Joining the Coast Guard Reserve

The Coast Guard Reserve has operated since 1939 when it served as an organization of gravy boat owners to promote boating safety. During World War II, the give Coast Guard Reserve was established as a military servicing, and by the end of the war, there were 144,000 Coast Guard Reservists .
The Reserve has served in every major conflict and intervention since. It serves a vital function in assisting the active Coast Guard in a variety of demanding missions, such as sea-lane drug interdiction, search and rescue, and police enforcement.

What Does It Take to Join the Coast Guard Reserve?

here are a few general guidelines if you are concern in joining the Coast Guard Reserve. First-time enlistees must :

  • Be between 17 and 40 to enter without specialized professional skills. Prior-service personnel should contact their local recruiter for specific programs.
  • Have a high school diploma, although in some instances, GED certificates can be accepted.
  • Pass a physical.
  • Be physically fit.
  • Be able to swim (or be willing to learn).
  • Take and pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test, which will determine career paths available for consideration. For tips on doing well on the ASVAB, see the Ace the ASVAB section.
  • For more on general Reserve benefits and pay, see the Reserve Help Pages.

Joining the Coast Guard Reserve

The Coast Guard offers a variety of ways to join, no matter what phase of life you are in .
Student Reserve Program — If you ‘re even in school ( high school seniors, college or vocational ) and are between the ages of 17 and 28, the Student Reserve Program lets you join the Coast Guard Reserve without interrupting your school. You ‘ll train for two summers and serve one weekend a month during the school year. ( You ‘ll be paid for your weekend duty. ) After training, you ‘ll put your newly acquired skills to use one weekend a calendar month .
Petty Officer Selectee Program — If you have no anterior avail and you ‘re age 17 through 27, you may qualify for our petty Officer Selectee Program. You ‘ll take about 30 weeks of basic and advanced train — including particular discipline in your choose skill. And your educate is guaranteed before you return to civilian biography .
Direct Petty Officer Program — If you ‘re older ( 26-35 ) with a skill and have no prior military experience, you may be eligible to take advantage of our Direct Petty Officer Program. This lets you enter the Coast Guard Reserve directly as a junior-grade policeman, with immediate duty and the pay up that goes along with it .
Prior Service Program — If you have anterior military service and meet our age requirements, you may qualify for our Prior Service Program. Depending on your peculiarity held while in the military service, you may enlist at the lapp rate previously held on active duty. many veterans choose this Prior Service Program to finish out their 20 years of service for added retirement benefits .

What is the Coast Guard Reserve experience?

The Coast Guard Reserve offers four drill condition options. These options let you decide on the sum of time spent in the active Reserves and in the Individual Ready Reserve ( IRR ).

Drills — A drill consists of two days of training per month. Your pay will be adjusted mechanically for cost-of-living increases. You ‘ll get pay up increases for every two years of accumulate service and may earn special-duty pay. To calculate your drill yield, visit the Drill Pay Charts .
Annual training — annual train in the Coast Guard Reserve is held for two weeks per year. Depending on the unit and your forte, you could be stationed at a shore localization, with an air travel squadron or aboard embark .
Travel — As a penis of the Coast Guard Reserve, you will have the opportunity to travel on and off duty. You besides qualify for military space-available change of location within and between the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico. For more on military travel options and benefits, see the Travel Center .
Life insurance, medical care — The Coast Guard Reserve provides comprehensive aesculapian concern while on duty. You besides qualify for low-cost biography insurance. For more on these and other benefits visit the Military.com Benefits section .
VA Home Loan Program — Members of the Coast Guard Reserve with at least six years of serve are eligible to apply for the Department of Veterans Affairs Home Loan Guaranty program. For more on this platform, go to the Military.com Home Ownership section .
Base privileges — As a member, you can access all recreational facilities on military bases, such as gymnasium, tennis courts and libraries. You and your family can enjoy outright access shop at any military Exchange countrywide. Coast Guard Reserve members and their families are entitled to use base commissaries .
GI Bill for Selected Reserve — Depending on your eligibility, the GI Bill allows you to attend school wide time while serving in the Reserve and get full moon tutelage and stipends. That ‘s in addition to your Reserve paycheck and any other Reserve educational benefits you may be eligible to receive. For more on the GI Bill for Reservists, go to the Military.com GI Bill resource section .
Tuition assistance — The Reserve offers you tuition aid. You can be reimbursed up to 100 % tutelage aid up to $ 250 per semester hour, or $ 166 per quarter hour, not to exceed $ 4,500 annually per service member. For more on this program, see the Tuition Assistance Overview.

College credits by exam — Members of the Reserve can take advantage of complimentary College Level Examination Program tests ( CLEP ). For every test you pass on a particular subject, you earn up to six movable college credits .
Voluntary education — Most Coast Guard commands have education servicing officers who help Coast Guardsmen identify their goals and determine how best to reach them. The Coast Guard Institute manages the voluntary education programs that include education rede, CLEP test, tutelage aid, dislodge college transcripts and academic academic degree plan. Learn more about Coast Guard Voluntary Education Programs .

Interested in Joining the Military?

We can put you in touch with recruiters from the different military branches. Learn about the benefits of serving your nation, paying for school, military career paths and more : signboard up nowadays and hear from a recruiter near you .
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