On Thursday, May 10 we had the United States Coast Guard visit us on Governors Island. They brought two of their boats as well as virtual reality goggles to help us imagine what it’s like as a member of the Coast Guard. They set up a table with virtual reality goggles. The people there were super informative and really nice. The goggles got me more interested in the technology the Coast Guard had. They had three separate stages in the virtual reality. One was a training base where we experienced the challenges of training at a boot camp. Some of the challenges were jogging constantly, climbing over obstacles, and endless swimming in pools. The second was a boat rescue to help give the feel of an under pressure, time sensitive mission. The third and final stage was a helicopter rescue where you saw what it’s like to rescue someone from a helicopter. While in Vessel operations we have done drills similar to these rescue missions. The virtual reality system gave me a feel of real life situations where you can’t make a mistake. All three stages gave you a idea of what it’s like to be a member of a Coast Guard, it also showed me how difficult it would be to join. The two boats they brought were small but really well designed. They were able to fit everything you need on a boat and more. The Coast Guard visit really gave me an insight on what it’s all it’s about and if I want to join. While the Coast Guard has aspects I respect and would enjoy doing, in general I don’t think the Coast Guard is for me.
-Aidan Bass
