USCG Basic Training Phone Rules
Say Goodbye To Your Cell Phone
Many of you who are thinking about joining the Coast Guard and begin researching Coast Guard Boot Camp ask “are phones allowed in Coast Guard Boot Camp?”.
The answer is fairly straightforward.
The short version is “no”.
The longer explanation is that you can bring your cell phone with you on the flight and the bus ride to Cape May, but it will be confiscated shortly upon arrival.
Don’t worry though! – You will get it back.
The Cape May Training Center staff will go through all of your stuff with you and anything that’s contraband will be put into storage. You can then retrieve it upon leaving. This includes your cell phone.
First Call
The other phone related thing that will happen when you first get to Coast Guard Boot Camp is that you’ll be allowed to make one phone call to your family or a person of your choice. This is to let them know you arrived there safely.
After that, you won’t be touching any sort of phone for a few weeks.
The Return Of The Phone (Sort Of)
If your company is performing well, then at some point after passing your mid-term exams, you will be granted the privilege of making a call. These calls are timed and typically happen in the 5th week of training. Most recruits call their parents, spouse, another family member, or a close friend.
You may also be allowed one last additional call during the final week of basic training, but again, this will be at your Company Commanders’ discretion.
So the more in-depth answer to “are phones allowed in Coast Guard Boot Camp” is a “no” but with an asterisk*.
That asterisk leading to a footnote detailing the information you just finished reading. That is to say that depending on how your company is doing, you may be given access to a phone to be able to make a timed call to a relative or a friend after mid-term exams.