Hey guys, I'm new to the whole Coast Guard scene and was hoping to find some answers to a few questions. I was originally planning on heading into the Army as a WO, however things did not pan out as I hoped and I was not accepted by the WOFT Board. I'm 18 years old and just recently graduated a military high school academy. The Coast Guard is appealing to me because of its LE positions. I was wondering what the best route would be to get selected for a Boarding Team? or a LEDET? I have read quite a few posts on these forums, but I have not seen this discussed before. My apoligizes if this is just resurfacing an old topic, thanks for your time.
BO = Boarding Officer, BTM = Boarding Team Member are qualifications for law enforcement duties. There is a good description of these duties on the CG.mil website under the Office of Law Enforcement page.
BM (Boatswain's Mate), MK (Machinery Technician), GM (Gunner's Mate), and DC (Damage Controlman) are enlisted ratings that conduct the majority of LE duties in the USCG and are assigned to the majority of operational units, however LE is a collateral duty so any rating could be assigned/qualified as a BO or BTM.
Originally posted by AZRotorhead: Now once enlisted into one of those ratings, how would I go about getting picked up for BO? Also would BO be the only job I do then?
As Cajun_MK noted, go to a unit that does a lot of LE; i.e. start off onboard a white hull cutter or at a small boat station. Get BTM qualified and work towards getting BO qualified, preferably by attending the Maritime LE Academy (MLEA) at FLETC Charleston. The rest of Cajun_MK's post applies from there.
Cajun_MK also suggested getting the Advanced Law Enforcement Competency (ALEC) qualfication. This should help you stay in LE related billets throughout your career.
As I said, LE is a collateral duty unless you are at a Deployable Operations Group (DOG) unit such as TACLET/LEDET or MSRT (do a search). Otherwise, you will still perform the primary duties of your rating, for example BM - Boat Coxswain at a station or Quartermaster of the Watch on a cutter; MK - Boat engineer at a station, engineering watch onboard a cutter.
LEDET and MSRT are the two areas that appeal to me the most. From the looks of the coast guards website, GM would probably be the best route to get into one of those positions, would you agree?
In my opinion, BM or MK (the largest ratings in the Coast Guard) will give you the most assignment flexibility. There are a lot of operational units (smaller cutters and stations) that do not have GMs. GM is a great rating, but there are probably two BMs and two MKs for every one GM on TACLET/LEDET. For example, out of the 12 enlisted personnel on the two LEDETs I was on, we only had one GM. The billet structure may have changed since then.
Like all other ratings, law enforcement is a collateral duty for GMs whose primary job is to maintain, operate, and instruct personnel on small arms and cannons/guns. The key is to pick a rating that you are interested in beyond the LE aspect since, unless assigned to DOG, you will be performing those tasks a larger part of the time.
FedRich, pardon me if I'm starting to sound a bit redundant, however, I'm just having a hard time understanding how the Coast Guard operates. I was so use to the Army's way of doing things and their assigned MOSs. What advice can you give to me to increase the probability of getting picked up for DOG, and how do I get on with DOG!?
Take a look at Cajun_MK's post again as he has the most recent and relevant experience with getting on TACLET/LEDET. Also search for the DOG assessment message which details the selection process. DOG Selection
Bottom line is that it will take a time investment (i.e. more than a 4 year enlistment) to gain the necessary experience and maturity as a petty officer and BO/BTM. I had three years in and had to extend for another two years when I transferred to LEDET. Most of my teammates had at least six years in. Once you get in the USCG, you will be in a better position to chart your course if LEDET is your goal.
TJ: I could go into a lot more detail then I did in my last post. Rates such as MK (Machinery Tech.) BM (Boatswainsmate) are the same as an MOS in the Army. MK and BM give you the greatest number of billet choices at TACLETS. There is no easy or immediate direct path to a TACLET / LEDET. To be honest you need the experience of a Cutter or Small Boat Station to be a member of a TACLET /LEDET. Personally I went through 2 Cutters and a Support Center before I could get on at my first LEDET. If you get qualified as a Boarding Team Member and Boarding Officer (if you are an E-4 or above), get good marks and keep up your physical fitness you will be set for TACLET. The most important thing for you to do is once you get in let your supervisors know what career path you want to follow. Read the information on applying for that career path. You can also contact the TACLET Command Chiefs for information once you are in. They are always looking for good members who want to be selected for TACLET. The physical fitness test is not easy and my suggestion is that you not shoot for the minimum standards but go far beyond them. Good Luck in your choice, my suggestion is PACTACLET but then again I am biased. MKC (Ret)
That’s OK my first TACLET doesn't exist anymore in any form it was disbanded. I actually started under the old LEDET model where I worked at Sta. NOLA when I was inport until we were finally placed under TACLET Gulf. As one of my PACTACLET colleagues referred to me as the ol timer (his day will come in the not too distant future ) I have seen much change during my time in. I do envy the members of today with all the opportunities they have available to them.
Originally posted by Cajun_MK: I do envy the members of today with all the opportunities they have available to them.
Roger that, the program has come a long way. TACLET Gulf was disbanded just before I got out. We competed against them in the LANTAREA TACLET RFO in 1998.
) I have seen much change during my time in. I do envy the members of today with all the opportunities they have available to them.
