LT Gus Seyler-Schmidt

摘要

Growing up, I had always talked about joining the military, as the travel and excitement was a huge draw for me. As 1 moved through my junior year at Ferrum College, in Va., I started to seriously consider enlisting after school. I was stuck between the Marines and Coast Guard. My trip to the recruiting office sealed the deal for the Coast Guard. As a 22-year-old guy, they told me I could take one of those aluminum boats through huge, crashing waves, and I could be in charge of it. I was sold and never looked back. I had the privilege of serving as the executive petty officer onboard Coast Guard Cutter Chinook, homeported in New London, Conn., from 2007-2009. This was a tour I will never forget because of the challenges I had and the people I was able to interact with. I was second in command, responsible for conducting operations that covered a full spectrum of the Coast Guard's missions from the U.S. and Canada border to northern New Jersey.