U.S. Coast Guard Enlistment

If you want to join the U.S. Coast Guard there isn't a more straightforward way to do it than enlisting. It is an attractive option for young people since several benefits are offered including the following: a steady income, merit-based advancement, paid vacation, acquiring skills applicable to civilian jobs, free health care, life insurance, and, if you want to go to college, tuition assistance and the GI Bill. The Montgomery GI Bill is one of the best tuition aids available anywhere and offers up to $28,000 in return for a $1,200 contribution from enlistees. That comes out to only $100 a month for a year.

An individual can enlist a soon as they graduate from high school. Parental consent is needed for 17 year-olds. New enlistees receive the rank of Seaman Recruit and begin boot camp. Boot camp optimally takes eight weeks, but can take longer if a recruit fails a portion of the training or is disciplined. Skills learned in boot camp are first aid, fire fighting, weapons handling, practical seamanship, and Coast Guard knowledge. After boot camp new enlistees reach the rank of Seaman Apprentice and begin either a 4 or 6-year service requirement. Standard promotion procedures are followed from there, and after time in the Apprentice, pay grade individuals compete in a service-wide exam for available positions at the rank of Seaman. The availability of positions at higher ranks always depends on the crowdedness of a particular career field.

If a member of the enlisted ranks wants to become a career officer, there a few ways he or she may do this. The most time consuming is to work up through the ranks to Chief Warrant Officer (the highest position an enlistee can obtain without officer training). A Chief Warrant Officer may apply for either the Coast Guard's Warrant-to-Lieutenant program or the Coast Guard's Officer Candidate School (OCS). Lesser ranking individuals can also apply for OCS if they meet certain requirements. They must spend a minimum of four years in the Coast Guard, have a rank of Second Class Petty Officer (E-5) or above, and a minimum of 30 college credits.

All applicants who are accepted to OCS 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. Enlisted servicemen who enroll in OCS take the course alongside civilians with college degrees.

To enlist, a high school graduate must contact the recruiting office nearest him or her. There are several non-academic requirements for joining. You must be a United States citizen or Resident Alien, be between the ages of 17 and 27, have no more than two dependents, and pass a medical exam given at a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS). Academic requirements include a high school diploma and a passing grade on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.