Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Locked thread
nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

Nice, my CDO board is Monday.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Melthir
Dec 29, 2009

I need to go scrap some money together cause my avatar is just sad.
Good luck.

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo
Coming to this thread for advice...

I'm in my early 20s, have a mostly useless degree in communication, and thanks to traveling to a few other countries I'm feeling like I could do better than my current dead-end IT job. I've been around boats my whole life, and I live on one of the great lakes, about a mile from my local CG station.

Where can I get some real-talk about life in the coast guard, without bias?

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

UWBW posted:

Coming to this thread for advice...

I'm in my early 20s, have a mostly useless degree in communication, and thanks to traveling to a few other countries I'm feeling like I could do better than my current dead-end IT job. I've been around boats my whole life, and I live on one of the great lakes, about a mile from my local CG station.

Where can I get some real-talk about life in the coast guard, without bias?

What do you want to know?

Melthir
Dec 29, 2009

I need to go scrap some money together cause my avatar is just sad.
Go talk to people at said CG station. Don't talk to anyone wearing an anchor talk to the e4 and 5s then talk to the guys wearing an anchor ask the same questions and compare your answers.


Edit: we can also field your questions here.

ElMaligno
Dec 31, 2004

Be Gay!
Do Crime!

I have been extremely lucky and i had a good experience as an enlisted person so far.

Your experience will vary by your specialty, chain of command, where you are stationed and your coworkers.

CHICKEN SHOES
Oct 4, 2002
Slippery Tilde
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3794774



help this guy out coasties

edit: oh I'm dumb he just posted here nvm :tipshat:

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo

Hillary Clintons Thong posted:

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3794774



help this guy out coasties

edit: oh I'm dumb he just posted here nvm :tipshat:

Bwahaha, yeah, that's me. I didn't really get any response so I thought I'd search over here.


sex swing from IKEA posted:

What do you want to know?

Oh lord there's so much.

What can you expect to be put through in Basic training?
What's the most common thing that coasties get called out for?
I have a degree, and I'd love to be an IT specialist, electronics technician, or since I have experience with cameras (working for Universal) maybe a Public Affairs Specialist. Do I have a shot in hell at any of those positions?
I plan on speaking with a recruiter next month. What's some bullshit he might try to pull on me?

Rbear
Jul 30, 2014

UWBW posted:

Bwahaha, yeah, that's me. I didn't really get any response so I thought I'd search over here.


Oh lord there's so much.

What can you expect to be put through in Basic training?
What's the most common thing that coasties get called out for?
I have a degree, and I'd love to be an IT specialist, electronics technician, or since I have experience with cameras (working for Universal) maybe a Public Affairs Specialist. Do I have a shot in hell at any of those positions?
I plan on speaking with a recruiter next month. What's some bullshit he might try to pull on me?

Basic is not that bad. Standard stuff, classes, running, whole lots of marching around and waiting quietly.

If you have a degree apply for OCS first, unless you are about to live on the street or something. There is a whole world of difference between the lives of officers and non rates. You will be treated as a kid while being a non rate. Nobody will give a gently caress about your degree and you will be given the littlest amount of responsibility while being overworked. Add on top of that a fairly standard chance that you will be put in a stupid and toxic command.

Unless you sign up to go as a guaranteed a school cook or radio guy, all enlisted start as non rates. After 3 months in your first unit and after finishing your basic unit qualifications you can put your name on the A school list. Each school has a different amount of wait time, from 4 months for something like BM to 3 years for schools like MST and PA.

Public Affairs is a tiny field. If you are willing to wait like 3 or 4 years as a non rate you might get in. Expect to travel a lot.

All the ITs I met seemed fairly content. There are some ITs on cutters, but they are mostly on land I think.

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo
Good info to know.

What's the most common thing the coast guard gets called in to do?

Rbear
Jul 30, 2014

UWBW posted:

Good info to know.

What's the most common thing the coast guard gets called in to do?

It depends where you are stationed.

Big cutters go on deployments while small boat stations do on call search and rescue. If you are at a sector you will not be called to do anything unless you get hit by a hurricane.

If you are an IT, you might be called to help with support to set up disaster response centers.

It all depends on your job, type of unit, and location. Aircrew and Boatwains (along with MEs and engineers) do most of what people consider Coast Guard to be. Others are support. Officers manage and get paid a lot.

If you tell me exactly what you want to do I could tell you what steps you need to take in to make it happen.

Rbear fucked around with this message at 20:56 on Oct 21, 2016

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo

Rbear posted:

It depends where you are stationed.

Big cutters go on deployments while small boat stations do on call search and rescue. If you are at a sector you will not be called to do anything unless you get hit by a hurricane.

If you are an IT, you might be called to help with support to set up disaster response centers.

