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I hear that from a lot of people and it so happens the local Navy recruiters are pricks and don't care about their job either. The CG probably already made their goal so they have no worries.
Either you love the water or you don't. Sometimes a branch isn't good for a person whether it be the AF, CG, etc. and sometimes none are good for some.
After 4 years in the AF and 12 years in the Army, yes I went AF first, I wholeheartedly agree with you on this. The military is a great life but not for everyone.
Please make sure you know which test you took, because the ASVAB is graded higher than the AFQT. In the Coast Guard, the lowest ASVAB score you can have to qualify is 101. Basically, if you dont make that you wont get past the recruiter. If your score is that low I suggest you take a few community college classes in basic education. The Coast Guard is very small, so there is a big retention rate. When I joined AMT was a critical rate. That was 3 years ago, and I made rate after a year and a half as an Non-rate. This year the CG may only make 12-15 AMTs. Because of the economy no one is retiring. So it's harder to get in. However, if you have a high ASVAB score your chances are higher. And regardless of what you think, previous experience in anything wont matter. It all starts with your ASVAB, that's HUGE!! As I said the lowest passable score is 101. The only job you would qualify for with that score is Boatswains Mate. Look if up online and ask yourself if that's something you would like to do. Because if its not, perhaps the CG isnt right for you. The job with the highest minimum score, 213, is AMT, aviation maintenance technician. The CG is different because once you finish boot camp, you WILL go to an operational unit, NOT to a specialty school like the Air Force. I spent 10 months as a Fireman on a 270' cutter, cleaning bilges and being a messcook. Then I spent 4 months as an Airman at a CG airstation, moping floors and doing minimal work on aircraft. THEN, I spent 5 months at AMT "A" school, we started with 20 students, graduated with 12. I had a 95% in the school, and got the 3rd pick. That means there was a list of open positions (Miami, San Diego, Alaska, etc.) My point is, knowledge and learning is a HUGE part of the CG. Starts with the ASVAB, half of boot camp is learning and schoolwork, and you have to excel in another class just to be accepted into a certain job. Because we are so small and do so much, everyone one of us is required to think for ourselves, follow orders, then excel those expectations.
I'm an AMT, but I've done everything from fixing Reverse Osmosis systems, boarding suspected drug boats, fighting fires on a boat, pulling injured people from helicopters, changing engines on airplanes, and dropping rafts to people floating in the water. I've only been in 3 years, so if you want to be flexible and experience a lot, the CG is for you. And don't assume that you're gonna stay stateside. I've been to Cuba, Puerto Rico, St Thomas, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Aruba, Tortola, Curacao. Many Coasties go on deployments to South America and make patrols from Russia to Korea and Japan. If you don't like the water, it doesn't matter. I hate the water, thats why I went AMT. But no matter how many times I got seasick, I never regretted the experiences I had because I was on a boat.
Remember, every branch has negative things about it. CG or AF, there's always something to complain about. The trick is to find a happy medium. I had to be deployed last Christmas, was flying on Christmas Day, but found a vessel dead in the water with 2 people on board. So it was definitely worth missing a holiday with my family. Please, research all you can, talk to recruiters, talk to actual members, just remember, you will never know exactly how each branch works until you join it. Good luck!
USAF may have an edge on getting in a job (rate, MOS, AFSC) that has a direct counterpart in the civilian world. However, if I were advising my own kids between the two, USCG would be my choice.
Why? A 20+ year hitch is hard to do. I did it myself, and it works out for some people. Problem is many will say they want 20 years (or more) but most don't really know for 4-6 years down the road (or they are stuck in for 20 because of situations beyond their control)
I guess the general differences are pretty simple. USAF if you like aviation support jobs. USCG if you like a more domestic-based maritime-type job.
I disagree. As an AMT in the CG I work on aircraft everyday, the difference is that I'm also a crewmember. I fix then I fly. There aren't many civilian jobs that require someone who knows how to load munitions on aircraft, but there are many that require individuals who can work on various aircraft (HU-25, C-130, HH-65, HH-60, HU-144), systems(hydraulics, fuel, bleed air, aerodynamics), and various aviation-related principles (center of gravity, weight distribution, international customs laws). Also, the aircraft community has its own civilian workforce comprised of many ex-CG mechanics. 3 years of experience as an AMT or AET will qualify you to apply for your A&P license. No classwork, just doing your everyday job is your school.
