I just got out of coast guard boot camp and it was a lot more demanding than I thought it would be. The physical training was not that difficult unless you are a weak swimmer. Being that the coast guard is the smallest branch, there is no room for dead weight. Those who are stupid or disrespectful get weeded out very quickly. There is no falling through the cracks. I thought most people who joined the military do so because they cannot handle college or they have no home lives, but all the recruits at boot camp were very lively, dedicated, and bright. The part that makes me proud to be a coastie is that we do our job everyday, and we are very humanitarian. We don't go around dropping bombs on cities or shooting foreigners. We quietly do our job of saving lives and protecting resources, while working with a small budget and limited manpower. I'm glad the coast guard demands so much of its sailors. You cannot save someone else if you cannot take care of yourself.