It all depends on your job, type of unit, and location. Aircrew and Boatwains (along with MEs and engineers) do most of what people consider Coast Guard to be. Others are support. Officers manage and get paid a lot.

If you tell me exactly what you want to do I could tell you what steps you need to take in to make it happen.

I think IT might be up my alley. I love technology and software stuff, and I was one course away from a CS minor. I have a tech support job, so I think that might count for something. Plus, so many jobs in IT. So many.

Rbear
Jul 30, 2014

UWBW posted:

I think IT might be up my alley. I love technology and software stuff, and I was one course away from a CS minor. I have a tech support job, so I think that might count for something. Plus, so many jobs in IT. So many.

It would look like something like this.

Enlist-> Boot camp (2 months)-> First unit (3 months + ~8 months wait for IT A school). Go to A school, make E-4, go to new unit as IT. Though with a degree I would still recommend officer route. Maybe you will not get to do any IT, but its more money with a better standard of living.

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

Alright, so there's more to the coast guard than just search and rescue...if you're at a sector, there are a variety of ratings and jobs out there as well (marine science technician does pollution response and vessel inspections for compliance, also deals with waterways management ensuring permits are filed correctly, etc).

The IT route? You can be an IT, sure. Advancement is slow in that rating because there aren't a lot of them and the ones that are in, stay in. Your first tour or two would deal with standard IT stuff: phones, computers...no real networking or anything more than likely.

If you go the officer route, the only way you are guaranteed IT is if you go direct commission (DCO). You would need an IT degree more than likely, but it may be an option for you.

Tons of stuff out there, but if you're into IT and that's it, then there are your options.

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo
Since I've got a degree, I have the option of going in as an officer.

What are the major differences between officer duties and enlisted men/women's duties? What do people look for in an officer?

Asking because I was speaking with my landlord, a navy man who eventually became an army ranger, and he put the absolute fear of god into me about being an officer. It sounds awful, and it sounds like everyone below you hates you.

Rbear
Jul 30, 2014

UWBW posted:

Since I've got a degree, I have the option of going in as an officer.

What are the major differences between officer duties and enlisted men/women's duties? What do people look for in an officer?

Asking because I was speaking with my landlord, a navy man who eventually became an army ranger, and he put the absolute fear of god into me about being an officer. It sounds awful, and it sounds like everyone below you hates you.

If you act like a normal human who cares about people working for him, they will not hate you. If you are a hateable person, they will hate you as enlisted too.

Officer manage subordinates (Paperwork, setting up training) and are assigned to different duties (Navigation, Boat Boardings, Damage Control, Vessel inspections etc.) As you move up in ranks you manage more people and become more hands off on day to day missions.

OCS applications look at GPA, recommendation letters, resume, volunteer work helps. It is what you can bring to the organization. Personal responsibility is also important.

Dingleberry
Aug 21, 2011
Anybody have any thoughts on the civie side marine inspector positions?

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

Dingleberry posted:

Anybody have any thoughts on the civie side marine inspector positions?

Yeah I work with them pretty routinely. Are you talking about the CAMI (civilian apprentice marine inspector) positions or the ones that start as gs-12? I've got insight into both.

The CAMI is a good program, with some caveats. You start as a gs-7 in a bigger port and once you earn enough quals, you get gs-12, but they will move you to somewhere they need a gs-12...you may only have a few choices to choose from. If you go in as a gs-12, then you'll generally stay in that location.

What do you want to know?

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

UWBW posted:

Since I've got a degree, I have the option of going in as an officer.

What are the major differences between officer duties and enlisted men/women's duties? What do people look for in an officer?

Asking because I was speaking with my landlord, a navy man who eventually became an army ranger, and he put the absolute fear of god into me about being an officer. It sounds awful, and it sounds like everyone below you hates you.

My general thought is people are people...there's bad and good enlisted just like officers. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Sounds like your landlord had some bad experiences.

Dingleberry
Aug 21, 2011

sex swing from IKEA posted:

Yeah I work with them pretty routinely. Are you talking about the CAMI (civilian apprentice marine inspector) positions or the ones that start as gs-12? I've got insight into both.

The CAMI is a good program, with some caveats. You start as a gs-7 in a bigger port and once you earn enough quals, you get gs-12, but they will move you to somewhere they need a gs-12...you may only have a few choices to choose from. If you go in as a gs-12, then you'll generally stay in that location.

What do you want to know?

