Happened to read this article @ nbcconnecticut.com. Appears to me that Academy Officials are taking quick action.

Boozing Cadets Are Disciplined
The school has cracked down on two rounds of cadets since August.

Almost all the Coast Guard Academy cadets from a summer ocean-racing program are in trouble because they tossed back drinks and smoked pot, school officials said.

What put 29 cadets in hot water are accusations that cadets who are under 21 were drinking during a summer sailing program while the boat was in port, the Day of New London reports. The other three, who are seniors, are accused of not stopping the partying.

This comes after school officials kicked out nine sophomores in August who were accused of using or possessing cocaine or marijuana.

Because this is a military academy, the punishments sound much harsher than they would be at a non-military campus: loss of liberty -- which sounds pretty harsh -- demerits and extra work hours.
"I'll do everything in my legal means to make sure that these cadets, as future officers, are the right people to uphold the law," Capt. John Fitzgerald, commandant of cadets told The Day.

He called the incidents "disappointing but it's just a blip on radar. It's something we need to address, but we'll move on and continue to put out outstanding officers."

In an e-mail received after our original story ran, someone claiming to be a member of the team denied the fact that anyone smoked marijuana. He wrote, "The simple fact is that yes there was underage drinking. We have all been masted and awarded punishment to that nature."

The announcement comes as the school participates in National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week this week. Oops!

OOPS

Alcohol Incidents on their record already.

From what you read around here, that is fairly a 'kiss of death' to enlisted members. These people are senior to enlisted, why even bother footing the bill for their free education when holding this on their record before they even get to work ??

Mastersmate, my USCG sources tell me that any Alcohol Incidents a cadet from Canoe U receives are expunged from their PDR upon commissioning. I.e., they all start w/ a blank slate after graduation.

Surface Force wonders out loud why the CG does not give the same "break" to the Licensing Records/Files of Merchant Marine Officers for their indiscretions committed as a cadet.

Hmmmmmm, I see

An enlisted Officer in Charge, can be relieved due to "lack of confidence" for practicing his trade, which is perfected with years of experience, because he is missing a piece of paperwork telling him he is competant and can do what he knows and has perfected over the years.

A cadet though, who just might be a future officer, can bypass/ignore regulations they are bound to abide by, ends up missing liberty for a few weekends or hiking across the lawn in New London. That is OK in the eyes of the alumni of that institution, they get a free pass when they have to earn their keep.

That explains quite a bit of why things are the way they are.

Picking the fly shlitz out of the pepper again.

quote:

Almost all the Coast Guard Academy cadets from a summer ocean-racing program are in trouble because they tossed back drinks and smoked pot, school officials said.

Why would we retain someone after they "smoked pot".

quote:

Originally posted by underwhelmed:
Why would we retain someone after they "smoked pot".

Sounds like one event is being confused for another. 9 students were kicked out for cocaine and marijuana, the underage drinking is being confused as being part of that group.

quote:

Originally posted by GromitCU:

quote:

Originally posted by underwhelmed:
Why would we retain someone after they "smoked pot".

Sounds like one event is being confused for another. 9 students were kicked out for cocaine and marijuana, the underage drinking is being confused as being part of that group.

Either way....what part of "you can't do that in the CG" don't they understand?

quote:

Sounds like one event is being confused for another. 9 students were kicked out for cocaine and marijuana, the underage drinking is being confused as being part of that group.

If I read the article with the perspective that the group of 9 kicked out for drugs were part of the sailing program that makes sense.

Although it should not be the case, there is indeed a different standard when it comes to treatment of "E's" and "O's" WRT enforcement of the alcohol policy. I offer the following example as proof. "Names have been changed to protect the inocent and any likeness to actual events is purely coincidental" RIGHT.....

So lets say there's this hard charging Chief who happened to apply for CWO. This Chief had a documented AI 8 years previously. The selection board didnt even look at his application package and cited "due to documented non-compliance with the USCG alcohol policy".

So lets say a few months later there was a LCDR who was being considered for selection to Commander and he happened to have 2 documented DUI's. Low and behold this member was indeed selected for promotion.

If they will condone this in midgrade and senior officers should anyone be surprised that it's happening at the factory?

I'll drink to that

June 2006, the cadets summer cruise ports at my unit for the night. I'm pulling the mids at the Command Center and part of my duties is to monitor the bases CCTV. Around 1am a cadet walks up to the gate. He bypasses the gate buzzer and tries to climb the security gate to gain access to the base, (already off to a bad start). I hail the cadet on the intercom, his response was less then professional or respectful. He made comments such as, "Let me in now!" & "I'm an Officer, open these gates". After letting him sit out there for a few minutes I opened the gate.

The cadet came stumbling in and made his way to one of the academy boats. Side note: All cadets and Officers attached to the cruise are still out at this time. I follow the cadet with the CCTV as he walks across the pier. As he arrives to the edge of the pier and takes his step onto the vessel I see him disappear in the drink. I run out and find the cadet wedged underwater in-between the boat and fender. After some quick thinking and a hand from a fellow shipmate I got him out of drink right at the nick of time. I'd say he was underwater for about a minute or so. Come to find out the cadet is under age and was on restriction for another alcohol incident.

