Step 4: Meet the recruiter
Coast Guard Questions
What is
the U.S. Coast Guard?
The U.S. Coast Guard is one
of five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and falls under the jurisdiction
of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Coast Guard is the country's
oldest continuous seagoing service with responsibilities including search
and rescue (SAR), maritime law enforcement (MLE), aids to navigation (ATON),
icebreaking, environmental protection, port security and military readiness.
The Coast Guard's 38,000 active-duty people, 8,000 Reservists, and 35,000
Auxiliarists serve in jobs ranging from communication specialists to small-boat
operators and from maintenance specialists to aviation mechanics. The Coast
Guard, during an average day, will:
- Board 90 large vessels
for port safety checks
- Process 120 seaman's documents
- Seize 209 pounds of marijuana
and 170 pounds of cocaine worth $9.2 million
- Conduct 120 law enforcement
boardings
- Investigate 17 marine
accidents
- Inspect 64 commercial
vessels
- Save 14 lives
- Assist 328 people in distress
- Save $2,490,000 in property
- Service 150 aids to navigation
- Interdict 176 illegal
migrants
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What are
the qualifications to join the Coast Guard?
The following are the basic
requirements for joining. You must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or nationalized
to be a Coast Guard officer.
- To enlist, you must be
a U.S. citizen or a resident alien.
- Be between the ages of
17-27. Seventeen year olds need parental consent.
- Have a high school diploma.
- Have no more than two
dependents.
- Take and pass the Armed
Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.
- Pass a Military Entrance
Processing Station medical exam.
- Have a willingness to
serve on or around the water.
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What's the ASVAB?
The ASVAB is
a test that measures your aptitudes. It consists of ten short individual tests
covering word knowledge, paragraph comprehension, arithmetic reasoning, mathematics
knowledge, general science, auto and shop information, mechanical comprehension,
electronics information, numerical operations and coding speed. When you take
the ASVAB prior to enlisting, not only do you receive scores on each of these
individual tests, but several individual test results are combined to yield
three academic composite scores: verbal, math and academic ability.
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What
are some benefits of joining?
- Steady Income:
You are paid twice a month, on the 1st and 15th, every month, based
on your pay grade and service requirements.
- Advancement:
You are promoted based on job knowledge, your performance, time in pay
grade and service requirements.
- Paid Vacation:
You earn 2.5 days paid vacation per month for a total of 30 days each
year up to 60 days.
- Training: You
choose your career path based on your aptitude, physical abilities, security
clearance, motivation and determination. All specialties are open to women
- including combat roles.
- Health Care:
While on active duty, you will receive complete medical and dental care
at no cost.
- Life Insurance:
Active duty members select up to $200,000 in term life insurance for
$18 per month.
- Allowances:
You may also receive additional
tax-free money for Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) if government housing
is not available; Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), if government food
facilities are not available in the area you are stationed; and a uniform
allowance (for enlisted personnel only) to help maintain your uniform.
- Tax Advantage:
Only your basic monthly pay is subject to Federal or State income tax.
- GI Bill: The
Montgomery GI Bill will help pay for college education or vocational training.
- Tuition Assistance:
While on active duty, you may continue your education, and may be helped
in defraying the cost of college-accredited courses.
- Additional Benefits:
There are exchange and commissary privileges, moving allowances, temporary
lodging expenses, travel, survivor benefits, Veterans Administration home
loans and more.
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Do
I have to join another branch of service first?
No. You do not have to join
another service prior to joining the Coast Guard. However, The Coast Guard
does take people with prior military service.
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Does
the Coast Guard take people with prior service?
Yes. The Coast Guard accepts
prior-service people.
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What
if I am not a U.S. citizen?
Only U.S. citizens or foreign
nationals legally residing in the United States with an Immigration and Naturalization
Service Alien Registration Card ("Green Card" -- INS Form I-151/551)
may apply. Applicants must speak, write and read English fluently.
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Can the
Coast Guard help me obtain U.S. citizenship?
No. The U.S. military cannot
assist foreign nationals in obtaining admittance into the United States.
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What
if I live overseas?
Regulations prohibit the
forwarding of recruiting information through international mail, even to U.S.
citizens living in foreign countries. Use
our online form to reach a recruiter electronically.
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How long
is boot camp?
Eight weeks.
