Now the bad news:

It’s only 3 weeks! That means that all the information the 8-week recruits have 8-weeks to learn, you have to jam into your brain in only 3 weeks. The 8-week recruits might have 2-3 days to learn an entire topic, whereas you’ll have one morning to learn the same exact topic. Oh, and once you learn a topic, you are responsible for knowing it. In other words when you get called on, any topic that’s been covered is fair game for the Company Commanders.

Clearly there are more benefits to Coast Guard DEPOT than disadvantages. Like I said, congrats on being accepted. Having said that, those 3 weeks will feel a lot longer than 3 weeks of your normal everyday life will. Being awake for 18-20 hours a day and having to constantly absorb information while exercising in between, amounts to a VERY long 3 weeks. I emphasize learning as much as humanly possible before you head out to Cape May, but for DEPOT recruits this is even more important. Being that you only have 3 weeks to complete the program and that you are older, the Company Commanders will somewhat expect you to show up knowing your stuff. Yes, there will be classes, but it’s damn near impossible to absorb that much information under normal circumstances, never mind being in a state of permanent sleep deprivation.

SO, it’s time to learn DEPOT recruit. READ every article on this website. They are free. The only thing they will cost you is your time. I think you’ll find them worth your time. You can find links to them in the menu at the top of this page.

Aside from that, you should also watch the videos I put together on the youtube channel. Among other things, there is a video of me demonstrating the workout you will be doing almost every single morning of your 3 week stay at the Cape May Training Center. There is also a video study guide to help you memorize USCG Rates and Ranks.

The channel is here: http://www.youtube.com/user/USCGBootCamp

Aside from that, the 3 things you absolutely have to know are your 11 General Orders, the aforementioned USCG Rates and Ranks, and your Chain of Command. I talk more about that here.

Last Note from Martin

My goal is to give back and to “pay it forward”. I had people who helped me along the way and I want to do the same for others. It’s my hope that this article has helped you in some way. I wish you the best of luck in your Coast Guard DEPOT preparation and if there is anything I can do to help you on your journey, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

My e-mail address is: bootcampsuccess@yahoo.com

Happy training to each and every one of you.

Martin