The Coast Guard has restructured its Swab Summer boot camp for incoming Coast Guard Academy cadets. The revamped seven-week experience includes bolstered oversight at the Chase Hall dormitory and is divided into three phases: Acclimation, Focused Training, and Orientation.
These changes will streamline and improve the overall cadet experience. The new structure aims to gradually increase stress and intensity and “lose that kind of feel of fear and intimidation that often comes with the shock and awe of going to that initial boot camp experience,” said Jon Heller, the academy’s deputy commandant of cadets for strategy and leadership.
Don’t miss the Coast Guard Academy’s new Swab Summer video!
The first week of the new Swab Summer is now known as the Acclimation Phase. It will include medical screenings, academic placement exams, and other accession activities. Weeks two through four are the Focused Training Phase, which is comprised of basic military training on chain of command, Core Values, uniform inspections, and team-building exercises.
Weeks five through seven are the Orientation Phase, which prepares the swabs for their next few years as cadets and college students. This phase includes activities to ensure cadet success in the classroom and beyond, from academic preparation to sexual assault and Core Values training. Swab Summer concludes with a short cruise aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle.
The new Swab Summer also features stronger oversight at Chase Hall that will ensure a safe, respectful, and healthy climate. The Coast Guard has allocated 16 extra billets to the Academy for this purpose; half of them are being assigned and will arrive in New London starting this summer. A Force Readiness Command (FORCECOM) team has also been tasked with evaluating the new program.
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