I'm thinking of enlisting in the US Coast Guard. Any advice, suggestions, ect.?
368506
Good choice. I am proud of you for just thinking about serving your Country. It shows that you or at lease willing to do your part in protecting and serving and making our nation great. It also shows that you care enough to help make our nation a better place for our children. My hat is off to you and I wish you the best of luck. Be careful.
1051279
If your intentions are to possibly leaned towards a career I would highly reccommend the choice you have already made. The Air Force is an excellent choice family wise also. If you like to spend months onboard a ship, then by all means join the Navy. If you like walking, marching or bouncing around in a vehicle, join the Army. If you think you are the macho type and enjoy running errands on a ship, plus like to march or strut around like a tin soldier and think your the badest ass in town, go with the Marines. It's as simple as that. There is no such thing as the best, we're all in this together and should act as such. To me there is no single hero, in my personal opinion anyone who puts on a uniform and serves his country (USA)honorably for a full tour of duty in any branch of the services deserves to be called a hero.
658738
I have a friend who is like an older brother in the Coast Guard. He loves it he has been in for almost 30years and is a W-4 or a Warrant Officer. He says its is the best military branch to join if you are going enlisted due to all the fun jobs out there in the Coast Guard for enlisted personnel. I joined the Navy, wished I had joined the Coast Guard. I love the Navy didn't get me wrong but the work in the Navy is not as good for an enlisted man as the Coast Guard.
1073082
I already served my time in the US Navy.\nIt's a great way to serve your country and see the world.
1000574
It really depends what you want to do.\n\nThe Marines are the most physical, tough and are sometimes the greatest effected by joining.\n\nThe Army is ground and usually fight with the Marines.\n\nThe Marines is also part of the Navy which go over seas, on various vessels for long periods of time.  They tend to see more of the world.  Usually, they sailors go out for six-nine months and then get to stay in the states for about the same amount of time until being deployed again.\n\nThe Coast Guard won't get involved in major warfare and are usually the ones busting drug rings around the south coast!  And also the ones that handle the refugees from Cuba.\n\nDo your own investigating (each branch has a website) and see what fits best for you.  Or even go to your local recruitment center and pick up packets from each branch before making your decision. \n\nAnd good luck!
1003265
I would highly recommend joining the U.S. Navy as an Information Systems Technician (IT) as you will get awesome training and the potential to earn:\n\nBasic Pay $1,748.10 a month (over 2 yrs service)\n\nSubsistence Pay $272.26 a month\n\nArea Incentive Pay (AIP) of up to $3,000 a month (depends on area)\nRe-Enlistment Bonus (SRB) of up to $40,000\nCost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) of aprox. $1,100.00\n\nEtc... Etc...\n\nIt is highly likely that you could be earning over $48,000 a year in just a little over 2 years of service with the prospects of high paying civilian jobs as soon as your enlistment is up. I truly think this opportunity is hard to find in the civilian sector right now with only a High School Diploma!\n\nAlso, potential for $52,000 of money for college as follows:\n\n"The Montgomery G.I. Bill (MGIB): Take a small $100 reduction in your Navy pay for just 12 months and you will get back an education benefit of over $37,000. You may use this money toward college once you’ve completed active duty or even use part of it while you're still serving. Combine it with a Navy College Fund "Kicker" and get over $70,000 toward your education! You will be entitled to receive up to 36 months of educational benefits as a full-time student under this program. See your Navy Recruiter for details.\n\nThe Navy College Fund: Available to those who sign up for the MGIB. If you’re a high school graduate, score a 50 or better on the ASVAB, and qualify for certain Navy jobs or apprenticeships, you can get more than $15,000 in addition to the MGIB money for your education."\n\n"Among the most important benefits are those for your health. As a Sailor, you receive: \nFull medical coverage and care in Navy or civilian facilities \nFull dental coverage and care from Navy professionals \nYour other benefits upon joining the Navy include: \nDiscounted travel \n30 days paid vacation each year \nGenerous educational benefits \n$250,000 life insurance policy for $16 a month or a $400,000 life insurance policy for $26 a month"\n\nIf the above interest you go here: http://www.navy.com/findarecruiter/
797513
My brother is in the Coast Guard and really enjoys it.  he is currently a mechanic and works on one of the big boats.  he spends 3 months at a time "out".  He's gone all over the place, his favorite place is Columbia (for the coffee of course).  he's gone all the way down the coast of South America and back.  he spends a good deal of time in the carribbean and has been just   about everywhere down there.  the only draw back is the promotions.  My brother has been in for about 6 years and is an E-4.  He is excellent at his job, promotions are just slow after E-3.  He is currently cross-training out of boat mechanics into Helicopter maintenace.  So if you go in and you want to change jobs, you can do that !  Basic Training is not bad either.\nIn comparison for promotions, my husband is Air Force and after 3 years, he is an E-5.
275225
22 Navy Vet.  I see a lot of fingers pointing to differant branches, It's not the NAVY you want to join!  It's not really any branch.  I would say join the Coast Guard.  They are military, but then again not.  Run by DHS not DOD.  If you join, keep your mouth shut.  Keep your private life private.  The last thing you want is to be pushed over a side rail 1000 miles out at sea or attacked while out in the woods on training.  Maybe stay in school and choose another career path.
