I am 39 and are currently looking into the CG options for a Reserve Enlistment. I have the following background: BS/MS degree in LE, 19.5 years in Corections (9 years as a investigator) and currently hold the rank of Lt., part time police for 8 years, prior service Army MP (reserves), Numerous LE courses with local, state and federal. I would apppreciate any assitance in this matter.

Greetings:

You should first talk with a recruiter, then contact the NE Region office in Boston. The recruiter should be able to get you the number.

Put together a resume with an emphasis on investigations.

Your age may require a waiver, despite your prior Army Reserve service. Hopefully you have no medical issues (re: 'scoped knees, meds, color blindness, etc.) that would require a second one. And hopefully you can swim.

Normally three years of full-time LE is required. Corrections usually doesn't count, but your investigatory background could help. Your degree is a plus.

But again, your first step if to contact a recruiter. 1-800-GET-USCG or gocoastguard.com.

Good luck!

Also, If you're in the IRR (or still attached in any way) in the Army reserve, you may need to go through them to be released to the CG reserve.

Can you apply for the investigator position if you are currently in the reserves? Or would you have to go through the lateral process?

Your profile indicates you are Army National Guard. Our reserve IV's are CGIS Special Agents, like your Army CID Special Agents.

You would have to enlist in the CG Reserve first. If an IV position is open in your area, and you meet all of the criteria (three years as a local/county/state/federal LEO, academy trained and certified, with civilian education with an emphasis towards investigations), your recuiter and CGIS would look at you to see if you would fit the open position. There are quite a few steps that have to be accomplished between the recruiter and the local CGIS office.

If there is no opening, you can try for another rating (PS, BM, MK, etc.) and wait for an opening and then put in for a lateral in rating to IV. Still have to go through the CGIS office steps, though.

Sorry, I should have given a little background info first. Im out of the NG and have been dealing with a recruiter to get in the USCG reserves. The recruiter didnt really seem like he wanted to deal with the INV position. I meet all the requirements including the civilian LE experience. It looks like I will be enlisting in the reserves in either PS or MST, theat why I asked about the lateral process.

Don't confuse IV (enlisted rating) with INV (warrant officer specialty).

INV is tough to attain as a reservist. There are only four of us. My billet will be up in just over two years when I hit my 30 years.

Where in NY do you reside? That would depend on which CGIS Region you would report to, and how many IV billets might be open.

Again sorry for the confusion, I meant to refer to IV, didnt even know there was an INV. Im from the NYC area, but would be willing to travel if I had to.

NYC is in our Mid-Atlantic Region. Have your recruiter look up any available billets there.

Good luck!

To really clarify things, if you are otherwise qualified, there should be plenty of open billets according to the last monthly reserve manpower report. You'd most likely come in at an E4 level but since the IV rate is on the supplemental advancement list, you's should make E5 in short order. After that I'd be prepared to wait quite a while before you see E6 pay. Since there are only THREE INV CWOs and they just made 1 last year, you (and the rest of us) have roughly 2 chances of making Warrant Investgator. Slim and none. Good luck.

The FOUR are me, Bill, MO, and Mike. Neither Bill nor Mo have retired yet, that I've heard.

What have you heard?

Interesting.... the RPAL still shows only 3 reserve INV positions as we've always had. Too bad we can't get more reserve INVs now that upper ENL billets are 2 blocked for the fore seeable future. (e.g. unless an E9 or E8 retires this year, you won't see anyone below that advanced, and there will not be any one else making E6 for the rest of the year)

Mark:

I'll explain it to you off-line, its WAY too lengthy for here.

Are you in the Global?

Mr. Griner,

Sorry to bother you with a off topic question. I am trying to see if I can get something put on the first page of fredsplace, could you send me a e-mail and let me know the person to contact. I am in global. Thanks.

Jarrett:

E-mail sent with a coupla questions.

Jerry G

Jerry, sent you an email on global.

I hate to keep beating on this, but this seems to be the only place knowledgable about the IV rating. If one is currenty in the CG reserve, what is the best way to find out if billets are open to apply for a lateral? Also would you recommend taking the IV correspondance course prior to applying for a lateral? Thanks again and sorry for going back to the same questions.

Contact a local recruiter or local CGIS office (Resident Agent Office or Regional Office) for IV billet availibility.

You indicated earlier you are in or near NYC. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Office covers that area.

You will have to check with your ESO. The IV ratings courses are not on-line like the other courses and may be restricted to CGIS personnel only. I am trying to find this out for fact locally.

The short answer is (recently) CGIS is short at the IV1,2, and 3 level. I'd be surprised if they' let anyone lateral in at IV1 (my opinion) but IV2 or 3 is a better shot.
As suggested, start with the local CGIS RAO or Regional office (NYC?) If you don't have the background, skill sets, etc. for what they're looking for it's all a moot point. Nothing will get you in the door without that endorsement first. A recruiter can't fill an Agent billet without CGIS approval so you might as well start with CGIS.

As for IV1, we just hired an IV; he had just advanced to PS1 on 1 Jan. Unfortunately the offer was IV2, which he took. Now just waiting for the lateral paperwork to finalize.

And this kid is a detective with his department, a collar suburb of Chicago. The kid handles homicides regularly and other violent crimes weekly.

But he was willing to take a stripe loss to come in CGIS. Shows the type of character he has. Nothing but praise from both his reserve boss and his civilian boss and co-workers.

I hope he gets the stripe back pretty quick, but I know how slow it gets advancement-wise E-6 on up...