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2012 List Introduction


Interim Listmaster - Paula Smith
Congratulations to your swab, and welcome to the Coast Guard Academy “family”. I have been asked to facilitate your class message list during swab summer. The purpose of the this list is to serve as a group message board and provide a place to exchange information, get questions answered (when there ARE answers), and provide a safe haven for the class parents to share their concerns, questions, advice, comments, and yes, the up-and-down emotions that are part of swab summer. The list is intended as a group message board and messages should be relevant for the entire group. Messages intended for one or a few individuals should be done off-list.

My name is Paula Smith and I’m the mom of cadet Shea Winterberger, class of 2009. I live in Alaska with my husband, younger daughter, two cats, a goldfish, and the occasional moose that wander through our yard. Our family had no exposure to military life until Shea started at the academy in 2005. Sending my first-born off to a military college 4,500 miles from home certainly left me with a range of very mixed emotions, a very normal (if a bit unsettling) reaction.

Some of you are well acquainted with the military culture and to military academies; others will be exposed to it for the first time. Some have sent other offspring to college; for others, this is a new experience. Some will have experience with the Academy with an older offspring attending. This class message list is the place for all of you to ask your questions and share your experiences.

There have already been many posts to this list. You may want to review the messages posted to see what information is already available. There is a ‘Subject Keyword Search’ if there is specific information you may be seeking.

You will notice different colors in the messages. They are color-coded to easily see what kind of message it is. Those in black are original messages from a list member. Message in green are from the listmaster. Messages in blue are responses to an original message posted by another member. Message in red are private messages. If you see red text, it only means that it is a private message and that you are the only one who can see it Even though you will view it just as you do all the other messages, no one else will be able to see it.

I will do my best to answer your questions. Sometimes I will do that directly; other times I may get answers from CGA staff. Sometimes a response may be delayed as I try to ensure I have the most current and complete information to share. Keep in mind that things do change and nothing is ever exactly the same from year to year. Always remember that the information you receive directly from the Academy is the official word.

In the first message posted to the list, and on the CGA Parent’s Association home page below the 2012 button, you will find a link to some guidelines for using this list. Please adhere to the guidelines and be respectful of others even when your opinions differ. Once again, welcome aboard. I lok forward to helping you navigate through this very exciting summer.

Please contact the Webmaster with any issues, advice or comment on this site and observe our web policy on its use.
This page last updated on: 27 July, 2008