1074994
a lot of these answers are great just to stress on a few get some college first and you will have a higher rank when joining. If you can't. just be prepared to be broken and rebuilt they will break you down and rebuild you into a soldier.  Your life will revolve around the USMC you can't come and go as you please it is up to your ranking officer. I think the Army is a little slacker and not as tuff as the USMC both are standing for your country which is a great honor make sure you pick the job you want when you sign up because it is hard as hell to change once you sign those papers.  Basic training and  the schooling after sucks you do stupid jobs like kitchen duty and detail work.  Defiantly start running/  it is up and at um every morning for PT during your first 6 months to a year.  Lots of push ups and sit ups.  But you build great bonds and great friendships and you make it into what you want it can be the best experience or the worst it is all up to you!\n\nProud to be an American
22847
I dont know who told you this information, but you may want to start lookin for a new source. The answer is a large NO! The army and coast guard are seperate armed forces. Plus soldiers are not baseball players and cant be traded. But you can put in a request for a discharge to switch to another service. These are not regularly approved though.
654932
Yes, but the national guard sucks, if you just care about going to a community college (associates degree) pay for it yourself, it's very cheap (and you can still get financial aid)\n\nBut...if you are in a real tough spot in life, and don't mind handing the government your life for 6 years+, then go for it man, it's what I did after high school (I've also been mobilized 2x as a national guardsmen, so make sure you know what your getting into)  The guard will pay TUITION (notice i didn't mention any other fees involved) for any state school (which will cover community college tuition) You are also eligible for the GI Bill while your in school (make sure your recruiter gets you the GI Bill Kicker) that, with your monthly drill pay will be around 1k a month, plus whatever you make working part/full time.  \n\nIf you live in NY, send me an email if you are interested in joining, I will put you in touch with some good Guard recruiters.
1176623
Search and Rescue is it's own job, but they have everything in teh search and rescue units. Since you will be joining under an open contract (no job guarantee) your best bet is to beg to be assigned to a search and rescue unit. Of course, just as with job placement, your assignment desires mean little or nothing to the Coast Guard. At best, you may end up a cook in the Coast Guard assigned to a S&R unit, but then you probably won't be on a ship or working the missions, but you will ensure those divers are well fed. You can also always volunteer to go to those schools, but again, it's up to the Coast Guard if they want to send you.\n\nCoast Guard, Marines and Air Force are the three branches that care the least for what you, the new enlistee, wants.\n\nThe Army and Navy guarantee the most of any branches, with the Army guaranteeing more than anyone.
796141
I retired after 22 yrs of military duty in the U S Navy.  I was a naval police ( Master - At - Arms ), with the K9 division.  I worked with / assisted Navy SEALs', Army Special Forces, Marine Recons, FBI, NCIS, FDA, DEA, Secret Service, U S Marshalls, U S Customs, various city / county / state / and Federal agencies, both U.S. and over seas, and U S Coast Guard.  I've been on task force teams, in helo's, assault watercraft, raids, line of defense for restricted areas, worked with FEMA on guarded escorts for supplies, pursuit of armed suspects, plenty of excitement for a life time.  Most of this was tied to being a K9 handler / trainer / instructor.  If you like ( no love ) police work and K9s then I guarantee you can have as much action as you want.
437091
If you are thinking of going into the National Guard, you may be limited in the array of MOS's you can select.  It often depends on which jobs are available at the unit(s) you are trying to do.\nMy experience was this;\nI did well on those areas myself, and I ended up selecting an MOS in electronics in the Ordinance Corps.  I served 4 years in the regular Army in my regular MOS, then I joined the national guard, and chose an MOS that was available at the unit.  I never trained in my new MOS, and I ended up getting out of the guard back in 2003.\nI certainly do not want to tell you what to do, but I do suggest that you watch what you sign, and talk to more than one person.  There are some dirtbag people in the Armed forces that are out to stick it to the serviceman, be it senior officers, senior ncos, DOD Personnel, and those in the community that are not connected to the military.  especially if you are stationed conus at a large military post.\nRegardless of what you do, I wish you the best.\n\n================\nDid they change the policy since I was in the military?  I was regular army, then I went into the National Guard.  That was in 2001.  Have they changed the policy since then?
985738
Follow your heart, young man. Of course, give the choice plenty of thought and think about it from all angles. After you graduate, if it still looks like the right choice for you, by all means go for it. I would also suggest looking at the other services and comparing your options. \n\nMy parents made me do the same thing but it didn't matter to \nme. I knew by the time I was maybe 10 that I wanted to be a Marine. I enlisted and served proudly, and would do it again.
841139
Whatever your recruiter promised, make sure it's in your contract. Some of them will say anything to get you signed up.  I'm not in the National Guard but my husband is.  He got his bonus and the medical coverage.  Tricare is great as long as you're on active duty when you use it.  Also, dont be fooled by the name "National Guard".  As my husband says now, they are technically the "International Guard".  He served fifteen months in Iraq.  Hopefully you wont have to.
166131
i am a sea cadet from Munro Division in Cape May, NJ.  If you have been in the program for a least two years, if you attend boot camp you will graduate at a higher pay grade.  If you plan on being an officer, it helps alot with the selection process if you choose an academy or NROTC.  I have applied for NROTC and have been accepted to The Citadel, VMI, and Penn State.  All are NROTC schools.