Was just curious about this and wondered if anyone has experience with this or even with the Coast Guard in general?

I was recently laid off and contemplating a career change.

Thanks

Dark_Knight said:

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Was just curious about this and wondered if anyone has experience with this or even with the Coast Guard in general?

I was recently laid off and contemplating a career change.

Thanks

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They're even harder than the AF recruiter to get a hold of....

The only ones I know of are cities with MEP stations (Houston is the only station/time I've seen one)

Best of luck, they really aren't a bad group to work for

Strangely enough I tried for a Coast Guard Reserve Direct Commission back in 2006. The process is similar to many of the other services officer recruiting systems: Application, visit to MEPS, interview by a board of officers, then your file is sent to big Coast Guard for consideration by either the Region or USCG wide Direct Commission board which meets either once every six months, or once a year (I can't remember which). There are really only a handful of slots available, and if you are a civilian it's even more challenging because you are also completing against currently serving Coast Guardsmen, or prior service people.

I went to the board twice, each time they had three slots they were filling, and I ended up being an alternate both times so I didn't make it. After the second time I decided to try the Army Reserve which ended up working out for me. Depending on where you live it can also be challenging to work out the process. I was living in College Station at the time and had to work with the Coast Guard Recruiter on the south side of Houston. If you have your heart set on the Coast Guard then go for it, but just set your expectations accordingly. With that said you may be a far better candidate than I was and get it on your first go. Good luck.

I explored USCG SRDC shortly after 9/11 so my experience is dated and my memory is foggy. It was open to all branches prior service E4 and up. Selection Board was in the spring. The Indoctrination training was in the summer and 2-3 weeks long with surprisingly no speciality training time immediately after. I think they had 3 summer sessions at the time in Connecticut. My recruiter shared a long list of available duty stations along the Gulf coast with emphasis on port security and environmental. Assignment was based on both desire and experience with OJT at duty station. I opted out due to personal reasons. I looked back into about 2005 and selection had greatly tightened. All involved were very open, direct, and professional with the process. It definitely left me with the opinion that the USCG was a professional organization worth working for.

I failed to mention that when I looked back into SRDC in 2005 they had a direct petty officer program that I could jump in after several years out of the USMC at my previous grade or above if I went port security. I'd bet that still exists if that's a route you want to investigate.

If you are interested in military service, you might want to take a close look at the U. S. Coast Guard. I did not serve in the CG but I am quite familiar with the roles that it has. It is prominent in search and rescue, aids to navigation and at-sea drug interdiction. Over a period of 26 years I visited several stations, including the station at Guam. I met members of all grades and ranks; and I was impressed with all of them.

I did not know much about the Coast Guard until my son at age 19 enlisted in 1980. He had sea duty on these cutters (ships): Redwood (Alaska), Vigorous, Harriet Lane, Galveston Island (Guam) and Sockey. Other assignments were as Command Master Chief of the Ninth District (Great Lakes); School Chief of the Chief Petty Officer Academy; and as the 9th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPO-CG). My point: I know enough about the USCG and the kind of people who serve to say that I recommend a close look.

My brother (who often posts here) is a USCG vet and when I graduated in 2004 he went with me to a recruiters office in Irving to talk to them about becoming an officer post graduation. The economy being as it was at the time, I was pretty much told that There wasn't much there for me, which I completely understood.

He was active duty when I was at A&M and was stationed in South Texas and often came to visit on his weekends off. I also traveled down to visit him often and even made it on one of the boats one night to oversee the start of Poco Bueno. It was a really cool job that I know he absolutely loved and looks back on his time very fondly. Probably doesn't help you OP but good luck if you decide to go that route. Send me a PM and I can put you in touch with him if you'd like

Thanks to all for your input. Not sure which way I'll go yet.

Agvet12 said:

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Dark_Knight said:

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Was just curious about this and wondered if anyone has experience with this or even with the Coast Guard in general?

I was recently laid off and contemplating a career change.

Thanks

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They're even harder than the AF recruiter to get a hold of....

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Re: hard to find an AF recruiter.....

As an Air Force veteran, I laughed. After I retired I accepted a part time job traveling across North Texas administering the AFVAB to high school students. Afghanistan was going strong but recruiting was still needed.

At every location there were always recruiters from all branches of service except the Air Force (and of course the Coast Guard...I never saw a CG recruiter).

I was in a small East Texas town one day and an E-6 Air Force recruiter showed up. I asked him why the Air Force never appeared. He said his only opening in the next 6 months was for a gender and race specific person with a high score in electronics. There was one at this particular high school and was going to eat lunch with her at the school cafeteria after testing.

He said the other recruiters were looking for numbers, his Air Force recruiters were looking for applicants with certain scores. He said his competitors were not the other recruiters but colleges.

I am a former USCG O-3. I went enlisted then commissioned though. But if you have an questions, I can answer what I can. I imagine things have changed quite a bit since 97 though.