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Joining the Coast Guard
The Count Of Midget Fisto
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I’ve been thinking of joining the coast guard. I have a BS in Biology, and I was wondering what type of jobs are there for me in the coast guard. Also, I’ve heard since I have a 4 year degree I can apply to be an officer, does anyone know how this works and how difficult it is?
In Low Orbit Over Budapest
The Count Of Midget Fisto on
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As for specific MOS's, i'm sure there is one that can fit your background and degree. Really, your best best is to ask a recruiter what options you have in front of you.
From my expierence working for the Navy, the CG is just as tough and they train just like the U.S. Navy, so it's not an easy ride. Good luck to you.
Yeah, you have to enlist first, and then after about a year to 6 months, you can get placed into OCS. But maybe the services are different, i'm not sure how the CG does things.
From here.
How do I become an officer?
There are several ways to become an officer in the Coast Guard: By successfully graduating from the Coast Guard Academy, successfully completing Officer Candidate School (OCS), or through one of several Direct Commissioning Programs. You must have normal color vision for all officer programs.
What is the Coast Guard Academy?
The Coast Guard Academy is one of the five federal military service academies. Located in New London, CT, the Academy's mission is to produce leaders of character for service to the nation. About 300 High School graduates enroll annually, leaving four years later with a Bachelor of Science degree and commission as an Ensign.
What is Officer Candidate School?
Officer Candidate School (OCS) is 17 weeks of training in New London, Conn. Studies include nautical science, law enforcement, seamanship, and leadership. Competition for entry is stiff. When you graduate, you will be commissioned as an ensign, O-1, in the Coast Guard Reserve with a three-year initial active-duty obligation. Upon completion of your initial three years of active duty, you and the Coast Guard will decide if you can extend on active duty.
How do I apply for OCS?
If you have a four-year college degree from an accredited college and meet the age, physical and moral requirements, you may apply for OCS. Upon completion of your officer package, you will have an interview with three Coast Guard officers. The completed package will be submitted to a board, who will select the top candidates from the packages they receive. For more information, please visit the OCS Home Page or visit your local recruiter.
What about Direct Commissions?
As a professional lawyer, engineer, maritime graduate or environmental manager, you may also qualify for a Coast Guard Direct Commission. Successful applicants attend a four-week indoctrination school at New London, Conn., and receive a reserve commission as an ensign, lieutenant junior grade or lieutenant, depending on your education and experience. For more information on individual programs, please visit our Direct Commissions page.
If you have a BS it won't do you much good. I'd suggest finding a real job as that's what it seems you're looking for.
List of USCG careers, both enlisted and officer. After that, you may want to check usmilitary.about.com
If you still have questions, theres a recruiter that posts at forums.military.com in the Joining The Military-->Recruiting Questions subforum.
They both went to Maritime College, so they got to go straight into OCS.
Anyways when I joined up I went to Cape May, N.J. for boot camp which is actually a breeze and the only hard part is the mind games they give you that which if you fall in to them gets you reverted a week back or even more. The actual workouts and strength stuff is a fucking joke and so are the classes. If anything just train yourself now to be able to drink 2 gallons of water in 4 minutes. Yeah its weird but it kinda helps trust me.
Before I joined I was not aware the the CG had 378ft boats. Which means that if you go to one (I did) means you'll be going on 3 month patrols across the oceans. When I thought Coast Guard I thought US only. This past summer I did a 6 month long one in South East Asia before that South America. Not fun. Saw places that I would never see otherwise but fuck that because .....
The boats in CG fucking suck so science damn much. My boat was from 1968! They want it to last along with her 7 sisters till 2015. These boats are death traps. Even the new National Security boats which come out this year I think have also had the ball dropped where they also don't work right. And you have to remember that since most Enlisted are people with High School and nothing else means you have really dumb leaders. Which in turn means stupid decisions which then leads too crappy work enviorment.
Right now I'm at the training center in Petaluma, CA for the Information Systems Technicion school. Not too bad except for the fact that Im a free thinker which you know the military hates that. I hear it gets better once you E4 and your station but I'll see.
If you want more info from a lowly enlisted that is sort of disgruntled give me a PM.
Also if do join and happen to work alongside the Navy: RUN.
What Maritime school did they go to? King's Point (USMMA), SUNY Maritime, Maine, Mass, Texas, or CMA?