His punishment was further restriction and he had to drive up to my unit from CT (3-4 hour drive) and apologize to the Command. But other than that he's wearing some brass as we speak making important decisions and leading by example I suppose. I received a CG Achievement Medal, the citation is written in a way to not discredited the cadet as it was written by the academy. The classic sentence is, "the cadet had difficulty returning to his vessel and inadvertently fell into the water". I'm sure if that was a recruit or junior enlisted that individual would be working else ware. Oh well, double standards I guess.

In prior times when it was acceptable, Cadets imbibing in adult beverages, could be priceless.

Picture, if you will, 8 or 9, maybe more, some who, if they stuck around for 30, would be very senior, trotting down a main street in Rome heading to Saint Peters, dressed in togas as Roman senators, extremely well lubricated with an incredibly cheap Italian wine in screw cap bottles, at about mid night. And so as not to think I am picking on them or casting aspersions, I was a CWO who was stuck part way up in a palm type tree with my legs all shinned up. Explaining to a couple of Roman ladies of the eveing, out on an evening stroll, how the Polynesians harvested cocoanuts.

Do not try any of that without adult supervision.

Now, that must have been a sight to behold!

quote:

Originally posted by Mastersmate:
In prior times when it was acceptable, Cadets imbibing in adult beverages, could be priceless.
. . .
I was a CWO who was stuck part way up in a palm type tree . . .

Do not try any of that without adult supervision.

Among the many things that made the "Old Guard" a fun way of life - I fear that many "Guardians" will fail to see it the way we did.

I will, however, admit that I sometimes felt sorry for the Marines on the gate at Subic when a bunch of CG Warrants & JO's came dragging in at 0745 looking like death warmed over.

Aaah Subic Bay. That was fun. We had to work w/ the Navy over there for CARAT. I tell you what - anytime that we were "americans" and not CG vs. Navy the Navy was highly impressed with the CG and our ability to "keep up" and even "pass" the Navy IRT partaking in a few.

The article referenced was a little vague. The ocean racing team did not have any drugs involved. 16 of 18 cadets were masted for either drinking underage or providing alcohol. The drug case was actually 9 cadets that were processed out earlier this year. The reason it was done by cadet mast is the fact that there was never possession found. The only thing binding them was their own admissions. This put each one of them out of the academy. There were also a bunch of underage drinking incidents that came to light because of the drug investigation. These were masted as well.
In all it was a very busy fall and summer full of masts. Most of the cadets masted were just underage with no other behavioral issues. The penalties are actually pretty stiff. Most of them had multiple priveleges pulled, restriction, and marching tours. The restriction technically does not end until the marching tours are finished. This is basically 50 minutes a tour marching in dress uniform with a piece. Any talking or goofing off and the tour does not count. Most cadets got 70 to 90 tours and can only do 2 tours a weekday or 4 on a weekend. The cadets can still graduate the academy however for this year they are on a narrow course with little to no room for error.

Your last post is 100% correct. I followed the issues closely as junior is at the academy. As far as the kids with the drug accusations- all history. Now for the people with the drinking accusations- seems to me like the military has gone to an extreme. In the horse and buggy days when I was a 17 year old E-nothing we tended to keep things in perspective. Granted that was at the end of an unpopular war but things now are a bit overboard.

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The penalties are actually pretty stiff. Most of them had multiple priveleges pulled, restriction, and marching tours.

Wait a darn second! Finishing your FREE EDUCATION, getting a US COMMISION, etc etc is stiff? What world are you in? Let's say that person was a Recruit in 7th week offbase. Do you know what their punishment is? GOODBYE! He is deemed not good enough chracter to be the wardroom messcook! His twin brother at the Academy though can be good enough to get served by the messcook? How about 5 months after graduating bootcamp? One drink underage, you are DISCHARGED!

Saying that the alcohol violation punishments at the CGA are 'pretty stiff' is beyond absurd!

In some ways I would agree with you. However knowing the facts I do not. Some of these cadets just had a half a beer. Some just a sip. There were many cadets who got masted for knowing they drank but did not do anything about it. I have not seen that happen to any of us enlisted out in the fleet. There is also a difference in basic training versus the academy. Sorry to say it but it is so. How many of us got lit up before 21? I would say about 98% of the fleet. Yet we serve just fine because we did not cause trouble or get caught. Some did and paid a price.
Yes I do stick by 'pretty stiff'. The effects of the mast last a lot longer than one would for us enlisted. None of these cadets can afford to make a bad decision for a long time. THe rest of the academic year and their time at the academy is under tough scrutiny. They were stiff but warranted...

Wrong on several counts.

A) Cadets SHOULD BE held to a higher standard than a Messcook. Not a lower one.

B) It sticks with an enlisted person for their ENTIRE Career, not 'just until graduation.' The immediate effects are lost paygrade and ineligibility to compete for advancement. The longer term effects are the ARI.

C) and yes, even a sip of beer, if caught as an enlisted person under 21 is an ARI, which for newbees results in discharge.

D) and yes, a Cadet, ie a future Officer should KNOW that they must enforce rules, even on their buddies. I would actually say that they 'watchers' if senior to the drinkers should get MORE punishment.