MrFreefall383 0 #1 February 28, 2009 So here's the deal with a pickle on the side. I'm with the Coast Guard, will have been in a year as of the end of next week. I'm in A-School to become a Boatswain's Mate, and things are going fucking awesome. We just got our list of open billets, and I'm going to go insane before I figure out which one I want. There are a high number of very good assignments, many I could safely say I want, but only two which really tickle my pickle. Here comes the tough part. I came in here fully intending to snag a buoy tender out of school if at all possible. Well, a bunch came up, and since I vastly prefer cold weather, a few struck my eye immediately. Initially an earlier list came out a week too early, and the best choice I saw on there was a 225-ft buoy tender out of Astoria, OR, probably one of the better locations to be assigned in the Coast Guard. Second choice would have been a similar boat in Homer, AK, still not bad at all, but not exactly Astoria. The official list came out today with a brand new assignment, the same type of boat in Kodiak, AK, arguably the best place to be assigned anywhere in the Coast Guard. I'm in position to take either one ahead of just about anybody, so I've got the choice between the two best places to be assigned in the Coast Guard. What the fuck do I do? "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #2 February 28, 2009 Why do you feel that farther north is "better"?quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gonzalesna 0 #3 February 28, 2009 Quote So here's the deal with a pickle on the side. I'm with the Coast Guard, will have been in a year as of the end of next week. I'm in A-School to become a Boatswain's Mate, and things are going fucking awesome. We just got our list of open billets, and I'm going to go insane before I figure out which one I want. There are a high number of very good assignments, many I could safely say I want, but only two which really tickle my pickle. Here comes the tough part. I came in here fully intending to snag a buoy tender out of school if at all possible. Well, a bunch came up, and since I vastly prefer cold weather, a few struck my eye immediately. Initially an earlier list came out a week too early, and the best choice I saw on there was a 225-ft buoy tender out of Astoria, OR, probably one of the better locations to be assigned in the Coast Guard. Second choice would have been a similar boat in Homer, AK, still not bad at all, but not exactly Astoria. The official list came out today with a brand new assignment, the same type of boat in Kodiak, AK, arguably the best place to be assigned anywhere in the Coast Guard. I'm in position to take either one ahead of just about anybody, so I've got the choice between the two best places to be assigned in the Coast Guard. What the fuck do I do? Flip a quarter, rock paper scissors, eenie meenie miny mo, etc.Some people refrain from beating a dead horse. Personally, I find a myriad of entertainment value when beating it until it becomes a horse-smoothie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #4 February 28, 2009 I don't feel that farther north is better, I know farther north is better, because there's a substantial amount of evidence to state that. I've heard some very good things about both Kodiak and Astoria, despite the occasional bad things about both. Astoria is absolutely gorgeous, and Kodiak is claimed to be one of those places you never want to leave. Our school chief here actually said that he went to Alaska years ago despite his wife's protest of it, she hated it, left for SoCal, and next time he was due for reassignment, she made sure he took Alaska again, because she missed it."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grannyinthesky 0 #5 February 28, 2009 Well, there is a very nice dz, Skydive Oregon, just a ways down the road from Astoria. "safety first... and What the hell..... safety second, Too!!! " ~~jmy POPS #10490 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #6 February 28, 2009 Tack one on the board for Astoria, nearest DZ to Kodiak is in Anchorage, a few hours away."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JENNR8R 0 #7 February 28, 2009 The official list came out today with a brand new assignment, the same type of boat in Kodiak, AK, arguably the best place to be assigned anywhere in the Coast Guard. Quote So stop arguing with yourself and pick Kodiak. What do you call a beautiful, sunny day that comes after two cloudy, rainy ones? -- Monday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SarahC07 0 #8 February 28, 2009 Sounds like one hell of a problem... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #9 February 28, 2009 I'm thinking about working conditions. Boatswain right? Standing watches in the cold seems like total BS to my way of thinking but . . . you might like it.