland High School(Texas) in 1990. I departed for Marine Corps Bootcamp at MCRD San Diego in August of that year. from there, I went to Camp Pendleton where I completed SOI and 0331 training. Since the plan was to go to college, I signed up as a Reservist. Upon reporting to my Reserve unit in Lafayette Louisiana, I was sent to train as a TOW II antitank missileman.

With me being a young 19 year old experiencing freedom for the first time, I partied my ass off. As can be predicted, my academic career did not last that long. After screwing and drinking my way out of college, my family was quite pissed off and gave me 90 days to unscrew myself and be on my own. I contacted the Marine Corps Recruiter and tried to augment back into the regular Marine Corps. Keep in mind that in 1992, Clinton was President and the armed forces were being reduced, so after request going to the Sargent Major of the Marine Corps(Sargent Major Overstreet) I was denied. None of the other branches of the military were accepting prior service either(I did not bother asking the Navy because I would rather starve than wear those bell bottomed dungarees).

On the verge of giving up on the military, a friend told me about the Coast Guard(Which I thought at the time was some sort of Navy National Guard). A long story short(er), they were accepting prior service. This turned out to be a such a blessing, despite having to go bootcamp again(which was a joke).

After graduation of boot camp in Aug of 1992, I transferred to the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore. As a Non rated Seaman, I was assigned to the Fire Dept and did other tasks(mailroom and etc).

In 1994, I decided that my calling was to become a Corpsman. I went to A school for Corpsman and graduated in January of 1995. From there, I served three years at the clinic at the Integrated Support Command in Ketchikan Alaska. I had a few exciting moments there! The highlight was being picked up by a CG Helo to do a cliff side rescue of an injured climber! The man was on a sheer face about(no joking) 1000 feet above the ocean! I was sent TAD in 1997 to attend the Air Forces SF-IDMT school at Sheppard AFB in Texas.

In 1998, I was transferred to the USCGC CONFIDENCE in Cape Canaveral Florida as the Independent Duty Corpsman. I was assigned there for three years. We did many Caribbean patrols(anti narcotic, illegal migration prevention, and etc). My favorite stops were Columbia and Dominican Republic. The worst place I saw as Port Au Prince Haiti.

In 2001, I transferred to Air Station Cape Cod's clinic. I witnessed first hand the attacks on 9-11 via the waiting room TV.

In March of 2003, my cries for wanting to do something in this war were answered. I was given orders to deploy with a unit heading to Operation Iraqi Freedom. I departed to predeployment training in Portsmouth VA. By July, I was in Bahrain. My primary duty was to provide direct medical support for the 200+ CG personnel in the area. I had the opportunity to ride along on the 110 foot patrol boats for missions up the rivers of Iraq(Um Kashar) and protect some of the oil assets off shore. There were a few scary moments that still make me think today(Iranian patrol boats and a strange incident on Bahrain). I was also in theater when we lost our one member to a suicide bomb attack on some oil facilities. I did two consecutive tours then returned stateside the next year.

In August 2004, I reported to my current unit Group Portland Maine(renamed Sector Northern New England in 2005). I am preparing to be advanced to E7 and am looking to be transferred to my second cutter(USCGC BERTHOLF) next July(2009).

So... 18 years and three wives later, here I am!!

[SlightlyCatholic]

In August 2004, I reported to my current unit Group Portland Maine(renamed Sector Northern New England in 2005).

I did a fourteen day training at Group Portland Maine with the Naval Sea Cadets. We did damage control with the Coast Guard's Mobile Damage Control Trainer, a whole bunch of firefighting, a day on a Buoytender, and a couple days working on linehandling with a few BMs. We got to play with pen flares and somebody almost hit a Cessna flying low overhead...that was interesting. Anyway, welcome aboard. I'm pretty new myself but it's good to have you here.

[PaulR]

Where were you there? Are you still in the area?

[SlightlyCatholic]

Originally Posted by PaulR

Where were you there? Are you still in the area?

We stayed at a local VFW Hall right near the South Portland Coast Guard station; it was actually within walking distance. I was only there July-August 2006 for the two week long training. I'm originally from RI.

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by Seminarian_Tim

We stayed at a local VFW Hall right near the South Portland Coast Guard station; it was actually within walking distance. I was only there July-August 2006 for the two week long training. I'm originally from RI.

I might have seen you then!! I remember seeing you guys marching on base for chow during the morning and noon meals.

[SlightlyCatholic]

Originally Posted by PaulR

I might have seen you then!! I remember seeing you guys marching on base for chow during the morning and noon meals.

Yeah, that sounds like us. Small world, I guess! That station impressed me...all the Coasties we worked with were professional people who thought it was the best thing in the world that there were kids interested in their jobs. They loved to teach us and we loved being there. Those two weeks had some of my best memories in my three and a half years as a Sea Cadet.

That actual training program in South Portland ran 2002-2006, so you may have seen a few classes go through in your time there. We also had a fire fighter with us who was a Sea Cadet officer as well as an EMT at Air Station Cape Cod. You may have known him as well.

[Ben Shotalot]

You are going to the USCGC BERTHOLF? Nice boat! USCG has the traditional white paint like our old great white fleet. Love it.

[PaulR]

Hi Ben,

Yep!! It is a nice big one too!!

Here is an info site on her:

http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/cgcBerth...fopamphlet.pdf

I can hardly wait to report aboard... well sort of anyway.