Life in the United States Coast Guard?

Question

What is life like for a coastie? Honest answers only please. Please answer ONLY if you know what you are talking about. When you stay on a ship, how long are you usually out at sea for? Are living conditions on a ship horrible? What do you do on the weekends if your stuck on a ship? Obviously I dont know much about this so please help. Are the ships dirty and smell nasty and all that or is it really not that bad? I just sounds terrible but im sure it cant be that bad since there are actually people who go through with it. Thanks for the help!!

Answer 1

Our Cutters are really nice. Very clean, food is good (thank god I'm not on one or I'd be fat). The smaller cutters never go out for more than 3-5 days at a time. Now the bigger cutters such as ice breakers are out for months at a time.

It's not the regular work 5 days a week and weekends off. You have designated off times but it's not the standard M-F.

Also you don't have to go out on a ship if you are in the CG. If you go in enlisted then if you want to make it to a certain rank you might need some rated sea time.

I think the CG is the best service to go into. We don't go to Iraq and we protect our country while in our country. We are protecting the home front! Go talk to a recruiter.

Pay is pretty much the same in each service, as are benefits. You won't regret it.

Answer 2

It is not that bad. Ships are kept clean and well maintained. Since the crews are smaller than on Navy ships the food is better as well. On weekends at sea, well what can I say. They are just like any other day. You stand your duty watch. You don't just park the ship for the weekend when at sea.
Good thing about Coast Guard is that unless you are on an Ice Breaker you are usual never out for long.
The Coast Guard's mission is to protect the Coastal waters of the United States. They deal mainly with smuggling, and search and rescue.
That is why the Navy calls them shallow water sailors.
If I was going to make a career of the service. The Coast Guard would be the one I'd choose over all the other branches of the service. I was in the Marine but got to go out on a Coast Guard ship with my son-in-law wasn't bad beat the hell out Navy ships I'd been on.
When I'd go visit them and his ship was in port I'd always manage it so I'd been able to show up at chow time because of the food.
And if you like excitement drug interdiction can get a bit dicey at times. Or you can become a search and rescue diver. That also can get a bit dicey at times.
All in all I will give the Coast Guard two thumbs up as a career option if you are planning on make a career out of the service.
I'd give the Marine Corps and Air Force one thumbs up.
Army and Navy no thumbs up.

Answer 3

once you're worried approximately being deployed, do not exchange right into a member of any branch of provider. I have not have been given any theory lots approximately the USCG, even nevertheless i'm beautiful confident their not doing lots over in the middle east marvelous now, so a deployment there might desire to be not likely in the USCG. The USAF is particular, you will unquestionably installation in case you exchange right into a member of the AF. you will unquestionably be safeguard, different than you're in risk-free practices Forces, even nevertheless you will nonetheless be over there. The Coast safeguard often does an outstanding sort of temporary, speedy deployments and missions. you're able to get sent on a pair week undertaking, consistent with probability longer. yet not something only like the Air tension. in case you exchange right into a member of one extra branch of provider quite than the Coast safeguard, your enjoyed ones will probable be stricken, even nevertheless as time is going on, they are going to help you and get excitement from you too. So do not exchange right into a member of the USCG only thinking the actuality that of that.