Tuesday, January 23
We had the most AmAzInG time visiting the Coast Guard Training Center at Yorktown today! From the moment we met our fabulous guide, Chelsea, until we returned to our center, it was a day we will remember for a long time. In the picture above we are posing with Chelsea, who made sure we had an excellent experience. Lisa would like to give her a HUGE shoutout for being easy to work with during the planning phases of this trip, and we all want to give her a shoutout for her awesome tour! 👏👏👍👍
This is a special, one day only, edition of the blog because we have sooooo many fun pictures to share, and the trip was worthy of its own post!
We arrived promptly at 9:30, parked the vans, and set to walking with Chelsea toward the back of the base for a firefighting demonstration.
We kept walking...in fact, we got some great walking exercise today! By the way, we also want to thank Tracy and her intern, Mallory, for joining us today. You'll have to look for them in the pictures...they are just a part of the group...but we really appreciate their support!
When we arrived at the fire training center, Micah, Joseph, and Brandon were waiting for us. We grabbed seats for a few minutes while they explained that those of us who wanted to, could put on gear and engage in some firefighting training.
Most of us wanted to try on the suits, so we patiently helped one another. The excitement was mounting!
Time for some training! First, up these steps to get a bird's eye view of the base situated along the beautiful York River.
Hello from our plain clothed trainees! 😊
Next, we have photos and videos of every trainee who wanted to experience using a fire extinguisher to put out flames. We learned that the extinguishers are filled with carbon dioxide gas, under extreme pressure, and that even though it looks like snow, it's not to be touched! All of our trainees passed fire extinguishing training, as you will see in the extensive photographic evidence that follows!
Micah, our instructor
Sam
Alexis
Abraham
Devin
Michelle
Cameron
Laura
Patrick
Drew
Erik
Annmarie
Kevin
Xavier
Tessa
Aren't we a great team?! Our next experience was a visit to the water room. This is a tank, of sorts, about the size of a large bedroom. Micah explained that when trainees enter, water begins filling up the room and the trainees have to work together to find leaks, cracks, or other things that could be going wrong. Hopefully, they will figure out how to "fix" the issues before water overtakes them. Yes, he said, it is supposed to be an extremely stressful training experience! Wow....
A quick walk through an exhibit where Casey explained that the Coast Guard maintains lighthouses. He also showed us models of the different kinds of boats and ships used by the Coast Guard.
Lunch was great! It was "Taco Tuesday" at the Dining Hall, which was full of Coasties, and we made friends with many of them!
Another highlight of the day was visiting the Exchange. We enjoyed shopping for souvenirs or treats within our individual budgets, and the staff members at the Exchange were super friendly and helpful!
Our guide Chelsea was very personable and seemed to know just what we would like to see and do!
Our last stop of the tour was to see a few of the training boats. Chelsea told us that the US Coast Guard patrols our coasts and protects our waterways, ports, and harbors. They also help protect marine resources and everyday people who enjoy the water! The Coast Guard is the smallest branch of our military, with about 43,000 members. They do a big job with a relatively small team, and we appreciate their service! Thanks, again, Chelsea! We enjoyed our tour very much, and we will take you up on the offer to visit again sometime!
What a fun day!
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