wheatacre think long and hard about joining or being a gunnersmate. If you feel that your feelings have been hurt and you need a hug.....OCS would be the best bet!!

quote:

Originally posted by wheatacre:
I am 22 years old and about to graduate with a CJ degree.

I know I may have pissed some off but i wanted real answers and it seems I got them.....

I am kinda getting the impression that many of you dont seem to like the CG, am i right or do many of you not like being a GM?

wheatacre:

Do yourself a favor and click on the blue names of some of the posters here who replied to your initial question. You will find the public profiles of a number of them.

You will find several are active duty senior enlisted members, even a Warrant Officer. Your comment about

quote:

many of you dont seem to like the CG

is moot since they have obviously made a career of the CG.

But with age, wisdom, and experience sometimes comes cinicism. It happenes everwhere. Ask an old time cop about being cinical. It comes with the job. "Everyone is suspect".

At 22 years old, with a wife and child, getting ready to graduate with a CJ degree, you've got a lot on your hands. I will go out on a limb here and assume you know what a GM primarily does in the CG. Maintains guns, fixes guns, teaches guns, and sometimes LE. Is this the career you want? Twenty years until retirement? Relying on your detailer as to where you are going to move every four years? Uprooting your family and having your child(ren) make new friends each time? Being assigned to a "big white one" and being afloat for long periods of time?

Have you talked this over with your wife? She should be an important part of your decision.

Kidding aside, take some of what is posted here to heart. There are about 76 years of CG experience between the posters with public profiles who have posted replies to you.

Good luck!

We do love the coast guard and being a GM I would not change it for anything but after a while you get a little bitter. If you got a collage degree I also suggest OCS.

CHGuns and JerryG have left some great footprints here! I hope that you read them closely, Mate!
I personally feel that we are the strongest rating in the Guard but.....I'm kinda partial!
That being said, I have been up and over some really high walls during my career in the Guard. I can tell you without any doubt that we take care of each other, have each others backs and love what we do! Not to say that other folks in the Guard are not tight but....I promise, you wont find a better bunch of folks!
Look closely at your future, Mate! Talk with the Mrs very closely as she had better be a large part of your choices...you both will have to live with!
With 24 and change as a GM, I'm just gettin' warmed up! Yeah.....I kinda like it!

I love the f-ing Coast Guard and the Coast Guard loves f-ing me.

I don't see where we said we don't like the CG. Everyone on here is here, and commenting because of the passion they do have.

The CG does love you onewhl750.

But it's not "in love" with you.

I am thankful for your honest answers,I also love given people **** and getting it back also if builds friendships and trust so i do understand that part. actually right know I Run a security office for a large hotel corporation. I have mostly guys working for me so I can understand how it would be on a cutter.

I do have one question since most of you are senior officers? The one reason I am thinking about not going OCS is mainly becuase I want to experience the USCG in a hands on way. I also dont want to be one of those officers that thinks he knows everything when obviously those under my command will know more. I am sure many of you know what I mean. So if this is what i want to accomplish would you still reccommend OCS.

My wife also knows about the USCG and she is excited about it as much as I may be. She will also have to live in a larger city to get a job...... we are from kansas and she is getting a forensic science degree, we dont get alot of crimes here.

I know alot of GM's that went OCS and love it. Just remember we are the experts and technicians. As an officer you are the manager, not much hands on stuff going on there. Like I said before think about it long and hard. I've been in the Coast Guard 16 years and love every minute of it. With the degree you have you might want to think about going reserve and doing the CGIS thing. Just a thought.....

DO you mean the investigation team? or did you actually mean an IS? What reserve thing do you mean?

quote:

Originally posted by wheatacre:
DO you mean the investigation team? or did you actually mean an IS? What reserve thing do you mean?

There's CGIS...http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-o/g-o-cgis/CGIS.htm
and then there is the Intelligence Specialist rating,http://gocoastguard.com/find-your-fit/enlisted-opportunities/enlisted-ratings-descriptions/intelligence-specialist-(is)
two completely different things.

CGIS (Coast Guard Investigative Service) has separate requirements for Active Duty and Reserve agents.

Active Duty agents are selected from any of the many CG ratings, but only E-6 and above.

Reserve agents (IV's) have to be certified, academy-trained local, county, state, or federal LEO's with at least three years experience, preferably in a detective or investigator role.

wheatacre, you at least satify the education requirement (30 semester hours), but that's about it for now. CGIS might be in your CG future, try to get as much LE experience under your belt as you can before you consider applying.

IS (Intelligence Specialist) is a brand new rating on both the Active Duty and Reserve sides of the house.

A friend (just became a civilian CGIS agent, was a Reserve IVC) had to lateral to something else (was a former PS). He put in for a lateral to Reserve ISC. When the smoke settled, on 1 Jan 2008, he pinned on ISCS. Yep, he got bumped up an extra grade. It happens sometimes with new ratings.

Something to think about.

Another great shipmate, Teachguns, gave you great insight.

GMC Wilbert was my instuctor at SAI school ten years ago.

The CG is such a small service that you are about one degree away of knowing everyone in the CG. It makes it a very personable service.

Again, good luck!

-Salute'

haha your beat then