The U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) was originally established as the School of Instruction to the U.S. Revenue Cutter Academy in 1876. The first classes were held aboard the Dobbin, a schooner docked in Baltimore. Classes were moved to Curtis Bay, Maryland, in 1890 and to Fort Trumbell in New London, Connecticut, in 1910. In 1915, the Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service were consolidated into the Coast Guard, and the school became USCGA. In 1932, the academy moved to its current location on the Thames River. The USCGA is charged with building character, promoting loyalty, fostering leadership abilities, and preparing physically fit cadets to become officers in the U.S. Coast Guard. This entry describes the training of USCGA cadets and the value ...