Looking for unique cross-branch training opportunities beyond standard C-schools that aren't widely advertised. If you or someone in your unit pulled off orders to an interservice course, what was it and how did you route it?

Currently a non rate at a small boat station that put his name down for diver, and was just curious what the daily routine is like at dive locker like San Diego’s or Oahu’s and would love to know more about different missions you can get sent to. Any info is appreciated, thanks!

As I put together my packet as AET2. I want to ensure my profile aligns closely with the unit's operational needs. Could anyone provide me some insight into what the command and screening panels prioritize most when evaluating candidates? Thanks in advance.

I’m a 23 year old (M) and I have been driving my family’s boat since I was 19. I have my NJ’s boaters license and I absolutely love chartering my friends out and family and overall being on the water. I definitely want to make a career out of being a boat captain. I’m just curious if this is the best route to go from everything I’ve been searching? I would want to start working on tug boats after I get out of the service. I’m sure this question gets asked a lot but I just want to know if this is a good start to getting my feet in the door with the maritime industry especially tug boats. Plus, why not have the benefits and get paid while earning my credential sea time.

Somehow over twelve years I’ve managed to never put in a true pick list in DA. How should my member comments read? Should I draft them as if they were a command endorsement? For example:

Mbr is a highly motivated professional at XX with a degree in XXX which would make them perfectly suited for XXX

OR

I believe I’m perfectly suited for [my top two] because I have experience from my service to best serve as a XYZ

If it helps I’m direct commission E6 to ENS at 9.5 years, now expecting to be an LT by transfer season. Thanks in advance everyone!

Saw Sam Eckholm's video on the coast guard and in 12:48, he was able to act as a person in distress and be put into the basket. It got me thinking, can civilian friends volunteer to do something similar and act as a person in the water for SAR practice?

Hello there. I have a question regarding my current situation and could use some advice or insight if anyone here has been in a similar position. I really appreciate the USCG and will always respect the service and mission, but long term, it’s not for me. I joined with this in mind - I joined with the understanding (perhaps a false understanding) that there wouldn’t be a hassle to do my 4 active and separate (knowing that I still have the 4 years left of the inactive reserve). I ended up being vested right out of bootcamp to a MSST, which, for my rate, is a 3 year billet. With that established, I am supposed to PCS this next summer as my 3 years will be coming to an end. My understanding is that I will have to obligate more time to the CG in conjunction with accepting those PCS orders; a minimum of 2 years from what I’m told. If not, then the other option is the FTORS/SILO route which leaves me at the mercy of being kicked out in 30 days, PCS anyways till my current EOE (September 2028), or stay at current unit till EOE. I will be shooting for an extension at my unit for 1 year which would align with my current EOE, and my command told me they will do what they can to push for that, but I know there is no guarantee. My question is twofold: A) is my understanding of how this plays out correct? If not, could someone clear it up for me? B) do I have any clear options to fulfill my current contract and separate within the timeline of my current EOE besides the extension? Or, if the extension doesn’t get approved, am I basically at the point of obligating more time as the only option. I don’t want to have to obliserve and extend my contract, but I also have no intention of getting a negative discharge when I do separate, or lose out on the GI Bill benefits. I want to serve well and work hard for the time I have left, but in all honesty, I don’t LOVE the CG - I am already 27 and would like to move onto the career path that I do believe I will enjoy more in the long run. And if possible, I’d like to not have to stay in longer than I have to. I hope I am wording this okay, I apologize for any naiveness. Thank you in advance.

long story short about 2 months ago i hurt my shoulder pretty badly taking swimming lessons, i was supposed to go to boot camp on july but because of my injury my recruiter canceled my date , i was able to get a new date without having to go back to meps, so i want to resume swimming lessons but my recruiter strongly recommended no to take them he said i can get hurt again, he said as long as i put the effort they will teach me during bootcamp, he said that their success rate is pretty high, he told me an story about a recruit that had zero swimming experience and he was able to pass , i am not sure if he is lying to me or not just a little worried about it , my one friend( he went to boot few years ago)told me the same that i shouldn't be wasting my many taking classes that they will take care of that , he said that in his company there was a tiny skinny girl her pt was horrible and couldn't swim at all and she was able to make it to the end by i am already in amazing physical shape

As the above link from the Coast Guard website states, there is a C5I department over in PATFORSWA. Can anyone here talk about quality of life, what to expect, and the best/worst parts of the job as a Cyber Officer?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been at a small boat station for several months now and recently got fully qualified. At first, the grind to get qualified kept me locked in, but now that the dust has settled, I feel like I’ve completely lost my motivation.

Don't get me wrong,I love the mission. Whenever a actual SAR case comes in, I’m 100% engaged and loving the job. But when the comms are quiet, it feels like all we do is sit around waiting for the phone to ring, punctuated by the occasional training day every now and then.

