Tell me about the Coast Guard

[Eurodriver]

I am prior service active duty .mil and on my way to getting a bachelors degree.

I had planned on going back into the Marine Corps but I wanted to look at other options. I've talked to Army and Navy guys, but never considered the Coast Guard until 5 minutes ago when I saw them on the history channel.

How is the officer side in the Coast Guard? Competitive? (If you are passed up twice in the Corps for promotion as an officer you are out, and it doesn't take much to not pass a career selection board)

Is the Coast Guard just like active duty mil? 30 days leave, pay grades the same, etc? I honestly have no idea, would a coast guard officer get saluted by an Army PFC?

[BCmJUnKie]

Lol Im watching the same show as we speak.

I have alot of friends in Fla. that are Coast Guard.

Navy guys call them Puddle Jumpers. I never had any problem with them.

There is a port in Cocoa Beach Fla. LOTS of work there if you try and get stationed there.

A few other friends went on to drive yachts for private owners.

Go talk to the recruiter, they can tell you alot more and different kinds of jobs

[Eurodriver]

Lol Im watching the same show as we speak.

I have alot of friends in Fla. that are Coast Guard.

Navy guys call them Puddle Jumpers. I never had any problem with them.

There is a port in Cocoa Beach Fla. LOTS of work there if you try and get stationed there.

A few other friends went on to drive yachts for private owners.

Go talk to the recruiter, they can tell you alot more and different kinds of jobs

Recruiters have no interest in getting someone to go officer.

[BCmJUnKie]

Eurodriver Im sure you are right. I am not familiar with that at all.

I dont know about the Coast guard Officer being saluted by Army PFC, there is no army base where I am from, Navy, Coast guard and Patrick AFB were all in a 5 mile area.

Not to mention Nasa was 4 miles away from that

[Iraqgunz]

The Coast Guard is the 5th branch of the military as much as some people want to forget that. They are also the oldest continuous maritime agency in the United States beginning with the Revenue Cutter Service. Your I.D card will say U.S Armed Forces and it will have your rank and grade listed.

Not only are they tasked with military roles but they also perform law enforcement issues. Unfortunately some of this has led to an identity crisis within the Coast Guard.

The rank and pay grades are identical to the U.S Navy and we share many of the same customs and courtesies. Officers are saluted just like every other branch, but there are differences as to when and where. In addition not all officers are addressed as "Sir". Some of them are addressed as "Mister" some as "Sir", etc....

The officers are a different breed and some of the are hard to figure out. One thing about the Coast Guard is that they are very risk averse.

If you are prior service Army or Marine Corps you will be in for a culture shock as I was, especially when it comes to things like fraternization, addressing superiors, etc....

Another little fact about the Coast Guard. At the time when I was in approx. 25% of the Coast Guard was prior service from other branches. So it's not uncommon to run across other former Marines, Sailors, Airman, etc....

[theblackknight]

You might want to CALL a recruiter. Those guys skate hardcore. The guys here only work 9-2 by appointment only and are generally only recruiting the 1st 2-3 months of the year since they're quotas are super small.

Coast Guard O's get to do the action guy shit like the maritime "sniping" aka taking drug running boats engines out via SASR round to the engine block. The cutter here at our port supports drug interdiction and has giant rows of pot leaves to signify how many tons of smack they take down. I talk to the guys when they make port calls and most of their work is finding lost boaters from here to miami.They sail as far as Chile tho.

[GIJew766]

I too have been giving a lot of consideration to the Coast Guard these days. I was a Seabee in the Navy, and worked for Border Patrol's OAM, so I've worked with the Coasties out of San Diego. My thing is, now I'm in school with the medical field, but I am considering enlisting in the CG just because I miss the action. I wouldn't mind doing the officer program once I finish school, but I don't know how that would be in keeping with why I'd go back. Thought about going for rescue swimmer, or doing some maritime law enforcement, but again, I'm not sure what I'd really want more.

IG, any advice at all?

H

[Eurodriver]

The Coast Guard is the 5th branch of the military as much as some people want to forget that. They are also the oldest continuous maritime agency in the United States beginning with the Revenue Cutter Service. Your I.D card will say U.S Armed Forces and it will have your rank and grade listed.

Not only are they tasked with military roles but they also perform law enforcement issues. Unfortunately some of this has led to an identity crisis within the Coast Guard.

The rank and pay grades are identical to the U.S Navy and we share many of the same customs and courtesies. Officers are saluted just like every other branch, but there are differences as to when and where. In addition not all officers are addressed as "Sir". Some of them are addressed as "Mister" some as "Sir", etc....

The officers are a different breed and some of the are hard to figure out. One thing about the Coast Guard is that they are very risk averse.

If you are prior service Army or Marine Corps you will be in for a culture shock as I was, especially when it comes to things like fraternization, addressing superiors, etc....

Another little fact about the Coast Guard. At the time when I was in approx. 25% of the Coast Guard was prior service from other branches. So it's not uncommon to run across other former Marines, Sailors, Airman, etc....

I appreciate the reply.

Do you know where I could go to see what kind of officer programs they have? No interest in ROTC or anything of that sort, but if committing to a contract it would be nice if they had some sort of deal like the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy do for their officer candidates.

I will look around the coast guard website. What is your opinion of their officers? You said "Hard to figure out"...meaning? I don't want my peers to be a bunch of guys who are just there for the paycheck, or trying to get their college paid for.

Edit: Just checked out the coast guard site. I will be contacting a recruiter soon, I hope they don't give me the run around.

[Iraqgunz]

It's hard to describe. I met some that were really great and others who I wouldn't piss on if they were on fire. They were definitely much different than the ones I dealt with in the Army.

There are still many in the Coast Guard that look it at it as a "we aren't life takers, but life savers" mentality. Unfortunately that attitude is wrong. The mission is multifaceted- drung interdiction, SAR, port security, etc.. etc.. and that needs to be remembered.

They also need to get into the 21st century and ditch the M1 rifles in basic training and issue every recruit an M16. They should be learning their weapons in basic and not when they go to their first unit.

Especially considering that LE is also another major facet of USCG life. I remember we had new personnel come to the boat, get shanghai'd and sent to the boarding team and they had never used an M16 in their life and their only exposure to the pistol was in basic.


I appreciate the reply.

Do you know where I could go to see what kind of officer programs they have? No interest in ROTC or anything of that sort, but if committing to a contract it would be nice if they had some sort of deal like the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy do for their officer candidates.

I will look around the coast guard website. What is your opinion of their officers? You said "Hard to figure out"...meaning? I don't want my peers to be a bunch of guys who are just there for the paycheck, or trying to get their college paid for.

Edit: Just checked out the coast guard site. I will be contacting a recruiter soon, I hope they don't give me the run around.