*This was originally posted in the recruiters forum*
Posted Fri 20 February 2009 10:14 AM
I will start by giving a little background info about myself. I am a 26 year old deputy sheriff with 5 years LE experience. I am also an IFSAC certified firefighter and EMT.
A little over a year ago, I decided that I wanted to join the CGR. My wife was very supportive at the time. I spoke with a recruiter and found a billet at PSU 308...then the fun began. My wife found out that deployments were almost guaranteed and she then told me she would not sign the spousal consent...
Now, I still want to join, so I am looking for something other than a PSU. I would like to be at the New Orleans station. I have also heard that the PS rating is no longer being recruited even though the website still shows an open billet at New Orleans.
The other rating that I have considered is BM. With my qualifications (as listed above) do you think that I would qualify for REBI and strike A-school? Also, so I can have my "ducks in a row", what is the deployment "norm" for PS or BM at a station rather than a PSU (I am fully aware that deployment is a real possibility anytime/anywhere...just curious as compared with a PSU).
Sorry for the long post. All help is GREATLY appreciated. I look foward to serving soon.

Port Security Units were designed to deploy overseas. That's their nature. The units train to deploy, and they deploy. Period.

With that said, there have been domestic call-ups, too. Hurricane Katrina comes to mind.

A Reserve BM, PS, MK, ME (which will replace most PSs), or whatever working at a station doesn't necessarily "deploy" but may be called up to support that entity in an emergency.

With your background you could also look at DC or MST. Your diverse background makes you marketable.

With five years of LE experience under your belt (and I am assuming you were full-time and you graduated from an accredited LE academy), you also qualify to become a Reserve IV for the Coast Guard Investigative Service.

Keep your options open, talk to your wife, and talk again with your recruiter.

Good luck!

quote:

strike A-school?

This is a misuse of terms, so let me explain them.

Strike: Learn on the job and obtain certification of your occupational specialty w/o and formal training. DOES NOT EXIST AS A POSSIBILITY IN THE COAST GUARD RESERVE.

A-School: A formal, resident training environment of varying length (~10-~30 weeks) where you are taught and tested and the certified in your occupational specialty.

And just FYI, there is no A-School for the IV rating. You come in as an IV3 or IV2 dependent upon the strength of your package.

Just throwing that out there...

Ah yes, I forgot Option 3!

Option 3 - if you can proove to the CG that you already possess the specific skill sets of a certain paygrade of one of our occupational specialties (ratings), there is a CHANCE that you can come in to that specialty w/o either of the two options I listed. IV is one example, and it is possible in all ratings. Note - I said possible. Probability varies.