Teague grad makes honorable impression at Coast Guard camp

For many youth fresh off a college graduation, there are several paths that can be taken for a profession.

Careers are chosen for a number of reasons: the prestige and respect that comes with a position, the people that someone gets to meet and be around, or simply choosing something that makes one happy.

A lucky few who make the right choices are allowed all of these perks, and more, along their path.

Kaitlin Keaton is one of those lucky few, earning an honorable reputation, camaraderie and a fulfilling experience during her time at Coast Guard boot camp this past winter.

Graduating at the top of the India 198 Company as an Honor Graduate on February 28, Keaton knew the military life would be daunting, but dove in regardless.

“It was just a fascination I guess,” she said.

Growing up in Freestone County, Keaton graduated Teague High School in 2016, an experience she remembers fondly.

“I loved it…[it] was more of just making your own fun, which we got really good at.”

Her initial path in college, where she attended Tarleton State University, was in the Veterinary program, a childhood interest. However, she soon found her heart calling elsewhere.

“I wanted to help animals… as I got into it, there was so much science and just lots of work, lots of school,” she said. “It occurred to me [that] I don’t want to go to school for the rest of my life. I want to travel, I don’t want to be married to my job in the sense that I can’t go do what I want.”

While searching for an alternative path, she sought advice from a family member, who is a federal agent in the Secret Service. After some conversation, she saw the road to being a federal agent as one with more promise.

“That same week I changed my major, and it was the best decision I ever made…it gave me more options.”

During her time at Tarleton studying criminal justice, Keaton took an internship with the Stephenville Sheriff’s Department, learning the ropes on subjects such as criminal psychology and sociology.

After her graduation from Tarleton in December 2019, Keaton thought more about the road to being a federal agent, and sought more familial advice.

Knowing she would be at a disadvantage trying to become an agent straight out of college, going up against more qualified candidates, Keaton knew she had to pivot to something else.

That something was military experience, with Keaton choosing the Coast Guard to focus on.

“[The Coast Guard] work[s] alongside a lot of federal agents…so that kind of got my attention, and I started looking and watching videos,” she said. “I knew that it was it, it was like a click…I think it worked out perfect.”

While it worked out well, Keaton had to work even harder to make it happen, starting with her first day at New Jersey’s Cape May on January 7. Her research had been plentiful, but she had not done much homework on the ins and outs of boot camp.

“I was not ready for it whatsoever,” she said. “My first thoughts were ‘what have I gotten myself into.’ People say ‘oh it’s Coast Guard, it doesn’t really seem like much military,’ but it is! Boot camp is very difficult. It’s physical, but they really push for the mentality of it.”

Waking up at 5 a.m. each morning, Keaton and her fellow squad bay members took part in rigorous classes and training throughout the week. During meal time, commanding officers would pepper the new recruits with questions they had to know “off the top of their head,” such as the exact time of sunrise and sunset on a given day.

“They’re just waiting for you in there, and that’s when they fired you up.”

Despite the constantly moving schedule and tough acclimation process, Keaton knew this was still right for her.

“The first week or so [was] terrible, but I thought ‘I have to get through’...it never crossed my mind that I had to quit, that I should not do this.”

For the new recruit, the original plan was to “fly under the radar,” but that plan was quickly replaced with a rising responsibility role within her female squad bay. After the first week, she was hired on as “squad leader,” which meant making sure the other 20 or so squad members were in line and on-task.

“You’re basically in charge of keeping filed records of everyone,” she said.

Along with her role as squad leader, she also took on other positions during her time at Cape May, such as Yeoman and running mate. Being a running mate meant that she not only had to look after herself, but also her fellow squad members.

“Anyone that was not doing as well, they were on probation, [and] you got to be their helper…I would work with them any time I got, trying to help them.”

Keaton’s leadership paid immediate dividends, with her squad “[having] it together in the very first few weeks” due to her commitment to punctuality and organization.

“It just felt like all of it was on my shoulders…it was a lot of responsibility, [but] having those females there with me, could not have asked for a better group, they were very encouraging.”

The squad’s continued dedication eventually led to them earning the India Company flag colors in week five of camp, whereas most groups earn colors later on in the process, and some don’t earn them at all.

“That was a totally rewarding moment, that was one of the best moments of the entire camp getting that,” she said. “We earned it.”

Keaton’s personal work led to her being awarded Honor Graduate status, the highest honor in the India 198 Company class.

For her, it was an affirmation that the hard work at Cape May paid off.

“I’ve never been the best at everything,” she said. “I’ve never been that person that is the best at sports, this and that, so having that award tells me I was the best at boot camp. It was unrealistic. I didn’t believe it…for me it’s an honor.”

After being in a military mindset for eight weeks, Keaton admitted it was “weird” to step off the base and back into the real world.

From unlearning particular boot camp mannerisms around the house, to participating in routine things such as family meals, she needed some time to adjust to being a civilian again.

At Cape May, she had just 15 minutes for meal time, leaving her family surprised when she returned home to eat.

“First dinner we have, I sit down with my family, and I’ve always been a slow eater, always the last one,” she said. “I sat down with them after boot camp, my dad looks at me and goes ‘did they feed you?’ I just finished my food, everyone is half-way done.”

Keaton has relearned normal life processes during the debriefing period, and now has a multitude of options for the future. She is leaning towards a specialty in intelligence, but also has Coast Guard officer and Company Commander roles in the back of her mind.

For now, she’s just relieved to be through the initial process.

“It’s kind of relax[ed] now,” she said. “I’ve never been in a situation [like this], I’ve always had a step-by-step plan, now that I got out of boot camp, I was like ‘I don’t know what to do now.’ I’m just trying to take it day by day.”