The Claw of Knowledge

My Kickstarter is over, but you can still help me write a book of Awesome Facts About The Coast Guard ! Donate $25 or more and I'll add you to the list of people to receive the book! Donate $60 or more and you'll also receive a Challenge Coin! Like me on Facebook to see more of what I post < Previous Post  |  Main Page |  Next Post  >

I joined the Coast Guard thanks to a woman (well, many women, but one in particular): my older sister. Four years before I showed up at the Coast Guard Academy, she did the same. All throughout high school, I watched her endure the training: the push-ups, the marching, the heavy course load, the loss of the most basic privileges. I saw her excel in spite of all of it, saw her grow even stronger than she was before, and I thought to myself: Holy crap, I am never doing that. Still, it sucked me in like an undertow. A mere two months after she received her commission, I began Swab Summer at the Academy: a grueling introduction to a grueling four years. It’s not something I ever would have considered, that I ever would have thought to do – if my sister hadn’t done it before me. In that spirit, I’d like to take a moment to honor the sacrifices of some of the women who served as pioneers of the Coast Guard. Of course, none of them signed up just to be the ‘first woman’ to do so

This year, I try to bring a little love to a place where love is strictly prohibited per the cadet regulations: the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. So here you go, cadets: a set of Valentine's Day Cards made just for you! Print them out (they work best on card stock) and pass them around to your shipmates in whatever way won't get you bagged. (Click to see full-size images) Show people you don't just stand there and guard the beach all day! Learn awesome facts about the service! Make fun of the Navy! All that and more in my new book! Like me on Facebook to see more of what I post < Previous Post  |  Main Page   |  Next Post  >

I suppose in a way, the Justice League is kind of like the Armed Forces: a team of heroes who each use their unique skills and powers to complete missions that each of them would be unable to take on alone. The Navy is like Aquaman, Ruler of the Waves. The Air Force is like Green Lantern, who uses his magic ring to fly and shoot. The Army has the inhumanly-strong Superman. Or is Superman more like the Marines? Then the Army would be Flash. Or wait, is Flash fast like the Air Force? But Superman's fast, too, and he flies… Ugh. Maybe I should’ve used the Avengers… Okay, okay...maybe I can’t pin down a comparison for all the members of the Justice League, but there’s still one hero who’s not like the others – who doesn’t share their superpowers, methods, or their clubhouse. And even if I can’t match a superhero to every other military branch, there’s one thing I’m absolutely certain of: the Coast Guard is Batman . Here's why. SEVEN REASONS THE COAS