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Where is
boot camp?
Boot camp is located at the
training facility
in Cape May, N.J.
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What is boot
camp like?
Boot camp is mentally and physically tough. It prepares you for life in the Coast Guard. Much of your training will take place in a classroom learning first aid, fire fighting, weapons handling, practical seamanship and general Coast Guard knowledge. You will have daily physical fitness and water survival classes. You will also learn military drill and the "ropes" of U.S. Coast Guard.
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Should
I do anything before I go to boot camp?
Yes. After you enter the
Delayed Entry Program (DEP), you will receive a copy of the "Helmsman,"
a recruit guidebook. Study the entire book. Pay particular attention
to the list of items you cannot bring to boot camp, the 11 General Orders
and the Position of Attention. Also prepare yourself for running and physical
fitness training.
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How do I become an officer?
You can become an officer
through the Coast Guard Academy, Officer Candidate School (OCS) or one of
several direct commissioning programs.
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What
is the Coast Guard Academy?
The Coast Guard has been
training service cadets since 1877, when cutters (Coast Guard vessels longer
than 65 feet) were used as training platforms. The Coast Guard Academy, in
New London, Conn, was established in 1931, and is fully accredited by the
New England Association of Schools and Colleges. All engineering majors are
accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology.
More than 200 cadets enter training each year. Classroom sizes range from
20 to 25 students. Nearly 75 percent of the cadets graduate with engineering,
science or mathematics degrees: civil, electrical, mechanical engineering,
naval architecture, marine engineering, marine science, mathematical and computer
science, government and management.
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How
do I apply to the Coast Guard Academy?
To apply, you should have competitive Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores (SAT) and cannot have reached your 22nd birthday. Unlike other service academies, no Congressional sponsor is required. For an application form call 1-860-444-8500. For more information about the Academy or to contact an admissions officer, please visit the Academy's Web site.
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What
is Officer Candidate School?
Officer Candidate School
(OCS) is 17 weeks of training in New London, Conn. Studies include nautical
science, law enforcement, seamanship and leadership. Graduates are commissioned
ensigns (O-1) in the Coast Guard Reserve with a 3-year initial active-duty
obligation.
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How
do I apply for OCS?
If you have a 4-year college
degree from an accredited college and meet the age, physical and moral requirements,
you may apply for OCS. The application process includes scoring a minimum
of 110 on the Armed Forces Aptitude Battery test (ASVAB) and passing your
physical given at a MEPS. Your SAT or ACT scores will also be needed. Upon
completion of your officer package, you will have an interview with three
Coast Guard officers. The completed package will be submitted to a board,
who will select the top candidates from the packages they receive. Please
visit the OCS
Home Page.
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What
about Direct Commissions?
As a professional lawyer,
engineer, maritime graduate or environmental manager, you may also qualify
for a Coast Guard Direct Commission. Successful applicants attend a four-week
school at New London, Conn., and receive a reserve commission as an ensign,
lieutenant junior grade or lieutenant, depending on your education and experience.
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Are
there promotions to officer rank from within the Coast Guard enlisted ranks?
Yes. Coast Guard enlisted
members may compete for OCS slots if they have four years of service, obtained
the rank of E-5 or above and have at least 30 college credits. Coast Guard
enlisted people may also work up through the ranks to Chief Warrant Officer
and may then attend OCS or apply for the Coast Guard's Warrant-to-Lieutenant
program.
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What
if I'm a physician or dentist?
The Coast Guard is also seeking
qualified health professionals. For more information about our medical programs.
You can have someone contact you about applying your medical trade in the
Coast Guard by completing this form.
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Does
the Coast Guard have Reserve opportunities?
Yes. The Coast Guard Reserve
is a part-time force of nearly 8,000, specially trained people who serve with
the Coast Guard one weekend a month and two weeks every year. Coast Guard
Reservists work directly alongside active duty Coast Guard personnel and perform
the same jobs as active duty personnel.
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What
are the qualifications to join the Reserve?
You must be between 17 and 40
years old. You must not be employed in a civilian occupation essential
to U.S. interests during time of war. You
must not have served more than 13 years of active military duty.
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What
is an RK, RP or RY?
These are enlisted personnel
who go to boot camp as Phase I of their Initial Active Duty for Training (IADT).
