Posted on Apr 30, 2016
If I join the Coast Guard as prior service Army, do I have to go to Recruit Training?
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I'm planning to leave the Army and join Active Duty Coast Guard, since I am considered prior service do I have to attend Coast Guard Recruit Training?
Coast Guard
Training
Prior Service
Inter-Service
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 28
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Cody, you will both have to go to Boot Camp - AND you will lose rank.
We have a program in place called DEPOT (referred to above), but we haven't used it in several years. The only way to qualify for it was if your MOS directly translated in a USCG rating... and, because we have no engineers, you wouldn't qualify.
You'll also lose rank, because all E-4s and above are trained in a career field in the Coast Guard... and you'd need that training. This sounds sucky - BUT - there is a metric ass-ton of stuff you need to learn about living and surviving in the Coast Guard that you don't have a clue about as a member of another service, and coming in as an E-3 will give you some time to learn it without leading subordinates astray because of your ignorance.
Also, keep in mind that there are both age and TIS limits. If you just reenlisted for six, odds are that you'll have to serve all six before you could get out of your contract - especially if you got a bonus. This may put you over the age limit AND over the limit for time in service. We figure that if you have more than XX number of years in another service, it isn't worth the effort to retrain you - AND it's bad for your own career progression.
Holler if you have more questions. I got busted from SSG (E-6) to Seaman (E-3) when I came over - but it worked out GREAT for me!!
We have a program in place called DEPOT (referred to above), but we haven't used it in several years. The only way to qualify for it was if your MOS directly translated in a USCG rating... and, because we have no engineers, you wouldn't qualify.
You'll also lose rank, because all E-4s and above are trained in a career field in the Coast Guard... and you'd need that training. This sounds sucky - BUT - there is a metric ass-ton of stuff you need to learn about living and surviving in the Coast Guard that you don't have a clue about as a member of another service, and coming in as an E-3 will give you some time to learn it without leading subordinates astray because of your ignorance.
Also, keep in mind that there are both age and TIS limits. If you just reenlisted for six, odds are that you'll have to serve all six before you could get out of your contract - especially if you got a bonus. This may put you over the age limit AND over the limit for time in service. We figure that if you have more than XX number of years in another service, it isn't worth the effort to retrain you - AND it's bad for your own career progression.
Holler if you have more questions. I got busted from SSG (E-6) to Seaman (E-3) when I came over - but it worked out GREAT for me!!
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MCPO (Join to see)
Brad, you've got "Reserve" time - if you had more than 6-years AD time, it would be VERY difficult to get in, and most Recruiters wouldn't touch you. We have comms folks, but our LEOs are totally different than MPs - ours actually enforce federal and international laws rather than just UCMJ. Check out Operations Specialist (OS) and Maritime Enforcement Specialist (ME) for possible ratings.
Now the bad news...
Odds are, you'll have to lose a stripe - AND - odds are that you'll have to go through Boot Camp as well. Yeah, it sucks, but unless you have an MOS that directly translates to one of our ratings, you are considered a "noob" and will need all the training to get there.
As for law school, outside of Tuition Assistance, we really don't have anything for that. We get our lawyers after they've graduated and passed the Bar.
Now the bad news...
Odds are, you'll have to lose a stripe - AND - odds are that you'll have to go through Boot Camp as well. Yeah, it sucks, but unless you have an MOS that directly translates to one of our ratings, you are considered a "noob" and will need all the training to get there.
As for law school, outside of Tuition Assistance, we really don't have anything for that. We get our lawyers after they've graduated and passed the Bar.
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SGT (Join to see)
What if I stay in my exact same field. For example, I am a cook in the Army so will I still lose rank if I switch over as a cook in the Coast Guard?
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MCPO (Join to see)
Sorry, Logan - I haven't been on here for quite a while...
Cooking is a special situation - and /MAY/ qualify for DEPOT training and being able to retain rank (rate). Problem is that ONLY a Recruiter can answer your questions accurately. I can guess all day long, but odds are that I'd just piss you off in the long-run for being wrong (and/or out of date). Good luck!
Cooking is a special situation - and /MAY/ qualify for DEPOT training and being able to retain rank (rate). Problem is that ONLY a Recruiter can answer your questions accurately. I can guess all day long, but odds are that I'd just piss you off in the long-run for being wrong (and/or out of date). Good luck!
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SSG(P) (Join to see) Below is the information that you need regarding prior service entry into the Coast Guard:
http://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/enlisted-opportunities/participate-with-prior-service
http://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/enlisted-opportunities/participate-with-prior-service
Participate with Prior Service
The Coast Guard invites men and women who have served in the other U.S. armed forces to join our ranks and continue to serve our country.
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MCPO (Join to see)
Bad news, Ted, but the CG Recruiting site is HORRIBLY out of date. While DEPOT is still on the books, it hasn't been used in about five years because of "abuse." To qualify, your career field has to match the entirety of the CG career field - and for Army personnel, that never happens - the "abuse" consisted of folks being sent to DEPOT and not qualifying for it - then being sent out to the fleet without a clue as to how to do their jobs. When the Army has eleven MOSs for admin/personnel actions/records and the CG has ONE... they only know 1/11th of the job.
Sorry.
Sorry.
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