I am a former MST2, now Ensign. I am inquiring into deployment opportunities in support of OEF and OIF. I know that the opportunities are somewhat limited when compared to other branches but I know there are coasties over there. I've looked into the PSU and NCWS units, and EADs. Can anyone give me any guidance on where else I should look for opportunities or routes to pursue such as the PSUs? (obviously staying within my chain of command)
Call your servicing FOT, they are probably gong through their annual junior officer assignment process anyway. They will have a list of open billets. PSU 305 is closest to you.
FoT is your first stop to inquire about a PCS transfer to an expeditionary deployable unit. However, your command would have to approve this because you should be billeted at your initial assignment for 3-5 years, depending on your local FoT's policy.
If you really want to go to the war(s), you're going to have to be tenatious about watching the message boards to see if there's a suitable solicitation for which you're qualified. I don't belive there are any PSUs currently overseas in the OIF theater due to the Navy taking over their mission (one reason I wouldn't count on an OIF/OEF deployment for a PSU, GITMO excluded), but you're much more likely to hitch a ride with an NCWS in DCUs. Assuming your command is amenable to losing you for a year (or permanently), you might if even push the issue by contacting a NCWS Coastie rep direcly and inquiring on open billets or taking someone's place if there's a JO with some reason to stay back for a coming deployment. They might even refer you to another unit getting ready to go, where again you'll have to work through your FoT RPA to faciliate orders.
Besides that, its conceivable you might somehow scam a way onto a RAID team, drawing from your MST back ground. Other than that, be careful of solicitations for supporting OIF... they might only be looking for a CONUS backfil so someone else can go. Thats probably not what you're looking for and we are not sending IAs like the Navy or AF (which would be pretty dicey to explane to Congress with existing domestic threats, even if we have willing and available reservists).
KC, I met you last summer at ROCI when you came in to help us with career counseling (thanks again, btw). Just a question about this stuff.. Someone out here on the west coast recently told me that PSU's will be deploying less to Gitmo in the future and more to the middle east. This was just a rumor so I'm not taking it as fact, but have you heard anything similar? Or was it perhaps the other way around and they just had it backwards?
Hello again. I love running into people I've met doing those prodev meetings at OCS. Definately a small Coast Guard.
Well, the future of the PSUs has been a subject of debate for several years with the Navy taking over their mission in the OIF theater. If PSUs aren't deploying there now, with 160,000 plus troops to support through the ports of the region, I don't really see our presence increasing as the war slowly draws down in the coming years.
We were on thin ice with Rumsfeld when OIF started (because of our skinflint response after the USS Cole was bombed - no fault of the PSUs themselevs) and we didn't fight very hard to stay the principle force for expeditionary port security when the Navy was itching for greater relevance in the war. I suppose with Gates now the SECDEF and the DOG now developing regular ties with DoD, we might get back in the mix, but there's still alot working against that. I'm not in the PS world, so I don't have the latest gouge for specifics, but based on environmental indicators I don't see alot coming down for overseas deployments beyond GITMO.
