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The Coast Guard Reserve has operated since 1939 when it served as an organization of boat owners to promote boating safety.
During WWII, the present Coast Guard Reserve was established as a military service, 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 role in assisting the active Coast Guard in a variety of demanding missions such as sea lane drug interdiction, search and rescue and law enforcement.
Guidelines
Here are a few general guidelines if you are interested in joining the Coast Guard Reserve. First time enlistees must:
- Be between 17 and 28 to enter without specialized professional skills.
- Be between 26 and 35 with specialized professional skills.
If you have prior military service, you must:
- Be under age 30 with prior military service below E-3.
- Be under age 40 with prior military service above E-4.
Additionally you must:
- 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.
Education Benefits and Skills Training
The Coast Guard Reserve offers a wide scope of educational benefits to take away from your Reserve experience. To receive benefits you must:
- Have a reserve obligation of at least six years.
- Have a high school diploma.
- Complete your initial active duty for training (IADT).
- Serve as a drilling member of the Coast Guard Reserve.
Montgomery G.I. Bill
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The MGIB allows you attend school full-time while serving in the Reserve and get up to $272 a month 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 Reserve GI Bill section.
Tuition Assistance
- There is a Coast Guard Reserve tuition assistance program in place to help members with the cost of accredited, voluntary off duty education and some rate related vocational training. As a member of the Reserve, you can receive up to $750 of tuition assistance each year (up to $187.50 per semester hour and $125 per quarter hour).
Credits for Experience - Members of the Reserve can also take advantage of free College Level Examination Program tests (CLEP). For every test you pass on a particular subject, you earn three transferable college credits.
DANTES
- You can also pursue college and university independent study courses through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES) as a member of the Reserve. The program is comprised of over 1200 colleges and universities nationwide which help sevicemembers transfer credits from school to school and get college credits for military training and experience.
Promotions and Career Path
The path of advancement in the Coast Guard Reserve is through experience and job knowledge. Your supervisor will assess your job performance and recommend advancement if you are ready for increased responsibility and meet the necessary qualifications. These qualifications include:
- Spending a minimum time in pay grade
- Completing correspondence courses
- Completing performance qualifications
- Taking the service wide exam
When you graduate from recruit training you will be advanced to Seaman or Fireman Apprentice (E-2). To advance to Seaman or Fireman (E-3) you must:
- Serve six months as E-2
- Pass the requirements for E-3 correspondence course
- Pass the Seaman (or Fireman) correspondence courses
- Complete E-3 performance qualifications
- Be recommended by your commanding officer
To advance to Third Class Petty Officer (E-4) you must:
- Serve as an E-3 for six months
- Pass the qualification exam if not already completed
- Pass the PO3 correspondence courses
- Complete E-4 performance qualifications
- Be recommended by your commanding officer
If you graduate from your advanced training or "A" school there is no time in grade requirement to go from E-2 to E-3.
If you are an active Coast Guard Auxiliarist and have current boat crew qualifications, you may enlist as an E-2. Vessel operators or coxswains in the Auxiliary can enlist as an E-3.
Another way to advance immediately is to provide an official transcript from an accredited college or university that shows completion of 30 or more semester hours (45 quarter hours). This will allow you to enlist as an E-2. This increases your pay grade during recruit training, but you will remain an E-2 at graduation.
Only recruits in pay grade E-1 advance at graduation. You will be paid as an E-2 during recruit training and remain at that pay grade after graduation.
Also the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) offers another opportunity. If you are a high school graduate and have completed two years JROTC, you are entitled to enter recruit training as an E-2. Three years of JROTC entitles you to enter as an E-3.
Programs
The Coast Guard offers a variety of ways to join, no matter what stage of life you are in.
Student Reserve Program
- If you're still 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 schooling. 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 month.
Petty Officer Selectee Program
- If you have no prior service 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 training -- including specific training in your chosen skill. And your schooling is guaranteed before you return to civilian life.
Direct Petty Officer Program
- If you're older (26 - 35) with a skill, and have no prior military experience, you may be able to take advantage of our Direct Petty Officer Program. This lets you enter the Coast Guard Reserve directly as a petty officer, with immediate responsibility and the pay that goes along with it.
Prior Service Program
- If you have prior military service, and meet our age requirements, you may qualify for our Prior Service Program.
Depending on your specialty held while in the service, you may enlist at the same rate previously held on active duty.
Many veterans choose this Prior Service Program to finish out their 20 years service for added retirement benefits.
The Coast Guard Reserve Experience
As a Coast Guard Reservist, you will serve one weekend a month and two weeks a year.
Drills
- A drill consists of two days of training per month. Your pay will also be adjusted automatically for cost-of-living increases. You'll get pay increases for every two years of accumulated service and may earn special duty pay.
To calculate your drill pay, visit the Drill Calculator.
Annual Training
- Annual training in the Coast Guard Reserve is held for two weeks per year. Depending on the unit and your specialty you could be stationed at a shore location, with an aviation squadron or aboard ship.
Travel
- As a member of the Coast Guard Reserve you will have the opportunity to travel both on duty and off. You also qualify for military Space Available travel 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 medical care while on duty. You also qualify for low-cost life insurance. For more on these and other benefits, visit the Reserve Help Pages.
Home Loan Program
- Members of the Coast Guard Reserve with at least six years of service are eligible to apply for the Department of Veterans Affairs Home-Loan Guarantee program.
For more on this program, go to the Home section.
Base Privileges
- As a member you can access to all recreational facilities on military bases such as gyms, tennis courts and libraries. You and your family can also enjoy unlimited access shopping at any Military Exchange nationwide.
Coast Guard Reserve members and their families are also entitled to use base commissaries for up to 24 days annually, plus any days spent on active duty.
For more on recreational and family benefits, see the Reserve Family and Individual Help page.
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