Skills and books and legs: Oh My!

Hey spouses: get those skills!

I expect that by now, many of you have either heard of or started to take advantage of the new (to spouses anyway) Skillsoft Training System. The Coast Guard has now made this training available to spouses and dependents of active duty AND reserve personnel. (Thanks CG!)

The training is conducted and completed in an online format and is self-paced. There are many courses to choose from accounting to compliance and even HR. Another bonus to this training is that online books are available to assist you in your studies and broaden your knowledge base in a number of areas. And, yes, you it appears that you can get college credit for some courses through certain colleges/universities. You'll see that once you are in the system and start to review the catalog and plan your studies.

Read the complete message: ALCOAST 164/08

How do you get started?

The first thing you need to do is request a user ID via the internet. You will need to visit the following website: https://learning.uscg.mil/. Click on “Skillsoft for Spouses” in the middle of the page. Complete the “New User Registration Form”.

What happens next?

Your eligibility will be confirmed and you will receive an email confirmation.

*** Wait there’s more ***

Oh, and even greater news, spouses can get their sea legs. No, no, no, it’s not the unshaven forest your legs become when your spouse is underway, rather, it’s a great resource for spouses and families. Take a gander, if you get a chance.

Per, MCPOCG Skip Bowen:

This is an information booklet for new spouses. It is meant to provide a quick reference guide for new spouses and family regarding life in the Coast Guard. It is not meant to replace the "Spouses Handbook" maintained by the Work Life Program. This is simply meant to be an easy to understand reference guide for new spouses/families. This booklet is a modified version of the Navy "Sea Legs" publication that is provided to all new Navy families. I intend to seek funding to print booklets for distribution to new spouses at ID card issuing facilities and accession points. Meanwhile, "Sea Legs" will be located on the Coast Guard web site http://www.uscg.mil/ under "Spouses and Family."

Vr MCPOCG Skip Bowen

CLICK HERE to get SEA LEGS.

In the Age of Email

Thankfully most military folks now have the ability to access and use email while they are deployed. Today's (new) Coast Guard spouse may take this technology for granted. Though, we can't and shouldn't hold this against them. They didn't know any other way. To them, it's always been there. Nonetheless, when a ship's email is down or there is a delay, it's hard not to project Stop complaining. There wasn't always email. In fact, as our own Christina reminded me, not all of the smaller ships are equipped with the "luxuries" that the larger cutters have. These guys and gals may not be able to connect to home via phone or email while on deployment.

I can remember writing letters the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper. I even shopped for special stationary because it was a big deal to me and the recipient. Still, I consider myself fairly young and just semi-seasoned. I was on the cusp of the technological advances that made our military members more accessible. Cell phones weren't prevalent when I came of age, but they surfaced not too long after. Today, they can be seen on the hips of Coasties everywhere (even in uniform, tsk, tsk). Spouses, significant others, mothers, Chiefs, etc. can get a hold of these guys (and gals) in blue at a moment's notice.

Even when a cutter is deployed halfway around the world, members can log on and email or chat with their spouses. One wife I am friendly with used a webcam back here in the states while her husband was in PATFORSWA in 2004 so that he could see their new baby as she grew. Their chats every few nights meant so much to both of them, but were such a far cry from what the spouses of 20, 30, 40, and even 50 years ago did to keep in touch.

Now, I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic, and I can't help but honor the time-old-tradition of letter writing. So, when my husband is deployed, not only do I enjoy the emails and phone calls, but I also still write letters. Sometimes I even flip the stamp upside down to indicate "I Love You". Who knows if it actually means that but once upon a time, a military girlfriend who was writing to her Marine said that and it stuck with me. For all I know, it means, Go ahead and spend all your money in the islands. Eek!