Justin Krashefski Reflects on His Service in the Coast Guard Justin Krashefski has been patriotic his whole life, and after an opportune childhood of basking in the sunny Florida weather and enjoying a high quality of living, he was instilled with the need to somehow give back to the country that raised him so well. After graduating high school, Justin immediately entered basic training for the United States Coast Guard, a transformative experience for the young boy. After five years of serving, Justin Krashefski has returned to civilian life, but he often reflects on his earlier years on a boat with his comrades, traveling vast, blue and sometimes hostile waters.
One of the biggest lessons Justin Krashefski learned in the Coast Guard was how to be liked and respected by one’s peers without sacrificing quality of duty. Growing up, Justin Krashefski often passed on teenage social activities such as dating, partying and petty vandalism. The lifestyle never appealed to him, so he spent most afternoons by himself, training and getting better times on his workout routine. In the Coast Guard, he learned the importance of having fellowship and camaraderie with the men around you, as that is the lesson that eventually helped him move his way up in the ranks. Justin Krashefski had always appreciated the quality of life offered in America, but his service in the Coast Guard allowed him to see how far others would go in order to attain that dream. Throughout his time in the water, Justin Krashefski had stopped thousands of illegal immigrants trying to sneak onto American soil. Some of these people paid dangerous traffickers and entrusted their safety to them, while others braved the waters on a tiny improvised boat, or even no flotation equipment at all. Justin Krashefski saw the people who risked their lives to live in America, and he felt grateful to have been born there. Lastly, Justin Krashefski caught wind of the threats that America faces on a daily basis. In his case, some of the illegals he found were dangerous criminals responsible for their own trafficking programs that often resulted in the loss of life for others. Justin saw the flow of illicit drugs into the States, and wondered what was happening back on his mainland. His work overseas eventually inspired him to become a police officer once he got back to Florida, so he could continue to fight the very things he witnessed while in the Coast Guard.