Anyone here been through the programs I listed in the title? I'd love to hear/chat about your experiences in the CG. I'd also love to hear any experiences from Es and Os in the other branches, it may give me insight into opportunities I never even thought of. For context, I'm a Maritime Administration graduate and as far as jobs are concerned, I'm not dead set on one specific path.

I have almost nothing to contribute here other than I have heard from Coasties that they have probably the best peacetime mission in the armed forces.

Jump in with both feet.

I'm currently applying for OCS (R) and was supposed to be on the board coming up but COVID shutdown MEPS to one CG applicant per day so I couldn't get my Physical, ASVAB (which I think is silly because I already have the ASTB taken but whatever), and Officer interview done in time as originally planned, meaning I'll have to wait for the December board.

What path in the CG are you gunning for? Active Guardsmen tell me that if you want to do more hands on stuff, then go enlisted and wait for the A School you want while you do time as a nonrate, and then go O side if you want since O side can be a lot of admin work rather than actually doing the mission.

I'll be on the O side of things. Hoping to go underway for my first contract, however, I know that's unlikely. Do you mind if I PM you?

SeanLucas2020 said:

---

I'll be on the O side of things. Hoping to go underway for my first contract, however, I know that's unlikely. Do you mind if I PM you?

---

Sure, although I would also ask/look around the USCG subreddit, they seem to have a lot of good info (both E and O alike) and that's where I got most of my info from since I'm still technically in purgatory with the OCS board.

I can tell you though DCSS is probably out of the question unless you are already a winged aviator or other profession in need such as lawyer or dentist. I don't know much about MARGRAD, but I see the words Texas A&M so I assume you can get in if you have a certain specialty. USCG Website says you'll be on the Prevention specialty though, so you'll probably be more Aids to Navigation and other smaller construction and inspection units rather than on a cutter doing SAR and drug interdiction.

https://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/officer-opportunities/programs/maritime-academy-graduate-margrad