So, you want to join the Coast Guard.

Congrats and thank you for your service.

 

Here is a question, probably best for a recruiter, but what the heck. I am prior service active AF got out in '13, I am not 35 yet and have kicked around the Idea of going back in, this time USCG. do they offer base of choice at all? I have a family now and that would be a deciding factor for me.. Thanks everyone!

 

It’s depends on what you want to do. If you go aviation. About 99% of aviation units live on the economy. There’s only a few units that have base housing. In the boat world. There’s more bases with base housing. But still way not many. If you go to a large base like Cape May, Kodiak. You may have to live on base housing. If you want to join the CG. I would contact a recruiter yesterday. The waits are long, and aviation is probably a 2-3 year wait to even get into MOS school.

 

Thanks for the response! I was an aircraft mechanic for 6 years and would like to do something more medical/rescue related. So I'm assuming the chances of getting stationed some where like Grand Haven, MI. are pretty slim huh?

 

i am gonna dm you info. Feel free to reach out.

 

Thanks!
So I just read this.. "Be between the ages of 17-27"
Army and AF was 35 IIRC?.. 33y Now so USCG is probably out huh?

 

oh yeah I missed that part. Yeah dude. Says 32 is max if you have guaranteed school. You can do reserves. The age limit is 40, they go active quite a bit. Especially the BM rating.

 

Ill check it out, thanks for the info. Will chat with a recruiter soon. Dumb question but, how does reserve service work? you join, then do your 1 wkend a month at your nearest to home station? I was active duty and have no clue how reserve works, I ran away fast, and now I miss it lol.

 

I think so? Lol. I think it’s one weekend a month and then 2 weeks in the summer or soelthing like that. Most reserve units are port security units so they actually deploy as well. To do port security in areas like gitmo

 

That's what I figured as well. I only met one coasty while I was in, and he was our "mail guy" in Afghanistan… I always wondered who he pissed off, or which officers daughter he met..

 

Ahaha mail guy? He was far from home ahaha. No reason for any coasties to be in Afghanistan. To far from the puddles.

 

Sadly, I never got the full story. looks like the recruiter chat line opens later today. Ill reach out and see what they say.

 

Well for a while RAID teams had folks in Afghanistan.

..

As regards age? There's a backdate of 1 year past 27 for every year you served active. That said, the CG's still pretty selective.

Duty stations ... choose your rate, choose your fate and all that. All I know is, I got major cities and nice 5 year geostable tours once I left the cutters.

If you're interested, talk to your local recruiter.

The CG's enl aviation side only has AET (electronics), AMTs (mechanicals), and ASTs ('survival' eg jump in the water types). So folks are pretty broadly trained and can work on both fixed and rotary platforms and all that.

@JustJon we can find you the stuff if you want, remember if it's not in a manual it's just a general description.

 

This is the military sub forum. Coast Guard is part of the Dept. Of Transportation now, so scram you coastie puddle pirates!

I actually have tons of respect for the way the CG does business, but it wouldn't feel be right if a Navy guy didn't give you some shit.

 

*cough HomelandSecurity cough*

 

I did 30 years 2months and 9 days. So glad I did it. Joined at 17 when I was smarter than my parents.

 

Its only taken a year and half(thanks covid) but, I ship out Tuesday (26th) for cape may!