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U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Coast Guard Cutter Munro Journal Entry

Journal Entry - September 23, 2008 - Western Pacific Ocean

          

Western Pacific Ocean, Saturday, Sept. 23rd 

From Ens. Crystal Hudak, Coast Guard Cutter Munro Education Service Officer

The Coast Guard offers some great educational opportunities, and almost everyone who meets with me (the Training Officer and assistant Education Service Officer) expresses interest in gaining a college education or continuing what they started. The only problem is that it's hard to take online classes with limited connectivity, not to mention sit in a classroom when the cutter is deployed half the year.  So we thought, why don't we just start one onboard? So now "Munro U" meets for an English and two math classes once a week and has about 20 students. The classes are taught by junior officer's, which means homework help is easy to find on a boring watch on the Bridge or Main Control. At the end of patrol, CWO4 Quass, the ESO, will be administering the CLEPS test for both subjects. If our crew members pass, they will receive college credit for the class they took onboard. This will save them time with their college education, as well as giving them a broader education. Next on deck - a history and science class to be done with DVD's for next patrol.

Having a port call on a Navy base has given me a great opportunity to see how the "Big Navy" runs their programs. I met with their ESO to learn about their program and find out what she could do to help. She was very impressed by our program, especially because only one Navy ship in all of Yokosuka offers classes onboard. I laughed and told her I didn't know how the Navy operates, but this is how the Coast Guard does things.  The Coast Guard and Navy have learned to expect even more from MUNRO!

I also met with the base athletic director, and we're invited to play in the Navy "Captain's Cup" basketball tournament our next port call... We're in trouble if they pair us up against the GEORGE WASHINGTON!

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