US Coast Guard
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Galveston, Texas
I'm in the USAF & have been for the last 15.5 years. I love my job & truly believe I have the single best job an enlisted guy can have in the entire USAF. I have no problem recommending the USAF to anyone as long as they become Flyers. I worked a ground maintenance job for 9 years & hated it. Now that I am allowed the priveledge of flying, I look forward to going to work everyday.
As far as the Coast Guard, I seriously considered joining. If you think about it, they are the only branch of service that does their job day in & day out. 24/7/365, the CG is on the job. I was primarily interested in their helocopter career field until I realized helo's don't fly, they are just so ugly the earth repels them. The CG mission rarely changes unlike the rest of the military. If LE is what your step son is interested in, the CG is the place to go. If LE is what he wants, under no circumstances let your step son join the Army or Marines. Yes he could do some type of LE in both but remember, in the Army, you're a soldier first & in the Marines, every man is a rifleman. He may get to do LE but is he really concerned with enforcing laws in a middle east filth hole? The USAF has LE but it's too much of a joke to even bother considering. We have AFOSI, the AF equivalent of the FBI, but you have to be an E-5 to apply so he would have to do something else for the first years until he made SSgt.
The USCG used to be under the control of the US Department of Transportation during times of peace & administered by the US Navy during war. They have since been transferred to the control of Dept of Homeland Security. They are responsible for far, far more than the average person realizes. I don't know if it's still true but at one time, the NYPD had more people than the entire USCG. Their Basic Training is in CG Station Cape May, NJ. The average cutter has about 15 people on it. The are CG stations all over the US including HI & AK. As far as availability of assignments in the US, the USCG has the rest of the military beat by a mile. Obviously if one desired an overseas tour the USCG is not the place to go. Look on their website for more info: www.uscg.mil
As far as the Coast Guard, I seriously considered joining. If you think about it, they are the only branch of service that does their job day in & day out. 24/7/365, the CG is on the job. I was primarily interested in their helocopter career field until I realized helo's don't fly, they are just so ugly the earth repels them. The CG mission rarely changes unlike the rest of the military. If LE is what your step son is interested in, the CG is the place to go. If LE is what he wants, under no circumstances let your step son join the Army or Marines. Yes he could do some type of LE in both but remember, in the Army, you're a soldier first & in the Marines, every man is a rifleman. He may get to do LE but is he really concerned with enforcing laws in a middle east filth hole? The USAF has LE but it's too much of a joke to even bother considering. We have AFOSI, the AF equivalent of the FBI, but you have to be an E-5 to apply so he would have to do something else for the first years until he made SSgt.
The USCG used to be under the control of the US Department of Transportation during times of peace & administered by the US Navy during war. They have since been transferred to the control of Dept of Homeland Security. They are responsible for far, far more than the average person realizes. I don't know if it's still true but at one time, the NYPD had more people than the entire USCG. Their Basic Training is in CG Station Cape May, NJ. The average cutter has about 15 people on it. The are CG stations all over the US including HI & AK. As far as availability of assignments in the US, the USCG has the rest of the military beat by a mile. Obviously if one desired an overseas tour the USCG is not the place to go. Look on their website for more info: www.uscg.mil
Last edited by TexasFatboy; Aug 2, 2007 at 05:55 AM.
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Northwestern PA
Originally Posted by KC-10 FE
I'm in the USAF & have been for the last 15.5 years. I love my job & truly believe I have the single best job an enlisted guy can have in the entire USAF. I have no problem recommending the USAF to anyone as long as they become Flyers. I worked a ground maintenance job for 9 years & hated it. Now that I am allowed the priveledge of flying, I look forward to going to work everyday.
As far as the Coast Guard, I seriously considered joining. If you think about it, they are the only branch of service that does their job day in & day out. 24/7/365, the CG is on the job. I was primarily interested in their helocopter career field until I realized helo's don't fly, they are just so ugly the earth repels them. The CG mission rarely changes unlike the rest of the military. If LE is what your step son is interested in, the CG is the place to go. If LE is what he wants, under no circumstances let your step son join the Army or Marines. Yes he could do some type of LE in both but remember, in the Army, you're a soldier first & in the Marines, every man is a rifleman. He may get to do LE but is he really concerned with enforcing laws in a middle east filth hole? The USAF has LE but it's too much of a joke to even bother considering. We have AFOSI, the AF equivalent of the FBI, but you have to be an E-5 to apply so he would have to do something else for the first years until he made SSgt.
The USCG used to be under the control of the US Department of Transportation during times of peace & administered by the US Navy during war. They have since been transferred to the control of Dept of Homeland Security. They are responsible for far, far more than the average person realizes. I don't know if it's still true but at one time, the NYPD had more people than the entire USCG. Their Basic Training is in CG Station Cape May, NJ. The average cutter has about 15 people on it. The are CG stations all over the US including HI & AK. As far as availability of assignments in the US, the USCG has the rest of the military beat by a mile. Obviously if one desired an overseas tour the USCG is not the place to go. Look on their website for more info: www.uscg.mil
KC-10 FE out...