I applied at a west coast port and got a call back on it; I'm considering it at this point but wondering what the schedule is like. Do they allow compressed/alt work schedules(i.e. 10 hour days 4 days a week or do they keep it 8 hours five days?
Reason I ask is my primary residence is one and a half to two hours drive from the USCG office. I own a condo 25-30 minutes from the office. My plan would be to live at the condo like a monk(no cable, focus on work, exercise/lift for recreation) during the work week and go home weekends and the occasional weekday and suck up the drive... having the mrs, two little ones, and dogs and cats in condo would not be feasible. I think my wife would be fine with me being gone most of the week(she was used to me sailing and I think we got along better when I was gone more ) If I could do 4 tens say, it'd be better as I'd get more time with the kiddos which is truly important to me...
Up until recently I was sailing as a merchant mariner(tugs as a mate then mate on hopper dredges) then took a job doing something completely different.
Don't really want to get back to sailing per se but would like to get back into something related.
I know it's the gs-7 apprentice deal to start...

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo

sex swing from IKEA posted:

My general thought is people are people...there's bad and good enlisted just like officers. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Sounds like your landlord had some bad experiences.

His basic thesis was "If you become an officer without enlisting first, you will get no respect."

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

UWBW posted:

His basic thesis was "If you become an officer without enlisting first, you will get no respect."

Not true at all-it's how you carry yourself.

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

Dingleberry posted:

I applied at a west coast port and got a call back on it; I'm considering it at this point but wondering what the schedule is like. Do they allow compressed/alt work schedules(i.e. 10 hour days 4 days a week or do they keep it 8 hours five days?
Reason I ask is my primary residence is one and a half to two hours drive from the USCG office. I own a condo 25-30 minutes from the office. My plan would be to live at the condo like a monk(no cable, focus on work, exercise/lift for recreation) during the work week and go home weekends and the occasional weekday and suck up the drive... having the mrs, two little ones, and dogs and cats in condo would not be feasible. I think my wife would be fine with me being gone most of the week(she was used to me sailing and I think we got along better when I was gone more ) If I could do 4 tens say, it'd be better as I'd get more time with the kiddos which is truly important to me...
Up until recently I was sailing as a merchant mariner(tugs as a mate then mate on hopper dredges) then took a job doing something completely different.
Don't really want to get back to sailing per se but would like to get back into something related.
I know it's the gs-7 apprentice deal to start...

That's going to be unit specific and I'd recommend asking for the Position Description for the job. Based on what I've seen at two separate units now, that hasn't happened. The general workday is something like 7-3:30, and as a civilian, you're kept held to those standards.

Generally as a gs-7, they expect you there five days a week and to get qual'ed up. However, there are telework agreements available and some places may allow for flex schedules.

Dingleberry
Aug 21, 2011

sex swing from IKEA posted:

That's going to be unit specific and I'd recommend asking for the Position Description for the job. Based on what I've seen at two separate units now, that hasn't happened. The general workday is something like 7-3:30, and as a civilian, you're kept held to those standards.

Generally as a gs-7, they expect you there five days a week and to get qual'ed up. However, there are telework agreements available and some places may allow for flex schedules.

Thanks for the info...

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo
What do Coasties do when they aren't out saving lives? Sit around reading books? Serious question.

Also, I've heard Officers are given a poo poo-ton of work, and the job is hard as hell until you get up the food chain. What exactly does an officer do that enlisted men can't/won't?

UWBW fucked around with this message at 16:19 on Oct 25, 2016

Elendil004
Mar 22, 2003

The prognosis
is not good.


UWBW posted:

What do Coasties do when they aren't out saving lives? Sit around reading books? Serious question.

Also, I've heard Officers are given a poo poo-ton of work, and the job is hard as hell until you get up the food chain. What exactly does an officer do that enlisted men can't/won't?

Preventative maintenance, training, working on qualifications, training, hiding from your boss while looking busy, makework, painting things that got painted less than a year ago, training, etc. It varies wildly, but a lot of the focus is getting fully qualified to fill your billet, then the day to day work of staying qualified, and qualifying others, training to save lives/do the mission, etc.

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

UWBW posted:

What do Coasties do when they aren't out saving lives? Sit around reading books? Serious question.

Also, I've heard Officers are given a poo poo-ton of work, and the job is hard as hell until you get up the food chain. What exactly does an officer do that enlisted men can't/won't?

We have a lot of different missions besides search and rescue, so let's take your station at the great lakes for example...

When they don't have an active case going on, they could be training or conducting maintenance on the boats. They could also be out doing recreational boat boardings as part of the law enforcement mission. They could also be out on the boats doing armed escorts of large ferries in your area, things like that. If there's none of that to do, they might be studying for the next advancement test.

Who are you hearing about the Officer thing from? The reason I ask is because 'it's hard as hell until you get up the food chain' couldn't be farther from the truth. Higher ranking officers are often working longer hours and have even more responsibility than a lower ranking Officer.

Again, related to all the different missions we do, it's going to change what Officers vs. Enlisted do.

