New London— Andrew Marino finally felt a part of the corps of cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy today.

"Before we stood out," said Marino, 19, of Albany, N.Y. "Officers always wear shoulder boards so we seemed awkward and out of place."

Monday was the end of swab summer, a seven-week training program designed to transform civilian students into military recruits. Marino and his classmates who persevered through the series of physical and mental tests were rewarded with fourth-class cadet shoulder boards, the navy-blue pads without stripes that show their standing at the academy.

Of the 297 who reported in at the start of the summer, 278 participated in the ceremony that was held indoors instead of on Washington Parade Field due to the rain. Eleven had left for medical reasons, and the rest voluntarily withdrew.

The Class of 2015 endured record heat, soreness, fatigue and the "constant attention" of the upper-class cadets, said Capt. John C. O'Connor, commandant of cadets. He told the new cadets that they ultimately earned their place among the corps.

The summer regimental staff also turned over the leadership of the corps to the fall regimental staff in a change-of-command ceremony.

j.mcdermott@theday.com