As far as the Coast Guard, I seriously considered joining. If you think about it, they are the only branch of service that does their job day in & day out. 24/7/365, the CG is on the job. I was primarily interested in their helocopter career field until I realized helo's don't fly, they are just so ugly the earth repels them. The CG mission rarely changes unlike the rest of the military. If LE is what your step son is interested in, the CG is the place to go. If LE is what he wants, under no circumstances let your step son join the Army or Marines. Yes he could do some type of LE in both but remember, in the Army, you're a soldier first & in the Marines, every man is a rifleman. He may get to do LE but is he really concerned with enforcing laws in a middle east filth hole? The USAF has LE but it's too much of a joke to even bother considering. We have AFOSI, the AF equivalent of the FBI, but you have to be an E-5 to apply so he would have to do something else for the first years until he made SSgt.
The USCG used to be under the control of the US Department of Transportation during times of peace & administered by the US Navy during war. They have since been transferred to the control of Dept of Homeland Security. They are responsible for far, far more than the average person realizes. I don't know if it's still true but at one time, the NYPD had more people than the entire USCG. Their Basic Training is in CG Station Cape May, NJ. The average cutter has about 15 people on it. The are CG stations all over the US including HI & AK. As far as availability of assignments in the US, the USCG has the rest of the military beat by a mile. Obviously if one desired an overseas tour the USCG is not the place to go. Look on their website for more info: www.uscg.mil
KC-10 FE out...
"Coast Guard personnel provide maritime security over 6,500 miles of shoreline and 1,500 miles of international border and provide the world's premiere search and rescue, marine safety and environmental protection, maritime law enforcement, aids to navigation and icebreaking services to the region's citizens."
This is why he is interested in the CG. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with our other service branches. I just think the CG would be a better fit for him, but it is ultimately his choice.
On a side note KC, my dad was in the AF for 6 years. He was stationed in Okinawa during the Vietnam War. He loaded and unloaded mostly C-130's in support of the war. Unfortunately most of the loading was bodies headed back to the states.
I must say though that Okinawa (from the pictures) was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. TC
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
From:
Most of the info I have is from firsthand knowledge. I was in Naval JROTC when I was in HS. I did 4 years & left the unit as the unit XO. Our teacher was a retired Commander from the USCG. Some JROTC units go to "Mini Basic Training", a week long foray into the world of the "real" military. Our HS went every year & I went all 4 years. 3 of those years I went to USCG Station Cape May since it was only a 2.5 hours bus ride from my HS. The other year we went to Parris Is USMC Recruit Training Center. If your step son is genuinely interested, tell him to get in shape NOW. USCG basic training is generally considered to be second to only the Marines are far as physical demands. Since they have such a small force, they can pick & choose who they retain. 50% of those that leave do so because they fail the physical demands.
I travel for a living. Japan & Okinawa are not on the top of my "Favorite Places To Go" list. I have never enjoyed going there one time. I've been to mainland Japan numerous times & have had several days on the ground in several different places. I simply do not like it there. I've been to Okinawa (Kadena AB) 4 times & have never been there for more than 18 hours yet.
KC-10 FE out...
I travel for a living. Japan & Okinawa are not on the top of my "Favorite Places To Go" list. I have never enjoyed going there one time. I've been to mainland Japan numerous times & have had several days on the ground in several different places. I simply do not like it there. I've been to Okinawa (Kadena AB) 4 times & have never been there for more than 18 hours yet.
KC-10 FE out...
Thread Starter
|
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
From: Northwestern PA
Well he is 6 feet tall and 160 pounds and just turned 16 in January so he is going to be pretty stout. I think the butt kickin he would recieve would do him some good. He has kind of a passive nature.
My buddy Scott was in the Navy for 4 years as a flight tech or something like that. It sounds like his crew basically took a large turboprop and shuffled military brass all over the world. There was him, a pilot and copilot. Man, does he have some stories from some weird places. Unfortunately, I think some of them are true because he has pictures. He was in the air more than on the ground. That was from 1989 to 1993. He wishes now that he would have stayed in. I'll have to find out what he flew in.
My buddy Scott was in the Navy for 4 years as a flight tech or something like that. It sounds like his crew basically took a large turboprop and shuffled military brass all over the world. There was him, a pilot and copilot. Man, does he have some stories from some weird places. Unfortunately, I think some of them are true because he has pictures. He was in the air more than on the ground. That was from 1989 to 1993. He wishes now that he would have stayed in. I'll have to find out what he flew in.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 462
Likes: 0
From:
Originally Posted by TPC11
Well he is 6 feet tall and 160 pounds and just turned 16 in January so he is going to be pretty stout. I think the butt kickin he would recieve would do him some good. He has kind of a passive nature.
My buddy Scott was in the Navy for 4 years as a flight tech or something like that. It sounds like his crew basically took a large turboprop and shuffled military brass all over the world. There was him, a pilot and copilot. Man, does he have some stories from some weird places. Unfortunately, I think some of them are true because he has pictures. He was in the air more than on the ground. That was from 1989 to 1993. He wishes now that he would have stayed in. I'll have to find out what he flew in.
My buddy Scott was in the Navy for 4 years as a flight tech or something like that. It sounds like his crew basically took a large turboprop and shuffled military brass all over the world. There was him, a pilot and copilot. Man, does he have some stories from some weird places. Unfortunately, I think some of them are true because he has pictures. He was in the air more than on the ground. That was from 1989 to 1993. He wishes now that he would have stayed in. I'll have to find out what he flew in.
KC-10 FE out...