Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire US Coast Guard ??

Gents:

Son (21) is considering the Coast Guard or something similar and he has asked me for some help. He is in college but less than excited about it. He can be a 4.0 pt student...if he wants to be...or not. He can be disciplined if he chooses to be (black belt Kissaki-Kai).

He wants an experience with a little higher risk factor than being in a biology lab.

Would appreciate some input or direction.

PM Steelhead. He's a CG Warrant Officer and would likely be of tremendous help and insight.

Of course you never know where those insights will take your son.

Tell him to sign up with the Army and ask to be stationed in Iraq if he wants a higher risk factor...

Wait times are running a bit long for the USCG right now, but depending on well he tests etc, he can get pushed more towards the front of the line. I've been hearing 12-18 month wait for boot camp.

Much depends on what job he wants, assuming he tests for the job. I'm assuming he's a good swimmer?

Any idea on what job he'd be looking at in the CG?

He would go army--we have been talking...grew up on water--can swim.

He'd be OK with the wait particularly if he could gain a leg up in preparation or coursework

We are just getting into it so don't know any more specs than that--he is due in this AM. In the past he has talked frequently about search and rescue. Science major--good PR.

Appreciate it...

Coast Guard was alright by me, after I switched over from the Army. But I work around all the Services now here in the 'Stan, and they all have some pretty intelligent people. They all also have some very good jobs.

Other than weather, the CG wasn't all that dangerous. If he doesn't float or fly, the excitement level will be null.

One thing I've noticed, is that the Marines put out a damn fine aircraft mechanic. Plus they are just plain (generalization here) squared away.

+1,000 on the Marines!

Ed

If he is a good cold water swimmer, has good self discipline,and prefers to work in a small units have him look into US Navy or USMC EOD. He wont have many boring days.

Am not inclined to make that suggestion, tack....

thanks Gents for the replies

He should stay in school IMO.

you is preaching to the choir...

I foot the bill as long as they graduate.

The Marines turn out some real fine everything's. It all depends on what they have to work with. Is the boy over six feet you know in case the boat sinks. Just kidding you coasties you are good folks in this Jarheads book.

He'll get the GI Bill and that should keep dad from paying anymore.

There are also programs, depending on job rating, that send you to school for 2 years. I did exactly that about 7 years ago. No uniform and no work for 2 years, only college classes. They paid everything and gave me a paycheck the 1st and 15th of every month.

I went to Forestry college, and now have a job as a Forester/ Wildland Firefighter/ Prescribed Burn manager in FL. The pay has not been the best, but the risk factor and freedom from office more than compensated. I work with live fire frequently, & have really enjoyed it, and am close enough to saltwater to visit whenever i want to...

A Biologist is now one of the top 10 needed jobs in the nation, with average salary of $83,000.00/ year. If i were going to go back to school, this is the route i'd go into...

Salary should be a big factor in career choice, and although you have some influence in his choice, he ultimately has to make it and live with it. I knew what i wanted to do when i was 8 years old, and now 30 years later am still doing it, even though my father called it a "piss-ant" job... We get along fine, though now live over 500 miles apart, and i see him about once - twice a year...

A guy could do a hell of a lot worse than getting into the Coast Guard. Or any other service, for that matter. Sick and tired of hearing young people whine about lack of jobs.

I would think learning a few languages like Farsi and Arabic and what ever they speak in Afghanistan and working for the CIA would be very satisfying. Well maybe after the progress fascists lose power.

That's as close to Heaven on earth as it gets...

Tell him to apply to the USCG academy; either that or transfer to VMI, where young gentlemen are trained to become officers.

That's a fact, two years of college gives an enlisted man a huge leg up over his less educated peers. He'll get promoted faster, is elligible for warrant programs and maybe OCS if he is inclined. Getting college down while on active duty now is tougher than ever 'cause of deployments.

Coast Guard is a pretty good way to go, IMO. The benefits are unreal for somebody willing to take advantage of them. Pay is pretty good, and unless he is a giant dumbphuck, he'll have job security. Even the mediocre can last 20 years till retirement.

My buddy is currently the BM1 on a ship here in SE AK. I wish I could rejoin and do the some of the patrols he does. He sees some country. When he's back in port, he hunts and fishes. One hell of a life, IMO.

There is a wait time for a reason...