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerryBaumchen 1,363 #10 February 28, 2009 Hi MrF, Well, I'm biased as I live just down the road ( so to speak ) from Astoria. You will get all the action you want in Astoria. Seems as though they do a 'rescue of the week' out there. Oh, as she said, SkyDive Oregon is just and hour + away. A very first class dz, JerryBaumchen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidB 0 #11 February 28, 2009 There's a class-A deckie school!?!?!? And you actually WANT to be a deckei!?! And you want to work on a buoy tender!!!? I'll never understand these kids today... Sorry, I spent over 3 years on an old 180', from 74-77. However I was a snipe. At least the weather was always the same down there... HOT! Wouldn't have wanted to be a deckie on there for anything. What a hard, dangerous, SMELLY job that was! Oh well... Where ever you decide to go, stay safe, have fun, & DON'T DRINK THE BUOY JUICE! edited to say: SEMPER FIDALIS! When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonstark 8 #12 February 28, 2009 KODIAK It's kinda like Costa Rica in that everybody I know who has gone hasn't come back they love it so much. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #13 February 28, 2009 Yeah, it is one hell of a problem. Which would you rather visit, Astoria or Kodiak? To address gonzo's suggestion, I've thought about doing as our Nav Rules instructor taught us for when we can't fathom what the answer to a multiple choice question is. Hold out your four fingers joined, thumb tucked into your palm. Slam your fingers together onto the table in front of you or other flat surface, and whichever finger hurt the longest was the right answer. To Quade, it does seem rather strange to be a deck worker in some of the coldest weather known to man. Strange indeed. But I vastly prefer cold to warm weather. Warm weather means Joe Boater out there engaging in stupidity. The warm air blocks the synapses from firing, thus encouraging pure insanity, and the Coast Guard always has to go save the idiots. Cold weather means hard work, and less stupidity... usually. And yes, I believe I'd enjoy the hell out of it. I may never want to leave. DavidB, yes, oddly enough there is a school to become deck slime. It's called OCS. I'm going to be honest here though, our instructors are simply the best. They know their shit backward and forward, which is a great benefit to us. I've learned so much here about the job, and even more about myself, this has to be the best choice I could make for my career. To answer your question about what is wrong with kids these days, plenty. I'm just shy of turning 26. Two birthdays in a row in USCG Training Centers, amazing. I'm one of the only guys who really wants cold weather. Most people here are on average 5 years younger than me. These kids just want to be in the warm sun all day, getting cancer and drinking mojitos. They can take their fucking mojitos. When I'm an XPO of a station a number of years from now, I'll know I earned every benefit I'll have through hard work, sacrifice, and dedication to the mission. I'll live the rest of my career out in relative peace while still working my ass off toward improving the Coast Guard, then retire comfortably as long as I don't have more than one kid draining the life out of me. Semper Paratus -Dave"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,314 #14 February 28, 2009 You are the heart, soul and future of these United States. Take the one that accelerates your goal of XPO even if it means having to sacrifice skydiving for a couple of years. A skydive before Desert Storm was my last dive until nine years later. I wish for you much success in your decision-making process.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #15 February 28, 2009 QuoteYou are the heart, soul and future of these United States. Take the one that accelerates your goal of XPO even if it means having to sacrifice skydiving for a couple of years. My last skydive before Desert Storm was my last dive until nine years later. I wish for you much success in your decision-making process. That's a very good selling point, thank you. If I see a better argument for Oregon, I'll consider that, but right now I'm leaning toward Alaska. Putting skydiving and auto racing off for a few years is a small sacrifice to pay for a more successful career."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidB 0 #16 February 28, 2009 Quote yes, oddly enough there is a school to become deck slime. It's called OCS. Thanx, you owe me a keyboard. This one now has half-chewed bagel all over it! OCS was in Yorktown back in the day, same place I went for MK class-A & class-C outboard motor.When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #17 February 28, 2009 QuoteQuote yes, oddly enough there is a school to become deck slime. It's called OCS. Thanx, you owe me a keyboard. This one now has half-chewed bagel all over it! OCS was in Yorktown back in the day, same place I went for MK class-A & class-C outboard motor. I call it like I see it. Keyboards are acceptable casualties in the war against mediocrity and boredom. And officers are great fun to make fun of. What other use do they serve?"