MESSAGE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS
- Message for Parents
- Graduation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Unit Information Sheets
- Recruit Company Mentor
Recruit Company Mentor FAQ's
Dear Friends and Family Members of Graduating Recruits,
In a very short time, your recruit will complete basic training and graduate as a proud Coast Guardsman, morally, mentally and physically fit to execute Coast Guard missions around the world. Welcome to the Coast Guard family! The graduation ceremony is an occasion that most will remember forever. I hope that you will be able to attend for this special event.
First, we invite you to join us for breakfast at the Harborview Club from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on graduation day for a minimal fee of $7, Reservations Not Required. Our gates do not open for graduation visitors until 8:30 a.m. sharp, so please do not arrive before then. We will have a “Parent’s Brief” in the Ida Lewis Auditorium beginning at 10:00 a.m., where we will provide you with an overview of the morning’s activities and a short video presentation about recruit training. There are several information booths staffed with spouses, family programs personnel and Tricare medical representatives to answer any questions you might have about your transition into the Coast Guard family.
Graduation is a
formal military ceremony that begins promptly at 11:00 a.m. and lasts for
about 45 minutes. At the ceremony’s conclusion, your newly minted
Coast Guardsman
is free to depart on five days of well-deserved leave before reporting to
their new duty station. The first opportunity you will get to see your
graduate will be at the ceremony. Graduation will be on the parade field
from late spring until early fall and in the gymnasium during the colder
months or inclement weather. The Training Center is located on the ocean,
and outdoor graduations in spring and fall can be breezy and chilly. The
auditorium, parade field and gymnasium are all handicapped accessible.
Commercially produced videos of the graduation may be purchased from a
vendor who will be in a clearly marked location at the ceremony.
After the
ceremony, graduates must pick up their personal belongings from the
barracks. Before departing, I invite you to take a short tour of the
Training Center so that your graduate can point out areas of interest and
share stories of recruit training. The statue of Douglas Munro, the Coast
Guard’s only recipient of the Medal of Honor, is across the street from the
Command and Mission Support Building. Signalman First Class Munro was
killed in action while protecting U.S. Marines at Guadalcanal during World
War II. The memorial serves to remind us that the Coast Guard is one of our
nation’s five armed services.
The
Coast Guard Exchange, is a small
department store that will have a variety of items for sale. Unless you are
currently serving on active duty or are retired from the military, you must
be with your graduate in order to make a purchase.
I look forward to meeting you at the nation’s only Coast Guard Recruit Training Center where we will collectively honor our newest Coast Guardsmen.
Sincerely,
William G. Kelly, U.S. Coast Guard
Commanding Officer,
U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May
GRADUATION DAY AGENDA
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Breakfast Harborview
... Reservations Not Required
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Welcome
Ida Lewis Auditorium
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 p.m. Graduation Parade Field/Gymnasium
Sea Leggs. a reference guide for new spouses/families.
For more information about Recruit Training, please click
here.
If you're a parent and you have questions about the Coast Guard, please
click here.
Everything you need to know about Coast Guard Recruit Training can be found in the HELMSMAN.
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF)