So, you want to join the Coast Guard.

Been seeing a White Trd OR Access Cab 2nd gen with some powder coated bronze wheels and a Tacomaworld.com sticker at Coast Guard Yerba Buena Island. Think you're on the Aspen but very nice Taco and I'm lovin the rims.

 

That's me, thanks man. I don't know if I've seen yours around or not. Seems like there's been a Tacoma boom on base lately.

 

for all of you guys considering uscg/navy,officer or enlisted,the the merchant marine industry is an option for you once you complete your tour of service...qm's,bm's,sn's can go right to "able seaman"(with qualifying sea-time and test)deck and enginerring officers can qualify for "mate,engineers"engine men can qualify for "qmed/junior engineer....electricians,hvac,reefer engineers,ect....the shipyards want your services also,when I got out of the navy as "BM-2",i had letters from 2 major shipyards as "rigger".i opted to go merchant marine...made good money with plenty of time off,i don't recall working more that 7 months a year in my 31 years in the marine industry.

 

Nah you haven't seen mine because I'm unwilling to pay that toll to get to YBI haha I've just been taking a gv over because I'm tad for a class

 

Checking in from Sector Seattle.

 

First rule: Don't believe a recruiter who promises anything.
Second rule: When you don't get what the recruiter promised, never invoke your rights.
Third rule: Read the second rule again.
Fourth rule: Never ask why.

 

M. Though I have a set of sparks somewhere.

 

I am currently a junior in college and I am part of the CSPI program with the Coast Guard. It's the best scholarship in my eyes. Even though you are getting your college paid for, this program will help you go commissioned. At the same time you will be able receive training like no other program offers. What separates this from any other scholarship is that you will be receiving full pay as an E-3. Go to gocoastguard.com for the full details. It is the college student pre-commissioning initiative.

 

This thread was exactly what I was looking for! I just graduated college with a degree from the best entrepreneurship program in the nation. After a lot of soul searching, I realized that I really want to join the military in some capacity before focusing completely on my business ventures. I am particularly interested in search and rescue, combat search and rescue and emergency medicine. I am currently deciding between the Army, the Coast Guard and the Air Force. I have talked to recruiters from all three branches, but so far, the Army recruiter is the only one who has returned my calls and actually been helpful. He also was really passionate about the Army. I'm a very analytical guy, but the Army recruiter was inspiring. That said, I would really like to be able to work on my other businesses while in the military, which would require about 30 hours per week on the internet. I was thinking the Coast Guard would be the best way to accomplish this. I also like the idea of doing search and rescue in the states, saving American citizens on American soil. The other thing the Army recruiter told me is that the Army is the only branch where you know which school you're going to before you sign. As a business guy, I really like having some idea what I'm agreeing to before I agree. If I do join the Coast Guard, I want to be a rescue swimmer. Can any of you advise on how to get in to the Coast Guard as a rescue swimmer or tell me anything I probably don't know about that field or Coast Guard life in general? Thanks in advance.

 

It's a tough gig to get into.

Right now, the CG is being highly selective, and isn't hungry for folks, so you're not going to get a great deal. So you'd better be damned good.

"Rescue swimmer" is a collateral duty among the boat forces, and then there are Aviation Survival Technicians in the Helo (air) groups.

Big difference between the two is that one is a job code, and the other one is something you do while you do a different CG job, as necessary.

As far as the 30 hours a week go, ain't happening. Active duty, you get luck of the draw as a unrated Seaman and you may be assigned a cutter spending months on patrol with only a shared low bandwidth Satellite connection.

It sounds like you might want to pursue our reserve program instead. A lot easier to get into, and if you have existing swim skills they may be usable there as a regular boat crewman.

 

Thank you. So, if I understand correctly, rescue swimmers are members of a boat crew that also act as rescue swimmers when needed and Aviation Survival Technicians are the guys who get dropped in via helicopter? Can you give me any advice on shading the odds of getting one of those positions in my favor? Also, what does the Coast Guard consider damn good? What attributes do they look for?

 

Yup.

 

AST was a critical rate not too long ago so you had a pretty good chance of getting in, as far as I know they are meeting their quotas for now but they also have a high drop out rate so if you have the mental toughness for it there's no harm in applying, there MIGHT be guaranteed "A" school for it but definitely don't quote me on that. There's no real pushing the odds for getting into school, once you're in the CG you do your time as a non-rate then put your name on the list and wait til it pops up. However, I CANNOT stress this enough, go to an air station and actually see what ASTs do on a daily basis. I had a subordinate that was dead set on AST until he went and worked with them for a few weeks and realized it wasn't what he thought it was.

As far as what recruiters want to see-something like a 70 or higher on the ASVAB (mine wasn't taking anything under that even back in 07-08), college is a big bonus, eagle scout, volunteering/extra curriculars, HIGHLY motivated (I had to call the recruiter at least 20 times before I even got a call back, and don't expect to walk in and sit down like you can with the other branches), and of course "diversity".

The CG is small, VERY small. Forerunner works with the recruiter in charge from where I was recruited from and I've met someone I went to boot camp with at every unit I've been to and we only graduated 70-80 people.

At the end of the day your best bet is talking to a recruiter and see what they are looking for. We just got 2 kids fresh out of high school but before that we had 2 college graduates so it's really up to where you're recruiting out of and if they have open spots.

 

Thanks Nirvana. Can you elaborate at all why the subordinate was disappointed in what he saw the ASTs actually doing?

 

Personal satisfaction mostly, he was expecting multi-hour long workout sessions in the gym and pool but instead got people going out to lunch and just hanging out. That's also a unit specified thing. When I was in Hawaii it was rare to get into the gym on the air station because guys were always in there. Everyone I've met in aviation LOVES it but there are also cutter/boat forces that love being underway for 3 months and hitting awesome port calls, it's what you make of it more than anything else.

 

I figured there would be some down time. That's why I was wanting to have my online business. Is that realistic?

 

It all depends on your operational scheduling where ever you are. I'd honestly expect to get stationed somewhere and sit as a non-rate at least 6 months so you might have to put it on hold for that time plus when you're actually at "A" school. At a station you're looking at 6ish months to get fully qualified during which you want to be working on that and not your outside affairs, on a cutter forget about it.

 

I'd say no outside in general. Boat forces ashore, M, maybe. But that online business will need to be able to survive deployments to disasters, duty, TDY to multi week schools, etc.

...

It's crazy over here in M. Median MST is 90th %tile asvab, has at least an associates if not a bs, and is in their late 20s / early 30s.

 

http://www.duffelblog.com/2016/02/coast-guard-saves-very-stupid-people/