Phase II of the training differs: An RK is a student who returns home after
boot camp and returns to a civilian school. The summer after boot camp you
usually attend Class "A" school. In between boot camp and A-school
training, you'll drill two days per month. An RP reports direct to A-school
after boot camp, and following school, begins monthly drills. An RY reports
directly to a Coast Guard unit after boot camp and serves 30 days active duty
to complete IADT. You'll then start your monthly drills.
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What
is a drill?
This applies to the Reserves.
Drills are periods of Inactive Duty Training (IDT), under orders, scheduled
to augment training. No more than two drills can be performed on one calendar
day, and each drill must be at least four hours long. Most units schedule
multiple drills over one weekend each month (two drills Saturday and two drills
Sunday).
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What
training will I receive?
Depending on the program,
you will receive boot camp and maybe A-school training. Weekend or weekday
drills are considered training. Active Duty for Training (ADT) is 12 days
of active duty at a Coast Guard unit or Coast Guard school and is required
annually.
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What
if I have a problem getting time off from my employer to fulfill my military
service obligations?
By law, as a member of the
Reserve, you must, upon request, be granted a leave of absence to satisfy
a requirement for military training. The Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment
Rights Act requires employers to provide Reservists with time away from their
jobs to perform military duty. However, you must notify your employer that
you intend to take military leave. You must be reemployed after completion
of your military duty and return to your job within a reasonable time. You
must be treated as though you had never left employment, including scheduled
pay raises, promotions or credit for longevity or vacation. Your employer
only has to hold a job open for 60 months if you accept voluntary orders.
For additional information, see the USCG
Reserve Home Page.
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How do I
become a Coast Guard pilot?
You must first be a Coast
Guard officer or a graduate of another armed service's flight school with
active duty pilot experience. Prior
military pilots may apply for direct commission aviator positions.
Commissioned officers in
the Coast Guard may apply for flight school and will be placed on a school
waiting list once accepted.
Qualifications:
Flight school candidates
must pass a Class 1 Flight Physical. A dental exam will check for cavities
and other problems that may be affected by changes in air pressure during
flight.
Vision requirements are also
very stringent. Eyesight should be 20/20 or correctable to 20/20, no exceptions.
Uncorrected visual acuity must be better than 20/200 in either eye. There
are other limitations imposed based on the type and strength of the lens prescription.
In addition, normal color perception, depth perception and field of vision
are required.
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What
will I do at my first duty station?
It depends on your unit.
Life at a small station is different than life on a ship. Most boot camp graduates
receive orders to a ship. You will start to perform the duties of a crewman
at your unit. You must learn everything about your ship and/or small boats
at your station. You may go on rescue missions, assist with law enforcement,
work aids to navigation or other missions.
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How do
I choose my school?
You can attend any school
you qualify for. The results of your ASVAB determine your qualifications.
All of the schools have a waiting list. They range from a few months to more
than two years. You must have a minimum of 30 months remaining on your enlistment
before you can enter any Class A school. If the school you want has a very
lengthy wait, you may need to extend your enlistment a number of months to
bring the total left on your enlistment to 30 months.
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Is Class A School like boot
camp?
No. This is training for
a specialty you have chosen. It may involve work details and duty, but the
main focus is on technical and professional training.
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Will I be paid while at
Class A School?
Yes, you will be paid for
every day you're in the Coast Guard. You will receive pay according to published
pay schedules for your pay grade, in addition to any Temporary Duty or travel
allowances.
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Can
I talk to someone in the service now?
Sure.
Visit the Military.com Recruiting
Discussion Board.
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What
should I ask my recruiter?
Coast Guard recruiters must
present an accurate picture of Coast Guard training. You should be aware of
all aspects of the Coast Guard environment. Be sure you fully understand the
enlistment contract. You should ask about:
- Details and qualifications
for each specialty.
- Films or videos about
training and duties.
- Boot camp (There is a
video called "Training to Be Part of the Action.")
- Length and location of
training.
- Special enlistment programs
if you have completed Junior ROTC or Sea Cadet training.
- Overseas assignments,
remote and long duty.
- Haircut and grooming standards.
- Off-duty education and
educational benefits.
- Guaranteed training programs.
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Where
do I get more information?
Complete this
form and we'll get a recruiter in touch with you.
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