The Coast Guard Years Podcast

The Coast Guard Years Podcast  Introduction:   Hi and welcome to Gonzo, The Coast Guard Years Podcast. My name is Nicholas Gonzalez, and my Dad, Tim Gonzalez, well he’s Gonzo, at least that’s what his Coast Guard friends that I met call him. Seems that nicknames stuck for life. This Podcast is about my Dad’s, time in the Coast Guard from October 1987 to May 1992.    The hope of this podcast is to shed a little light on what it was like to be in the US Coast Guard, prior to 9/11.  It’s not a recruiting tool, nor a pitch to join up or even an attempt to glamorize it at all.   Although if you find that you’re interested in knowing more about the Coast Guard, feel free to put a question in the comments section. We will do our best to respond.   Hopefully you will find this both entertaining and informative, the stories you’re going to hear are not usually spoken about publicly, or at least not outside of your local Coast Guard Watering hole.   Please keep in my mind that these “tales” are being told from my Dad’s point of view, and not everyone will share his views but maybe relate, just a little bit.   “OH, and some of the names you’re going to hear along the way, well they’ve been changed, not so much to protect the innocent. Just the story that they are in may end up being a little embarrassing and they wouldn’t necessarily want anyone else to know about their involvement.   If you enjoy this podcast, please be sure to click the subscribe button and be sure to leave any comments below.   And now let me welcome you again, to Gonzo, The Coast Guard Years.

Day 1 of Coast Guard Boot Camp My Trip from the airport to CG Boot camp and my first night there.

Forming Company Week “Haircuts and Drug Tests” It’s the first week of boot camp, known as Forming Company. It’s here where all the “boring” stuff is taken care of. 

It’s the first week of boot camp, known as Forming Company. It’s here where all the “boring” stuff is taken care of, and now it’s Uniforms and Vaccinations

Forming company is over, we meet our Company Commander (CC). We have a company name now, Victor 126

We’re in week two of boot camp and this is where things sort of start to take shape. We get to do our first Coast Guard Swim test.

The day we came back to the squad bay only to find that our racks had been tossed. I also learned a new phrase, Puda Jacks. I really could have done without learning it. 

Sometimes people don’t make it through boot camp, what happens to them, and also the day I totally lost my mind and said something I clearly shouldn’t have said. 

Week 6 Physical Fitness tests, where I try to rack up as many points as I can, and time to pick my first duty station assuming I survive boot camp