However, I do agree about the 20 years plan. That was my goal when I started, however, I decided to first make 10, then see what I want to do. Take in all factors: economy, family, desire, possibilities for advancement. It's good to have goals, just remember that once reality hits and your in the mix, your goals may change.
Gonzales, I think you maybe confused by the ASVAB. The AFQT score comes from the ASVAB, there is no separate test. Also, when people refer to their "ASVAB score" they typically mean the AFQT. The AFQT is the same for all services and maxes out at 99. The line score differ by services and go well over 100 depending on the service. The scores you are referring to have tp be lone scores not his ASVAB/AFQT score, which judge basic admission in to the service. The line scores decide what job you get.
Gonzales, I think you maybe confused by the ASVAB. The AFQT score comes from the ASVAB, there is no separate test. Also, when people refer to their "ASVAB score" they typically mean the AFQT. The AFQT is the same for all services and maxes out at 99. The line score differ by services and go well over 100 depending on the service. The scores you are referring to have tp be lone scores not his ASVAB/AFQT score, which judge basic admission in to the service. The line scores decide what job you get.
OP probably went whatever way he went by now, but for others searching for info....Go USCG, go airdale.
I love what I do....mostly. I get satisfaction out of it. I aircrew and fix planes. I do search and rescue which I find as being very worth doing. I do law enforcement and chase after drug boats. I've transported whales (yes, really...a whale...in a plane) and seals (Navy type and sea-life type) on our planes. I've done numerous medivacs. I've done relief aid to New Orleans and Asia......was away doing something else when my unit sent people for Haiti or I'd have gone there too.
I've deployed to many Central American countries, Pacific islands, Carrabians and even Asia We usually work out of very nice hotels, anything less then 4 stars is not acceptable!! nevermind tents. They even pay me extra to cover my beer expense when I'm deployed. Our "deployments" last about long enough for us to go..."damn, time to go home already?" And then after being home for a bit, we turn around and go again if we want (you sign up for it).
There are many places I will never be based at or deployed to, but then again there are also many places I will never be based at or deployed to. And I actually like most of the bases I can get stationed at and I love most of the countries I usually deploy to. It's alot of fun. Both on the job and off.
Gotta admit though, all the other services have very nice bases, but it's not like you can't use thier base facilities as well. Also our bases are usually so small, that we don't have barracks, so you better figure out how to live like a civilian early because just about all of us get BAH and BAS to live out in town and buy food.
i'm in the USCG and i know plenty of people from other branches who came to the coast guard for various reasons. many of the people who came to us from the USAF did so because advancement in the air force was slow.
"The Coast Guard has dedicated Port Security Units (PSUs) that can be deployed around the U.S. or overseas, as in the Persian Gulf War. Coast Guard PSUs from Seattle, Washington; San Pedro, California; Port Clinton, Ohio; Gulfport, Mississippi and St. Petersburg, Florida were called up for active duty in the Persian Gulf between December 2002 and December 2004. Coast Guard members also jointly staff the U.S. Navy's Naval Coastal Warfare Squadrons (NCWRONs), part of the Naval Coastal Warfare command structure. Coast Guard members assigned to NCWRONs have served in the Persian Gulf, the Balkans, Korea and elsewhere around the world. Both PSUs and NCWRONs are primarily staffed by Reserve personnel."
Does anyone know if the Coast Guard gets deployed overseas? I really want to join the Coast Guard, but also want to be overseas. Does anyone know?
I'd lsay ook into the Navy. Though they go overseas, the numbers are few. We as Marines like to say we're the smallest service, but that's only b/c the USCG falls under the DHS and DOT before that. Though, like us, they are a subset of the Navy. Their size couple with the realtively few numbers that get deployed doesn't give you a very good chance of going overseas. Navy personnel has the highest rate of deployments as well. Not talking about the middle east (though they are there) but traveling outside the US and to different countries in general.
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