I'm a 22 year old college senior graduating in May 2010 with a degree in Criminal Justice. I'm a Certified EMT-Basic, Certified Firefighter 1/2, and been through a Reserve Police Academy(120hours)and currently working as a paid/sworn part time police officer for a dept. Would I be a good candidate for any of the USCG Reserve Officer Programs? I'm also willing to go enlisted at first if that is the only way of staying reserves. I know my best bet is to meet with a recruiter to this discuss information but was hoping someone here could give me a general idea of my options.
Talk to a recruiter to get all of your options. In the meantime, go to (www.gocoastguard.com). On the lower left, click on 'officer forms and deadlines'. There, you can learn all the forms you will need to fill out for an Officer Candidate School package. Good luck!
As FlynnPatrick said, you might want to change your tune. No selection board will take you with off-hand comments like that. We aren't looking for what we can do for you but how can you make us better? What do you offer the service? Perhaps you didn't mean liked you typed it...but it's there. Ask yourself how can you help your shipmates improve.
I'll be honest with you, you're really young. Its not impossible but currently SRDC program takes more experienced persons. Average age in my class was 28. No one was under 25. Age isn't the factor but experience is...can you lead? Have you shown that yet? Are you mature? Etc.
Everyone will say Recruiter, Recruiter, Recruiter. A recruiter will tell you what your qualified for. A selection board will tell you the real deal.
Good luck with your choices. The Coast Guard is a great organization. Not everyone is right for us and we're not right for everyone. But for those who want it...it's all there for the taking.
You are right Sean that was worded poorly. I was looking for specific options of how to pursue a career as an officer in the USCG Reserve. I should have choose my words better. I feel as though I have a skill set that would allow me to fit in well with the mission of the USCG, and I believe the USCG can help to develop me as a whole and allow me to advance my civilian law enforcement career to the level I want it to be.
Originally posted by sjr87: You are right Sean that was worded poorly. I was looking for specific options of how to pursue a career as an officer in the USCG Reserve. I should have choose my words better. I feel as though I have a skill set that would allow me to fit in well with the mission of the USCG, and I believe the USCG can help to develop me as a whole and allow me to advance my civilian law enforcement career to the level I want it to be.
SJR-
As everyone else said, you are kinda young and although you may have some training experence counts. Go active duty, get some life experence, after your first enlistment you'll be 26, a goot time to satart a career or you might like it and decide to go to OCS or stay on active duty.
