Coast Guard Boot Camp
Required Knowledge
Coast Guard Boot Camp
Required Knowledge
Coast Guard
Boot Camp
Required Knowledge
The Most Important Page
Okay Coast Guard recruits, if you were allowed to read and memorize only one single page from this entire website, it would be this one.
There are a lot of very important things you really need to know before setting foot in the Cape May Training Center and I cover them all in the Coast Guard Boot Camp Survival Guide, BUT at an absolute minimum, do NOT leave for USCG Basic Training without knowing your 11 General Orders of a Sentry, your USCG Rates and Ranks, and your USCG Chain of Command.
These 3 items constitute your Coast Guard Required Knowledge.
The 11 General Orders of a Sentry
1) To take charge of this post and all government property in view.
2) To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
3) To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4) To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the Guardhouse than my own.
5) To quit my post only when properly relieved.
6) To receive, obey. and pass on to the sentry who relieves me all orders from the Commanding Officer, Command Duty Officer. Officer of the Deck, and Officers and Petty Officer of the Watch only.
7) To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
8) To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
9) To call the Officer of the Deck in any case not covered by instructions.
10) To salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased.
11) To be especially watchful at night, and during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
USCG Chain of Command
Last Updated On: 19 APR 24
Last Date Validated: 23 APR 24
Secretary of Homeland Security: Alejandro Mayorkas
Commandant of the Coast Guard: Admiral Linda L. Fagan
Deputy Commandant for Mission Support: Vice Admiral Paul F. Thomas
Force Readiness Commander: Rear Admiral Jeffrey K. Randall
Commanding Officer: CAPT Warren D. Judge
Executive Officer: CDR Bradley Conway
Command Master Chief: CMC Radford Hoffpauir
Training Officer: CDR Amanda Denning
Regimental Officer: LCDR Ashly Thomas
Battalion Officer: LT Matthew Asire
Battalion Commander: YNCM Michael Snyder
*** In the military you write the date in the fashion that you see here. It’s the day first, followed by the abbreviated month, and ending with the year. Get used to it now. You will be doing it this way at the Cape May Training Center as well.
If you are shipping out close to the update date, this will likely be it. If you are shipping out later, keep an eye on this page and I’ll update it as often as I get the latest one.
The Most Important Page
The
Most Important Page
Okay Coast Guard recruits, if you were allowed to read and memorize only one single page from this entire website, it would be this one.
There are a lot of very important things you really need to know before setting foot in the Cape May Training Center and I cover them all in the Coast Guard Boot Camp Survival Guide, BUT at an absolute minimum, do NOT leave for USCG Basic Training without knowing your 11 General Orders of a Sentry, your USCG Rates and Ranks, and your USCG Chain of Command.
These 3 items constitute your Coast Guard Required Knowledge.
The 11 General Orders of a Sentry
The 11
General Orders
of a Sentry
1) To take charge of this post and all government property in view.
2) To walk my post in a military manner, keeping always on the alert and observing everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
3) To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4) To repeat all calls from posts more distant from the Guardhouse than my own.
5) To quit my post only when properly relieved.
6) To receive, obey. and pass on to the sentry who relieves me all orders from the Commanding Officer, Command Duty Officer. Officer of the Deck, and Officers and Petty Officer of the Watch only.
7) To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
8) To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
9) To call the Officer of the Deck in any case not covered by instructions.
10) To salute all officers and all colors and standards not cased.
11) To be especially watchful at night, and during the time for challenging, to challenge all persons on or near my post, and to allow no one to pass without proper authority.
USCG Chain of Command
USCG
Chain of Command
Last Updated On: 25 MAR 22
Last Date Validated: 25 MAR 22
Secretary of Homeland Security: Alejandro Mayorkas
Commandant of the Coast Guard: Admiral Karl L. Shultz
Deputy Commandant for Mission Support: Vice Admiral Paul F. Thomas
Force Readiness Commander: Rear Admiral M.W. Joe Raymond
Commanding Officer: CAPT Sarah “Kathy” Felger
Executive Officer: CDR Bradley Conway
Command Master Chief: CMC Kody Fraughton
Training Officer: CDR Scott Koser
Regimental Officer: LT Charles Shaffer
Battalion Officer: LTJG Matthew Asire
Battalion Commander: SKCM Randall Lawrence
*** In the military you write the date in the fashion that you see here. It’s the day first, followed by the abbreviated month, and ending with the year. Get used to it now. You will be doing it this way at the Cape May Training Center as well.
