Husband about to enlist for Coast Guard?

Everyone has already given really helpful answers. My ex-husband is still active duty CG, has been for over 26 years now. I don't see him retiring anytime soon, he loves his work. Our son saw how much his father does and how much he loves what he does, he is now enlisted himself. He is on a 270' cutter out of Boston. He has been to 10 foreign countries and is right now sitting with toes in the sand at a beautiful destination for a day of R&R.

You don't really have to worry about overseas assignment right out of boot camp. Because of the paperwork it takes to go on an accompanied tour (meaning you have a spouse) very rarely does someone get overseas if they are married. It has happened, but it is rare. The only guaranteed A school right now is FS (Food Specialist), there are 3 others that you don't' have to wait the required 4 months before you become eligible to put your name on the list. But all schools have something of a wait time right now. his ASVAB should have told him what he is qualified to do but he will get to choose that for himself after boot camp. The CG does not choose your rate for you.

The CG does a have few bases outside of the US and I don't mean just Alaska & Hawaii as OUTConus assignments. The CG does go world wide. However, just like you can't ask to be stationed in Baltimore only, you can't say you'll never go to Saipan. You don't have to ask for it but you can't say you refuse to go either should you get orders there.

Re-enlistment bonuses come, go, change, go up, go down... there are some rates that will probably never have a re-enlistment bonus. BM would be one of them. The CG is chock a block full of BM's and no one needs a monetary incentive to stay. When my ex was enlisted he was an MST. At the time of his re-enlistment, in 1989, they offered about a $3,000 bonus to get MST's to stick around for another 4 years. Well he was going to stay anyway but that was icing on the cake. That bonus I believe disappeared a long time ago for MST's.

You are going to be a fine military wife... you are already involved in your husband's career and want to help him make the best decisions. Good for you! The wife that just knows he puts on a funny blue suit and goes somewhere... isn't generally the happiest person on base. If you want t omeet & chat with moer wives, Coasties, parents of Coasties I can suggest a great forum... WWW.USCG.ORG. I'm a moderator there and you will find tons of helpful information. Come on by, sign up (its free of course) and start chatting. Someone is always around to help. Welcome Aboard to the US Coast Guard.

Well hey there! I too am graduating College next May and joining the Coast Guard. I had always thought I'd be a Marine Officer, then I was introduced to a CG Officer one day and completely 180'd. I started the 'talking with a recruiter' process in the beginning of this year and have had to confront the same question: Enlisted or Officer? It seems that you would benefit most by at least applying for OCS. As you know, it is competitive, but I think you are a strong applicant. You have a great GPA and having those leadership type positions will bode well for you. The only thing I can think of that you should add (if you haven't already) would be volunteer work. When I was asking myself if I wanted to do Officer, the recruiters at the station made a big point about volunteer work. In addition to having the qualities of a strong applicant, I would say you as a person would be more management-oriented. You say you'll do what you have to if you have to, but to me it seems that if you were to flip a coin (heads=enlisted), you'd be thinkin' tails the whole time that coin floats through the air. Personally, I chose enlisted. I am set to choose my ship date for next May here pretty soon and enter the DEP in August. I chose enlisted because I love the idea of starting out at the bottom and I want to get involved on a more hands-on level; work my way up that way. I will apply for OCS as prior-service a little later down the road.

I served nine years. There really isn't anything that can be promised (for example: a certain career field - the entire field could be "re-organized" without notice), except this: You will be assigned duty as the needs of the service dictate. Once you understand that, then everything else makes sense. The service is not about you or your wants. It is about something bigger and outside of your family.

You've got a good headstart by researching things. And, there will be plenty to get to know. Some of your lifelong friends await just around the next assignment. Don't hang on to things; hang on to your new friends.

The key is for you two to understand that BOTH of you have joined the lifestyle. In that regard, your happy support will be critical to your new life together in the service. Encourage your husband to do his best, even when others are slacking off. There is no guarantee of personal reward. But, there is the silent pride of doing this for your country. Ya, that sounds a little corny. However, when you two look back on your life - you will never forget the experience.

I can't imagine anything that you would have been promised by the USCG? Do you have any examples?

When I joined I had no expectations of promises, so I do not have ideas.

I would say, understand that there are many types of duty stations with varying degrees of underway time. There is even isolated duty. You will likely be stationed in the continental U.S. but there is a chance you will not. My first duty station was a cutter out of Guam.

***Almost forgot. When I joined a few people had the impression that it was all saving fuzzy animals and rescue ships. It is not. He will be required to qualify with several guns. He will very likely be involved in law enforcement at some level. He will be trained and possibly used for combat.

***Unless they changed it, he should know which jobs he has the basic qualifications for after taking the ASVAB. Those scores determine, to a great extent, what he is qualified for. I have never heard of a guarantee to never leave the country and I cannot imagine they would give you that. I would think the chances of him leaving the at some time are very good. It's what they do!

I do not know anything about bonuses. They have always been tied to rate.

***I will tell you two of my greatest regrets. Mom told me when I joined to start a journal and I did not. I thought that would be cheesy. I now seriously regret that decision. There are so many great things I have done and seen that I have forgotten. The other is pictures, take tons of pictures. I do not know if it is the same or those at small boat stations, but if he is cutter bound, strongly encourage it. It is very likely that he will do and see things that very few people in the world will do or see.

About the only thing I will tell you is that he will work long long hours, especially if he goes to sea.

If you're gonna join the military, the Coast Guard is the Best Service Organization to join in my

opinion. I've served in the Army, the Coast Guard Reserve, and now I'm partial to the Navy. But

I found that people treated me with a higher degree of esteem in the Coast Guard. I suppose because

you deal with so many civilians. Boot Camp will be rough. As rough as any Marine Boot Camp.

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Of course Job security is a plus, and in 20 years he will have a decent pension. If you're planning

on purchasing a house in the future, you may want to consider working full time yourself. Military

life is very demanding on your time, and the pay for an enlisted is not the best. Keep a copy of

the contract and review it time to time. It may help you down the road.

I Cr 13:8a, Love never fails !

anything he is entitled to will be in the contract. you CANNOT get a duty station guarantee. or a rating any more since they stopped guaranteeing A schools a while back.

43asd