USCG Ride Along

Thursday, March 30, 2023, was the day we were going to go out for a ride along with the United States Coast Guard. We knew it would be a good trip because we had to get permission slips signed by our parents. We got on our anti exposure suits and headed down to Pier 101. We had to wait ten minutes before the coast guard 45-RBM arrived but that gave us time to prepare smart and goal-oriented questions to ask the Coast Guard officers about their line of work like “What was your craziest experience?” or “What made you choose this career path?”. Everyone then turns when one of our classmates shouts “Look” and we see the boat pull in with perfect docking. The boat has twin jet engines which are different from the boats we drive. The boats we work on have propellers that spin around to move the boat forward and backwards. The boat uses jet engines which is where the boat sucks up water and pushes it out to move in all different directions. When we got onto the boat we were split up into groups and I went inside first and the other group stayed outside. When inside the boat there were so many controls and switches but the most interesting part was the sterling. There were two joysticks and in one hand it was used to move forward and reverse while the other hand was used for turning left and right. It felt like a virtual reality video game when you sat in the seat and drove. I want to join the Coast Guard and be a part of a rescue team so being able to be in control of the boat they drive is something that makes me want to work for my goal even harder and achieve it at the top of my class. What I have done so far to start my joining the Coast Guard journey is applying for the AIM program which is run by the USCGA. It is a 5 day program that gives kids an understanding of what they will be joining. It will both physically and mentally prepare you for what will come if I join the USCGA. The coxswain explained the different jobs that they have done on that boat like search and rescue along with just normal calm patrolling around the harbor. There were 3 people who each had a very important job on the boat, the captain who was the one who gave commands and drove the boat, the mechanical engineer who was incharge of making sure all the engines were running good and the last man on board was a boatswain mate. The last and final activity we did was a man overboard drill which was very similar to the drills we do yet their time was much more efficient along with their communication which I believe was a very good demonstration to watch and learn from. Overall the ride along informed me of where my future could be and taught me how to reach my goal of being a worker in the field yet I am not the only one this ride along helped. The Harbor School being able to connect with the Coast Guard lets up coming students get a taste of the maritime field which would help give them an idea of what career path they would want to take. Being so close with the Coast Guard also means students can learn how to have business connections and to act professional so they are ready for their real jobs when they graduate.

-Juliana Sarich