Transferring branches

[JMercer]

Just keep in mind when I retired they started up the higher tenure again.

https://www.uscg.mil/announcements/alcoast/114-15_ALCOAST.txt

-
-
-
My last bit of advice is once you hit 15 years of service do not take the redux. It's just not worth it unless you are staying for 30 and making 9 or CWO.

Any idea on how the new blended retirement system will affect this if I opt in now? Is the CG even part of this?

[Endless]

Is this pretty similar to how one would choose an MOS in the Marines? Or is it a different process all together?

I'm a digital wideband repairer(satcom tech) so I was looking at the electronics technician rating. Though I'd prefer gunners mate.

MOS is pretty much the same as rating in the CG. You can go ET or GM. GM wait is much shorter. It was like 12-14 months last time I was in. Not long at all.

Sounds like IT may be the rate to go. They have office jobs and do a lot of communications upgrades with network upgrades and computer updates. They also work on our Secret and Top Secret databases.

[Endless]

Any idea on how the new blended retirement system will affect this if I opt in now? Is the CG even part of this?

Blended retirement starts 01JAN18 for the CG. Yes they are part of it. So if you go now then you should have the option of the 401K type plan (still need to confirm with CG recruiter because things change monthly in the CG) or what I left with is the pay you every month plan. You have the choice of either but I heard that the new blended will primarily affect folks entering the service from boot as E1 or E2s or Academy grads 01s. Folks already in will have the choice to choose at their 20 year mark. One of my good friends is a CWO3 and is at 26 years and he has the choice at 30. He is going for CWO4 and 30 years which will give him 75% at that point. He wont have to work again. Granted he will be 47 years old but he can sit back and relax and not worry about anything.

Keep in mind, and its no big deal to me, that if we goto war and you're retired they can reactivate you as per needs of the service if you are under the age of 60 and can still work. I saw it happen after 911. For some folks its a huge deal. I saw CHP officers get reactivated and they could not refuse, even as a detective. They didnt like that but tough ****. They are still part of the CG even if they retired at 20 years and Uncle Sam needs them in time of war. Thats how it goes.

[MountainMike]

Make sure you know all the regs and rules. They're different in every branch, and the CG has some very specific requirements. One of my sergeants was planning on going to the Coast Guard after he got off of active duty (top notch soldier, Airborne Infantryman with several combat tours... even went to the Combat Divers Qualification Course and wanted to be a rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard... right before he ETSed and transferred over, they shot him down because of his tattoos. He had more or less full sleeves, but everything was fine by Army standards... not so much in the Coast Guard. The recruiter wouldn't even talk about a waiver or anything else. Just said "Sorry man..." and cut him off.

All that said, my cousin is a Coastie and loves it. He just pinned on Chief and is stationed in Key West. Lots of cool drug interdiction missions.

How long ago was this? The only tattoo restrictions are for hands, neck, and face. Full sleeves above the wrist is g2g.

[jmsenk]

How long ago was this? The only tattoo restrictions are for hands, neck, and face. Full sleeves above the wrist is g2g.

This was the end of 2009. All of his tats were good by Army standards (no Nazi stuff or anything like that) and while he was pretty much covered in tattoos, anything on hands neck or face would have caused issues in the Army too.

All of this is also coming second hand - I didn't go talk to the recruiter, but I know he was dead set on it coming out of the Army, and all of a sudden, nothing. Tattoos was the reason he told me, and I took him at his word. Stellar record, so I don't know what else it would have been.

[MountainMike]

This was the end of 2009. All of his tats were good by Army standards (no Nazi stuff or anything like that) and while he was pretty much covered in tattoos, anything on hands neck or face would have caused issues in the Army too.

All of this is also coming second hand - I didn't go talk to the recruiter, but I know he was dead set on it coming out of the Army, and all of a sudden, nothing. Tattoos was the reason he told me, and I took him at his word. Stellar record, so I don't know what else it would have been.

The CG is a tough branch to get into. All recruiters have a maximum amount of recruits they are allow to bring in each year. Some regions the cap is set to 1 recruit per year. Too much time in service could have been a factor as well. There are a lot of hard and fast disqualifiers but even then the recruiter can turn someone down based on very subjective reasonings that they do not have to divulge. It really comes down to if the recruiter wants to push it through.

[caliprep]

Definitely right about how hard it is to get into the CG. It's almost like a job application rather than volunteering.
I assume it's because the coasties are part of homeland security and you will be required at some point to get a secret clearance from them (different than the ones issued by DoD.)
Which brings me to my other point...you're a maritime law enforcement officer on an enlisted pay scale....I mean I'd rather get paid on the civilian pay scale for doing the same work.