Hey all im shipping july 8th to boot camp and going to CA after boot camp. Im planning on applying to BM A school after i get my non rate time in. I really am hoping to get involved in the Law Enforcment part of the Coast guard specificly Taclet or an saftey security team. What would be the best way for me to do that? Any advice? How long do you think it would take from boot camp till I could get quilified to be on a taclet or other specail law enforcment team. Thanks
First - Concentrate in passing bootcamp. Second - Rates like BM, MK and GM are good for LE types. Third - after A-School go to a small boat station or PB in D7. Fourt - Apply for TACLET as outlined in the Personnel Manual.
If you want to do boardings stay away from the MSST.
ELWEPO has good advice. Based on what I've read on here, you could conceivably go to an MSST out of A School. TACLET will take longer, third tour at the earliest, i.e. non-rate tour, first BM3 tour, and then apply for TACLET. Try to get BTM qualified as a non-rate and BO qualified as a BM3 and get as many boardings under your belt as possible.
As ELWEPO said, think Stations and Patrol Boats D7 and D8 for relevant experience. Stay out of trouble and keep your fitness up. Good luck, my three years at a TACLET/LEDET were by far the best of my six years active duty.
Thanks guys for all the information. I was planning on putting down some 87 on my dream sheet. Would that be better as a non rate for what I want to go for or should i do small boat stations? thanks again
87s or Stations should give you the opportunity to get boarding team member (BTM)qualified. You will have to get your other qualifications completed (radio watchstander/boat crew at a station and inport OOD/underway watchstander onboard the 87) first however.
Good advice you are getting so far. Just thought I'd add to it.
As a non-rate, you may want to look into;
Station Base Miami Beach Station Fort Lauderdale Station Islamorada, Marathon or Key West (all in the Keys) Station Lake Worth Inlet (West Palm Beach) Station Fort Myers Any WPB in South Florida.
Of course, Puerto Rico I assume is very active in L/E.
Those are places I am familiar with. Others I am not that I think would be active are places like Corpus Cristi, TX or Brownsville area.
Then there's Southern California which I know nothing about but assume they are active.
Now, I am not saying stations in the north aren't active in L/E patrols and boardings, I am simply saying that the southern units are the ones that are more likely to deal with drug/alien smuggling.
I was a non-rate on a 378', the Chase, during several patrols in the Caribbean. I was on one of four boarding teams. That usually amounted to only a couple of boardings a month with the rotation of teams and amount of boardings we were doing in the open areas of the Caribbean.
I was in the Key Largo area from 85-01 with USCG, then Customs. South FL is very, very active as you probably already know.
Just to add...I have a brother with the MSST in Kings Bay, GA.
Thanks for the information. I think i will probably put down some cutters of small boat stations in sothern CA seeing how i would probably get more LE action down there. One more question. Once your on a taclet unit how long can you stay there? Thanks
Note that D7 is South Carolina to Florida/Puerto Rico and D8 is the Florida Panhandle to Texas/Mexico Border. As Don mentioned, you are guaranteed LE duties and a high level of activity in South Florida, Puerto Rico, and South Texas due to migrant/drug smuggling in those areas. It wouldn't hurt to put SoCal on your dream sheet, but keep in mind what Don said.
TACLET tours were 3 years when I was in. Something to consider is that the creation of the Deployable Operations Group (DOG) of which TACLET/LEDETS are part of and the Advanced Law Enforcement Competency (ALEC)specialization may mean you spend most of your career at DOG units once you get in.
Hopefully by the time you get to TACLET there is going to be a community established...
Rigth now after 3 years, you can end up on any type of CG unit. I know of a guy that did several years in the TACLET, then came to SMTC and almost ended up as the MKCS on a 378 in charge of Main Propulsion...
I would put down D7 and D8 but i already have D11 garaunteed so i'll prolly just put some cutters down in sothern CA for better chance of doing more LE. Thanks again
Also, if you want to go to a TACLET LEDET, MSST MLE/FP team, or MSRT, I would recommend you attend the D.O.G Assessment and Selection after "A" School. This gives you a slightly better chance at getting a DSF billet.
If you want to participate in law enforcement, consider smallboat station New York. There was tons of LE and Sar when I was there. Most of the reservists I worked with were NYPD and Parks Police. We also worked with the FBI SWAT Team and the Secret Service during the RNC. Many of my friends transferred from there to Taclets and MSST Teams.