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidB 0 #18 February 28, 2009 QuoteWhat other use do they serve? None that I've ever been able to find. Case I point: We had an exec (an Lt.) that ran us aground more than once. The best was when he got us stuck in the mud for over an hour. That in itself wouldn't have been so bad, except he did it less than 100 yards from out pier in Cape May! We ended up dumping most of our fresh water & swinging 80K lbs of sinkers side to side before we were free. The engineering officer (a CWO) presented the exec with a necklace of broken sea water pump impellers from our generators. Then there was the CO who hated his wife... He'd take us out, we'd work a few buoys, then drop the hook for the night rather than take the 45 to 90 minutes it would take to go home & tie up for the night. If a CWO was the best, the "Shake 'n Bake" were the worst. Oh, & you guys had it WAY too easy in boot! It was 14 weeks when I went through AND we drilled with M-1's, not those light weight plastic toy M-16's! Try high-portin' it around the quad a few times with 9.5lbs of M-1 over your head.When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #19 February 28, 2009 Yeah, those JOs are bad from what I hear. Always getting into a mess of shit because they think they know how to operate boats. Never submit to the Dark Side. Warrants are... OK.... Our CO/OIC at Station Gloucester was a warrant before I left for A-School, and he was a total asshat. Great Boatswain's Mate, hell of a Surfman I'm sure, but he had as much time on cutters as I did. As such, he changed his mind more than his underwear. Royal pain in the ass. I was even warned about him as I was leaving boot camp by the Master Chief. He referred to the BOSN2 as "squirrelly," which meant nothing at the time. Rest assured I know the meaning of the word now. As for boot, I'll give you the 14 weeks, I still think it should've been longer, and we carried around the M1's, not the light little M16's. I loved piece IT with those damn things. 9.5 - 11 pounds of pure motivation not to fuck up. Some had all their parts installed, some didn't. I got one that happened to be fully assembled. Lucky me. Now they've put in an obstacle course and fucking pugel sticks. I wouldn't have even trusted some of my shipmates with a pencil, let alone a fucking pugel stick. That's some dangerous shit. But yes, we did sniper position regularly in the Munro Q'deck until Senior Chief Wong got tired of staring at us. And he was an HS, he never got tired of staring at us. "If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #20 March 1, 2009 You won't be skydiving in Alaska if that's a concern. It's the only DZ I've been to in Oregon, but Skydive Oregon in Molalla is a GREAT place. ---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JumpinJules 0 #21 March 1, 2009 Quote and the best choice I saw on there was a 225-ft buoy tender out of Astoria, OR, probably one of the better locations to be assigned in the Coast Guard. Little known factoid that probably plays no part in your decision: Astoria, OR is where they filmed The Goonies!!!!!!Into the great wide open/ under them skies of blue/ out in the great wide open/ a rebel w/out a clue..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skdiver 0 #22 March 1, 2009 Quote You won't be skydiving in Alaska if that's a concern. He can if he wants to visit us in Wasilla between mid April and early October. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrFreefall383 0 #23 March 1, 2009 QuoteLittle known factoid that probably plays no part in your decision: Astoria, OR is where they filmed The Goonies!!!!!! No, it really doesn't play a part in my decision, but a close friend brought up the same point. It's an interesting factoid for sure. And as for skydiving, it turns out ferry rides to and from Kodiak are not only expensive, but very time-consuming. And flights are damn near out of the question with how pricey they are. My only hope is a military flight out of Kodiak airstation that's going in the general direction of a car rental office near a good DZ, and that's slim to no chance."If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #24 March 2, 2009 Good to know, I was un aware there was still a DZ in Alaska. I'll have to visit one of these days when I follow my next dream: Gritty Alaska Bush Pilot! ---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peanut4040 0 #25 March 2, 2009 This fellar Mcfreefall just plains makes me, "Wanna make like a cow and put on a graze".Its a good day to LIVE, why puck up a good thing. There is no reply in aad section for. " hell no i would not put an AAD on my back" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
