Looking for some insight on the U.S. Coast Guard

DoleyBob

Hey guys,

I've been giving some serious consideration to signing up with the Coast Guard and I was wondering if there is anyone around here that could possibly throw some first hand information my way. Anything would be a pretty big help and I'd appreciate it.

RUNN1NGMAN

I'm your man, what would you like to know? Are there any specific areas you're interested in? Marine safety, law enforcement, search and rescue?

Edit: also, how old are you? Do you have a college degree? Are you looking to go to OCS or to enlist?

Dman

My dad was a pilot in the Canadian Air force for 20 years. He was away from home a lot, he worked hard, and he loved it. He just really loved flying. It should be noted this isn't the best job if you want to be a family man.

He was underpaid and kinda treated badly, even though he did make his way up the ranks to Major before going private sector. Moving up the ranks = more paperwork and less flying, and he realized if he was going to be mostly pushing paper he could get paid a lot more for it elsewhere.

I don't know anything about the coast guard in the US, but I expect there to be similarities in the overworked underpaid and moving up the ranks = more paperwork departments. If you really love the ocean/boats as much as my dad loved flying then I say go for it.

DiscoZombie

A side question for military types: how do people decide which armed forces sector to go for? I always hear about people saying they're joining the army/navy/air force/coast guard/national guard/marines/god knows what else, and I always wonder, how did you choose that one? I have no clue what the difference is.

Darkewolfe

Ask to be stationed in Dutch Harbor.

That is all.

VisionOfClarity

I spent my high school years in Cape May, NJ by the Coast Guard base. Maybe 6-8 kids from my graduating class went into the Coast Guard and one attended the Coast Guard Academy. The one who went to the academy is the only one I've kept up with and she loved it. She loves the Coast Guard and is very happy with her decision 5 years on. All I personally know is that I love the way the navy blue pants fit on most of the men in the Coast Guard. I think I spent most of my high school summers drooling over them on the boardwalk. That, and the hats are adorable.

DrunkMc

My brother and his wife are both Officers in the Coast Guard and can't say enough good about it. They love what they do, they love the people that they are with and they love the opportunities the CG affords them.

The only downside that I've seen and heard them bitch about is you tend to move every 3 years, and doesn't really give you enough time to really build up your home how you want it. By the time you're really settled, you have to sell and move again.

RUNN1NGMAN

DiscoZombie wrote: »

A side question for military types: how do people decide which armed forces sector to go for? I always hear about people saying they're joining the army/navy/air force/coast guard/national guard/marines/god knows what else, and I always wonder, how did you choose that one? I have no clue what the difference is.

Well, I know that a lot of people, including myself, choose the CG because their missions are much more domestic in focus, and there is much more of a humanitarian component to the missions. The CG also probably has the widest variety of missions compared to other services. Want to be in law enforcement (real, interact with the public law enforcement, not MP stuff?), you can do that. Want to work in aviation? Want to do environmental response? Want to work on a ship? Want to be a SEAL and get assigned to Navy Socom? Want to go to Bahrain for a year and work on a CG patrol boat and work with foreign navies? You can do all of that in the CG. And spend (most) of your career in the continental US. It's pretty unique among the services.

webguy20

So how do you sign up? Do you have to join the standard military or can you apply especially to the coast guard? I've always thought it would be awesome to be part of the coast guard, but I also don't want to be shipped overseas. So whats the deal?

RUNN1NGMAN

webguy20 wrote: »

So how do you sign up? Do you have to join the standard military or can you apply especially to the coast guard? I've always thought it would be awesome to be part of the coast guard, but I also don't want to be shipped overseas. So whats the deal?

If you want to enlist or go to OCS, you just have to visit a Coast Guard recruiter in your area. If you want to go to the Academy, you have to apply and get accepted just like regular college.

You sign up specifically for the Coast Guard, and then go to Coast Guard boot camp or OCS. Then, depending on what rate you decide on (kind of like a specialty) you may go to a unit or go to a training school.

webguy20

Of course with all flying jobs you need to have military time. It's damned hard to be a helicopter pilot. Civilian or otherwise.

chromdom

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Ask to be stationed in Lake Tahoe.

That is all.

Fixed.