The Coast Guard is a nautical, military, multi-mission avail alone among the U.S. military branches for having a nautical police enforcement mission, with jurisdiction in both domestic and external waters, and a federal regulative representation deputation as separate of its jurisdiction .
presently, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, but can be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the president of the united states at any time, or by Congress during the time of war .
The Coast Guard ‘s suffer roles are nautical safety, security, and stewardship, and it touts the motto “ Semper Paratus, ” which means “ Always Ready. ”
If the Coast Guard strikes your interest and you ‘ve thought about connect, read on to discover what it has to offer, weigh pros and cons, and learn more about the specifics of enlisting .
history of the Coast Guard
The Coast Guard was originally contribution of the Department of Transportation, but soon after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush established the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ), and the Coast Guard was transferred from civilian leadership to military leadership as function of DHS. Coast Guard roles were upgraded to encompass anti-terrorism and port protection, vitamin a well as other lifesaving, shipping security, and drug interdict duties .
As one of the nation ‘s five arm services, the Coast Guard has been involved in every war from 1790 to Iraq and Afghanistan. It was officially established as the Revenue Marine by the Continental Congress at the request of Alexander Hamilton. Its first function was to collect customs duties in the state ‘s seaports .
By the 1860s, the service was known as the United States Revenue Cutter Service. The Coast Guard was formed from the amalgamation of the Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Life-Saving Service in 1915 .
Coast Guard Requirements
The Coast Guard is one of the more unmanageable branches to join because it accepts far fewer modern recruits than the other branches of the military, and qualify requirements are rigid .
In accession to basic citizenship and physical fitness prerequisites, the Coast Guard sets academic standards as will. They require a minimal of 54 points on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery screen, but you should do better in order to be competitive with mate recruits. You will need a high school diploma or college degree. It will credibly be unmanageable to be accepted with only a GED .
You will have to undergo a credit rating check and pass a security headroom assay. The Coast Guard by and large approves the lowest rate of criminal history waivers and checkup waivers—it is the only branch for which a shellfish allergy bars entry without exception. Prior service applicants may be invited with some rules and restrictions .
Con
indeed, the hard-and-fast introduction requirements might be considered a downside of joining the Coast Guard—perhaps slightly worrisome for those who do qualify, but a complete disappointment for those who do n’t.
Coast Guard Enlistment Incentives
The Coast Guard offers a modest assortment of enlistment incentives to entice qualified applicants to join. These are subject to change, so it is recommend to discuss current incentives with a enroll officer .
Under the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative ( CSPI ), qualifying applicants are promised two years of enlist pay, commission, and two years of college eruditeness in switch over for three years of active duty serve .
The Coast Guard participates in the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides up to 36 months of education benefits for 15 years after your unblock from active duty .
Like the early military branches, the Coast Guard offers accelerate pay grades for advance enlistment rank up to E-3 for such things as college credits or JROTC .
Pro
Incentives to joining the Coast Guard include scholarship money, GI Bill education benefits, and advanced yield grades for academician accomplishment.
Coast Guard Job Opportunities
The Coast Guard has 20 enlisted jobs ( called ratings ) divided into four categories :
- Deck and Ordnance: Maritime Enforcement Specialists (ME), Boatswain’s Mate (BM), Gunner’s Mate (GM), Operations Specialist (OS), and Intelligence Specialist (IS)
- Hull and Engineering: Damage Controlman (DC), Electrician’s Mate (EM), Electronics Technician (ET), Information System Technician (IT), and Machinery Technician (MK)
- Aviation: Avionics Electrical Technician (AET), Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT), and Aviation Survival Technician (AST)
- Administrative and Scientific: Food Service Specialist (FS), Health Services Technician (HS), Marine Science Technician (MST), Musician (MU), Public Affairs Specialist (PA), Storekeeper (SK), and Yeoman (YN)
Pro
The telescope of Coast Guard work is huge, and during serve you ‘ll receive valuable experience that translates to a wide range of professional options in the civilian worldly concern.
