I have a few questions I'm hoping someone could shed some light on.

1. Tattoo on wrist - disqualifier?

2. Mast's as non-rate - however has exelled since then. 6-7 point sailor. Would be 8+ years since Mast - disqualifier?

3. In regards to college. 30 college credits is needed. Does college credit earned through the military count. (rank advancement credits/Boot camp credits/A school credits) So in another words if I have 15 college credits earned through the military and 15 actual college credits earned through college courses is that good enough?

Thanks.
OS1

1. Depends (size? subject matter?). Read the PERSMAN.

2. Depends. Read the PERSMAN.

3. No. You need a full thirty hours from an accreditted college/university. This used to be sometimes waived but not any more.

Military ACE credits and CLEP credits need to be accepted by a college or university and put on one of their transcripts. Every E-1 out of boot camp has recommended credits but it has to be accepted by an institute of higher learning.

Hope this helps.

The college credit waiver was still in affect for this years solicitation. Myself and a friend of mine were both selected and he received the waiver for not having all his credits.

We'll have to wait and see if they waive it next year.

Chris:

The waiver was cancelled earlier this year and is not in effect for next year. People applying now have to have the full 30 hours.

I don't recall exactly if it was in CGMS or an E-mail, but E-mail me if you want "hard copy".

Yeah it doesn't surprise me that I missed that one. I've been out of CGMS and CG email contact for the last 7 weeks due to a broken leg. I guess those that got the waiver this time should count their blessings.

Thanks for the update.

I was wondering how is the competition for advancement to INV Warrant? I am an E-6, spent 8.5 out of 10 years in the small boat community. With that I have no sea time. "If" I was to apply for the job and got accepted, would it be hard to continue my advancement path in INV world in over the period of time. This job interests me a lot. Since I was a teenager, I participated in the NYPD and U.S. Customs Explorer Programs and that is what got me into the LE field in the Coast Guard. I am not hard core for LE, but I have my shares when conducting the boarding’s. I like the aspect of investigations. Thank you for your time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sebacrash,

As an enlisted AD CGIS agent, you have two career paths: stay enlisted in your rating and try to advance while working out of rate (can be hard to do, especially if you need sea time), or put in two years as an enlisted agent and then put in a packet for INV Warrant specialty.

Jerry;
Can you talk about the eligibility difference for INV compared to the rest of the specialties?

ie - do they need to follow the E-7 list rules as an E-6?

Yes. You still must be in the upper 50% of the E-7 list for you primary rating to apply, plus having been an enlisted agent for at least two years.

Top 50%...not anymore for INV. An E6 can be 500 out of 500 in their prospective E7 rating SWE and still apply to INV Warrant. With that said, you don’t even have to take the E7 SWE if you don’t want to. CGIS wants you to go the INV route and encourages you out of your enlisted rate. This is why the INV Warrant specialty was created.

Wayne:

WOW, I must have missed the memo.

When did this happen?

I didn't think it was top 50% either. But then again, I am in the window so I wasn't worried about it.

The real question for 2009 applicants, Are there 5 RAC CWO positions or more than 5 CWO positions but 5 are RACs? I believe there are 11 or 12 appling for INV2. Either way, whatever the outcome it was meant to be.

Jerry,
Yeah brother they stopped the 50 percent above the E7 SWE about 3 years ago. Once the INV rate was created there was no reason to compete in your enlisted rating, unless you really want to advance as you are waiting your time to put in the CWO package. However, advancing while you wait is good because of the points difference earned a month as an E8 or E7 versus E6.

Don't get me wrong...INV is still not a give- me. Luckily, the list has cleared the last few years and the billets are slowly being filled. Once the INV specialty is full then don’t anticipate anymore “list clearing”.

INV RACs are the exception now, not the norm.

I believe CGIS prefers civilian RACs because of stability and continuity (i.e. not transferring every few years).

INV RACs still occur though, especially in the case of a newly established offices. It's quicker to get an INV into the office and get it up and running than to hire a civilian in the same time frame.

What is the rough number of people that apply for the program each year?

It depends.

Are you asking Active Duty, Civilian and/or Reserve?

Three different segments, each with its own process and applicants numbers.

quote:

Originally posted by JerryG:
It depends.

Are you asking Active Duty, Civilian and/or Reserve?

Three different segments, each with its own
process and applicants numbers.

Jerry,
Active.

I'd say a decent estimate is somewhere around 100 give or take 20 AD applicants.

Two or three years ago, there were 89 AD applicants, of which 39 were selected for the next go-around (interviews, etc.). I was told there were 15 openings for new enlisted AD agents that year.

Only 5 agents were made that year.

I haven't been paying much to the AD enlisted process the past year or so, only the AD warrant and civilian processes. USAJOBS.gov has advertised 23 CGIS civilian agent positions since the beginning of last November, and there are more coming.