If you are shipping out close to the update date, this will likely be it. If you are shipping out later, keep an eye on this page and I’ll update it as often as I get the latest one.
USCG Rates And Ranks
USCG
Rates And Ranks
When I was at Cape May, during my first ZERO TWO weeks we addressed and responded to our Company Commanders in a sir or ma’am sandwich – “Sir, yes, sir!” or “Ma’am, yes, ma’am!”.
At some point they stopped doing the sandwiches at TRACEN Cape May. For yes or no questions or if they ask you if you understand something you will simply sound off with “Yes Sir!” or “No Ma’am!”. For almost everything else it will be “Aye, aye sir!” or “Aye, aye ma’am!” which essentially means “I understand your order and I will comply (execute your order)”.
Sometime toward the end of week ZERO TWO or the start of week ZERO THREE, you will be expected to refer to people by their rate (Enlisted) or their rank (Officers). So here is what you need to know that I wish I knew before going. You need to memorize the title of every pay grade from E-1 to E-9, W-2 to W-4, and O-1 to O-10.
That part is easy. The HARD part is that you also need to memorize the shoulder insignia and collar device for all the Enlisted, and the shoulder insignia, collar device, and lacing for the entire Officer Corps.
The WHAT?
The shoulder insignia, collar device and (for Officers) lacing, are the various embroidery items that are attached to their uniforms. The idea is that when you are walking past someone on base, you should be able to look at their shoulder or collar and address them properly. The hardest part of remembering this information is that you will have to literally describe it in words.
Let me give you an everyday example of what takes place when you are leaving the galley (cafeteria) so you get a better idea.
Petty Officer Allen: PIERCE!
Seaman Recruit Pierce: Pierce I, Petty Officer Allen!
Petty Officer Allen: Pierce, what is the title of an Echo Seven (E-7) pay grade?
Seaman Recruit Pierce: Petty Officer Allen, Seaman Recruit Pierce, the title of an Echo Seven is Chief Petty Officer.
Petty Officer Allen: What does the shoulder board insignia of a Chief Petty Officer look like?
Seaman Recruit Pierce: Petty Officer Allen, Seaman Recruit Pierce, the shoulder board insignia of a Chief Petty Officer looks like ZERO THREE Gold Chevrons BELOW ZERO ONE Gold Rocker.
Petty Officer Allen: Very well, go away.
That type of exchange takes place several times a day so you need to know how to describe all of them. You also just got a glimpse of the proper way to respond / speak while in recruit training. You’ll learn more about how to speak and respond correctly in chapter ZERO SIX. The important take away here is that the descriptions are made bottom to top, with frequent use of the preposition ‘below’ to describe that order. Everything has a quantity and a color. Plus correct communication protocol.
I talk more about how to speak and respond correctly in chapter ZERO SIX of the Coast Guard Boot Camp Survival Guide and I cover all of the descriptions for every single USCG Rate and Rank from E-1 to E-9; O-1 to O-10; and CWO2 to CWO4 in chapter ZERO ONE.
My Last Note On USCG Required Knowledge
My Last Note
On USCG
Required Knowledge
If you think that memorizing all of this information is difficult – well, you are right – BUT I have bad news for you. You will have to memorize ALL OF IT and you will be quizzed on it EVERY SINGLE DAY. I guarantee you that if you make it to Coast Guard Basic Training Graduation, that you will know all of this by heart.
The question you want to ask yourself is:
Do I want to learn this information now, before I go, or do I want to learn it all when I get to Cape May and I’m running on 5 hours of sleep (on a good day) and having to learn 20 other things every day? It’s up to you. To each his own.
I hope you found this article informative. If you’d like, you can check out some more FREE articles on Coast Guard Boot Camp Training by following the site menu at the top of this page. There are all sorts of topics to read about, ranging from swimming in Coast Guard Boot Camp to understanding how to properly count reps in USCG Basic Training. Read them all so you show up ready on day ZERO ONE.
Oh, and if you think someone else would benefit from reading this, please consider spreading the word to others.
As always, thank you for your support