Officers will never be at small boat stations, except for some of the large (think New York, D.C., or Seattle) stations, and even then, it will only be the Commanding Officer and MAYBE the Executive Officer in charge of the unit that will be officers.

For search and rescue, Officers can fly the planes...there are enlisted personnel who service the planes and jump out of them though. Officers will generally be in charge of the larger boats (110' and above), where enlisted will not.

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo
So I'm training my rear end off to lose weight and get in shape. What are the fitness requirements for entering and passing basic training?

Also, where can I find accurate statistics of how many people die in the coast guard annually? I can only find stats on how many people have died in the War on Terror (one, and one wounded), but then I hear that in 2014 somewhere like 40 people died, so obviously I'm missing some facts here.

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

https://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/enlisted-opportunities/advance-through-training

Men will be expected to perform:
29 push-ups in 60 seconds
38 sit-ups in 60 seconds
Run 1.5 miles in under 12:51
Sit and Reach 16.50"
Complete a swim circuit
Tread water for 5 minutes
Jump off a 5-foot platform and swim 100 meters

40 deaths in 2014 seems crazy high...maybe in the last 20 years or something...the main people that die in the line of duty seem to be aviators though.

Edit: Jesus Christ I don't think we've changed our PT requirements since before when I joined in 2006.

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo

sex swing from IKEA posted:

https://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/enlisted-opportunities/advance-through-training

Men will be expected to perform:
29 push-ups in 60 seconds
38 sit-ups in 60 seconds
Run 1.5 miles in under 12:51
Sit and Reach 16.50"
Complete a swim circuit
Tread water for 5 minutes
Jump off a 5-foot platform and swim 100 meters

40 deaths in 2014 seems crazy high...maybe in the last 20 years or something...the main people that die in the line of duty seem to be aviators though.

Edit: Jesus Christ I don't think we've changed our PT requirements since before when I joined in 2006.

Is that all in one day? Like, do I run the 1.5 and then immediately start the pushups?

Rbear
Jul 30, 2014

UWBW posted:

Is that all in one day? Like, do I run the 1.5 and then immediately start the pushups?

Push ups, sit ups, and the run are all in one go. The swimming section is on a different day. It is really easy.

Crash74
May 11, 2009
I would hit the local pool and do some laps for practice, i still remember that pool being sloppy as gently caress and i keep getting waves in my face. Maybe 40 people died from car / motor cycle accidents, suicides, and other rando poo poo. Dieing on the job is extremely rare and when it happens there is usually a poo poo show coast guard wide implementing new safety regulations. in the past 5 years there have been a few helo crashes, hasn't been any this year so far. Pilots like driving into things such as power lines, mountains, and usmc helicopters.

UWBW
Aug 3, 2013

Permanently banned from the Alamo
Note to self: Avoid helicopters if at all possible.

Terrible Robot
Jul 2, 2010

FRIED CHICKEN
Slippery Tilde

UWBW posted:

Note to self: Avoid helicopters if at all possible.

This is just good life advice in general, really.

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

God drat am I sick of Virginia...3 more loving weeks.

Crash74
May 11, 2009

sex swing from IKEA posted:

God drat am I sick of Virginia...3 more loving weeks.

throw a hamburger at a bm1 in the parking lot of the liberty lounge and get an alcohol incident lol

nwin
Feb 25, 2002

make's u think

Crash74 posted:

throw a hamburger at a bm1 in the parking lot of the liberty lounge and get an alcohol incident lol

haha did that happen when you were here for something? I try and stay far and away from the liberty lounge these days.

ElMaligno
Dec 31, 2004

Be Gay!
Do Crime!

Terrible Robot posted:

This is just good life advice in general, really.

As the comms guy I chug anti acid tablets every time I work with them.

Crash74
May 11, 2009

sex swing from IKEA posted:

haha did that happen when you were here for something? I try and stay far and away from the liberty lounge these days.

gm1 was tanked and got pissed that the bm1 wouldn't talk to him and chucked a burger at the bm1 outside walking back to the barracks. ood got wind of it somehow and was knocking on our door at like 2 am. investigation fun time happens the next day. gm1 got discharged because it was his second alcohol incident, he tried to pull some poo poo in the investigation and said that the bm1 called him a friend of the family fag, hilarity ensued where everyone in the class got statements taken. the gm3 that was with the gm1 during "burger gate" backed up the gm1's story. dude got hosed too, after he recanted his statement like 3 days later. uscg lol.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Melthir
Dec 29, 2009

I need to go scrap some money together cause my avatar is just sad.

ElMaligno posted:

As the comms guy I chug anti acid tablets every time I work with them.

I read this as acid tabs and thought man that must be an interesting watch.

  • Locked thread