LTJG David Shuck

My name is David Shuck and I am finishing up my first Coast Guard tour on board CGC ESCANABA. I am a lieutenant junior grade having graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy two years ago this May. This first tour has been a big learning experience for me in a variety of ways. As a Junior Officer (JO) I am responsible for a variety of collateral duties aboard including Public Affairs Officer, Training Officer, and Assistant Navigator to name a few. My time on board is almost constantly occupied whether it be by standing watch, completing tasks assigned to my collateral duties, or sleeping. When I arrived on board, I envisioned having a plethora of free time underway to read, relax, take in a movie, or just "chill" - but this has hardly been the case. There is always something to be done; there is always another memo to draft, correct or route. There is always another phone call to be made, email to be sent, or message to be drafted. I guard the coast with my fingers on the ASDF JKL; buttons and my thumbs on the space bar. The JO's job is never-ending. If you are not working, you are training or qualifying, or sleeping. At times it seems there are hardly enough hours in the day for all of it. Time management is critical on board.

Now with all that being said, I can tell everyone reading this blog that there are some wonderful things that go along with being a JO. We do have our own computer and stateroom. We are afforded the opportunity to drive the ship, and we are put in positions of responsibility that most young people our age can only imagine. We go to neat places, do an exciting job, and there is a deep sense of fulfillment in most of the tasks that we complete. In that regard, I am able to reconcile myself with the daily grind of life aboard a cutter. Port calls to South America, Canada, and the Caribbean have taken me places I would otherwise never have seen. I work with some of the best people in the world - and I know I will probably never again find the camaraderie that exists at sea amongst a crew.

Being at sea is an experience that alone is worth every moment of angst one might feel towards his or her surroundings on a ship. There is a tranquility and peacefulness in it that can be found nowhere else on earth. The awesome and majestic power that lies just beneath the surface and the potential for havoc that exists even during an otherwise serene calm are enough to draw the soul of anyone. Transiting its vast expanse exposes you to an array of mysteries and phenomenon that can be found nowhere else, and its ever-present companions of surprise and danger ensure every moment seems but a precursor. As Christopher Columbus once said, "And the sea will grant each man new hope, as sleep brings dreams…" My time here fills me every day with a sense of wonder and awe.

Thanks to everyone who sailed with us and kept us in their thoughts and prayers these past months. For all the miles traveled, none are as sweet as these last. It is wonderful to be home, and it means so much to all of us that we know you are there waiting.

/s/ LTJG David Shuck

Photos - Welcome Home