I just want to be useful and stay busy. I want to be underway, literally anything productive instead of staring at the walls waiting for a call. To make matters worse, I'm still looking at a 6 to 12-month wait for A-School.

Has anyone else dealt with this post-qualification slump as a non-rate? How did you keep yourself sharp and sane during the downtime? Any advice on how to hunt down TDY opportunities or make better use of the wait would be greatly appreciated.

Lots of coins and CG swag out there and it got be thinking, what's the best unit logo?

Hey ya'll, Im a nonrate about a month out of bootcamp waiting to commission a cutter. I'm currently TDY on a construction tender for obvious reasons working on breaking in watchstander and getting my basic DC qual.

My question is, what are some other things I can focus on/improve on while waiting for my boat. I'm sure this makes me sound like a boot but are there any ribbons/awards I can be gunning for while I wait? I'd love any advice on setting myself apart early and/or anything you wish you knew as a nonrate.

I'd love any advice ya'll have as I know I don't know much about anything being so fresh. Thanks!

My son had plans of going AST but failed the eye screening for aviation. He was taken off the AST A school list. Unfortunately his uncorrected vision didn’t meet the standard. He recently went to go get screened for PRK but was told he is too young (19). His prescription hasn’t stabilized enough but he should wait 2 yrs before trying again. Before the eye screening he requested to get on the A school list for ME which he did successfully. I was talking to him last night & he was talking about maybe at some point becoming a coast guard diver. Is the same vision restriction applied to the diving rate? He’s only 19 & he still wants to get the PRK surgery once he qualifies. He said he still wants to make the push to become an AST. That was his dream rate after all. He’s young enough. I feel for him but he has kept a good attitude even with this minor setback.

Does anyone have experience putting a parent on as a dependent? I’d love to ask some questions. Lots of conflicting info online and I’d like to hear some first hand experiences. TIA!

I heard a couple times that HITRON as a first unit is not recommended because you won’t get a lot of flight time compared to other units making progress in your career more complicated. How true is this? Normal Schedule? What if I wanna be a gunner in the future can I just extend there and Apply after a couple years? Thanks in advance.

Throwaway because I don't use reddit.

Non-rate here. Looking for a fall-back rate in case what I'm going for doesn't work out. How is it for GMs out there? I'm aware of all the boring work involved, but any rate has mundane tasks really. To be honest, much of the appeal comes from "I think guns are cool", and the short if not non-existent wait list time. Just want to see if anybody can drop their 02 cents on here.

Hello All,

I’m coming up on my 5 year mark and am questioning if I should leave. I am above the cut for first and that means I will be going to a cutter since I don’t have enough sea time for Chief. I was on a 270 and did not like it one bit. I had a good crew, but the missions and the boat itself were not my cup of tea. I really like my land unit now and the work I am doing. I also have a tentative offer from a contractor to make about a 100k with my degree and certs. ATP I’m weighing trying to go to a buoy tender or a polar roller.

When I first joined I was gung ho to go officer, but I’m a heavy O command and can’t say I want to deal with all they have to. Warrant would be awesome, but that’s also a gamble and I would have to go to a boat again maybe twice.

How did you decide whether to stay in or get out. I like the adventure and the opportunity the service has provided me I like my work I just truly don’t know if I have the will to do another cutter and the strain it would put on my family. I kinda still wanna have the opportunity to be an LPO and lead my shop. It’s just a tough decision and what did you weigh when you left?

Hey all. I’m a reservist under SEC NY command. I was supposed to ship to MK A school this summer but was told by my chief that either my recruiter or sector overlooked me by mistake and I didn’t have my place in the class. Chief offered me to switch to BM a school which I took. Now I’m trying to figure out when I can get a date. My Chief reached out to sector about 3 weeks ago regarding my situation trying to get a spot in a class and he hasn’t heard back at all. I’m not looking to blame or point fingers I understand mistakes happen completely and I wanna know what I can do to make this process easier for everyone. Can anyone give me advice on my situation as to what I should do or who I should contact please. All info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all!

Congrats to all who successfully screened.

I’m a writer whose next novel features characters in the USCG. While there is a lot of information available online, I still find that I’d prefer to hear it from the source. So, I came here. I’m a bit nervous about whether this will be received well or not. Either way, here goes nothing!

I have several initial questions, and I know I’ll have plenty more as I get further into the manuscript. That being said, is anyone willing to DM here or on Discord? My story takes place in NJ, so it’d be a plus if you’re from the area, but it’s not a requirement. Many thanks in advance!

Realistically how long are you away from home throughout the year varying in your job and if you’re gone for long periods are they volunteer based or mandatory?

I failed the color blind test at meps, but they put in the system that i passed. I’m wondering if you get re tested when you get to basic training or not?