U.S. Coast Guard Direct Commission

A Coast Guard Direct Commission offers educated and experienced individuals the opportunity to begin a career in the Coast Guard directly as an officer. Professional lawyers, engineers, aviators, environmental managers, maritime academy graduates, and officers with prior experience in another branch of the military are eligible to apply.

A direct commission confers the rank of Ensign, Lieutenant (junior grade), or Lieutenant on accepted applicants, depending on their field and experience. Usually individuals apply after they have had at least a few years of practical experience. It is not unusual, however, for maritime graduates and both engineering and law students to apply directly after school and get their first experience with the Coast Guard.

Through Direct Commission there is no boot camp or Officer Candidate School. Instead there is a four-week Direct Commission Officer Course at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. (Lawyers must also take a five-week Operations Orientation Program and a ten-week Basic Lawyer Course, elsewhere.) All direct commissions, except those in the lawyer program, carry a three-year full-time active duty service obligation in the Coast Guard Reserve. Lawyers sign a contract for four years of active duty. Those who remain in the Coast Guard Reserve after their initial contract may integrate into the regular Coast Guard being selected for the rank of Lieutenant. Once in the Coast Guard, direct commission officers follow standard promotion procedures.

For those who wish to enter the Coast Guard after college, but are not in a field where a direct commission is offered, an alternative is Officer Candidate School (OCS). This is the option for the art history major who is considering a career in the military. Applicants who are accepted take part in a seventeen-week officer training course at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. They are taught leadership fundamentals, rank structure, the promotion system, and a wide range of highly technical information necessary for performing the duties of a Coast Guard officer. College grads take the course alongside enlisted servicemen who have worked their way up the ranks.

If you are a college graduate you can get information on applying for direct commission by calling the Coast Guard at 1-877-NOW-USCG. Information on the OCS application can be obtained by calling 1-800-GET-USCG. The Coast Guard's recruiting website provides listings of local recruiting offices that can supply information for both.