Coast Guard Basic train
As in all branches of the military, physical demands can be intense, and so new Coast Guard recruits are rigorously coach and tested at boot camp. The Coast Guard merely has one placement for enlist basic train : Coast Guard Training Center Cape May in Cape May, New Jersey .
In summation to persuasiveness an survival requirements ( push-ups, sit-up, distance run or swim ), all Coast Guard personnel must be able to demonstrate becoming swim skills ; at boot camp you can expect to jump off a 5-foot platform into a pool, swim 100 meters, and tread water for five minutes .
specialize Training Units
Since the telescope and legal power of the Coast Guard work is sol huge, many duties require highly specialize skills that not everyone can perform .
A Helicopter Rescue Specialist ( or Search and Rescue Swimmer ) engages in high-stakes, potentially dangerous, and much difficult search and rescue operations in heavy seas. naturally, the prepare and qualifying test is grueling, with the extra exercises of pull-ups, subaqueous swims, buddy tows, and 500-meter swims .
The Maritime Security Response Team ( MSRT ) is the SWAT Team of the Coast Guard and the only unit within the Coast Guard capable of counterterrorism efforts. The MSRT is trained in calculate action missions, and to be the first base reply to potential or actual terrorist threats. Enlistees who wish to join the MSRT must endure extra combat, war, and counterterrorism trail .
Coast Guard Assignments
The Coast Guard has installations, bases, and air stations throughout the continental United States on the East Coast, Gulf Coast, Great Lakes, and Pacific. Depending upon what type of transport a Coast Guardsman is assigned to, they could live on that ship, or on the base if the ship is not big enough to accompany the crew full time .
Coast Guard personnel function with Assignment Officers to arrange assignments ; these individuals are in charge of all assignments for a detail job residential district and rank ( rate ) crop. typically, the factors that involve priority of assignments are the postdate :
- Has the individual previously been assigned to a sea duty position as a rated individual?
- Has the individual been in the same geographic area?
- What is the individual’s rank?
however, some ratings have a sea time requirement for advancement ( your recruiter should have a list of which ratings require sea time ). besides, as with the rest of the branches, the Coast Guard has oversea assignments and particular assignments, such as recruit .
Pro
- Wide variety of potential locations
- Opportunities for oversea change of location and to see newly places
con
- little control over where you are stationed geographically
- No option in whether you ‘re assigned on boat or on base
- involuntary deployment ( Title 10 )
Coast Guard Deployments
The huge majority of Coast Guard deployments are at ocean on Coast Guard ships. Just as with the Navy, if you do n’t want to deploy on ships or submarines, do n’t join the Coast Guard. Like the Navy, the larger ships are humble cities and can deploy oversea .
As with members of the other Reserve Components, Coast Guard men and women are topic to involuntary mobilization under Title 10 for home security contingencies. however, unlike members of the other Reserve Components, Coast Guard Reservists can besides be involuntarily mobilized for up to 60 days at a prison term for domestic contingencies, including natural disasters and terrorist attacks .
Promotions in the Coast Guard
Individuals enlisting in the Coast Guard can receive boost promotion, up to the rank ( rate ) of Seaman ( E-3 ), for such things as college credits, JROTC, Eagle Scout, Civil Air Patrol, etc. Coast Guard Enlisted are promoted to E-2 after the completion of boot camp, and while advancement to E-3 is about automatic, an E-2 is has certain performance qualifications and nonresident exams required before a recruit is eligible .
In summation, members must have their control officer ‘s approval and six months time-in-grade ( TIG ) or have completed technical educate to qualify for E-3. In some cases, you may besides be eligible to advance to E-3 upon graduation from boot camp based on either enlisting for six years or prior military feel .
Some ratings besides have a sea time requirement for promotion .
Enlisted Commissioning Programs in the Coast Guard
Like the other services, the Coast Guard offers a chance for qualified enlist sailors to finish college and earn a commission as a Coast Guard Officer. The progress programs can change over time as they need more or fewer of unlike policeman specialties .
Read more: Australia Maritime Strategy