Hello everyone,

I'm new to the site and new to the Coast Guard...I'm stuck between wanting to become an AST or become a canine handler but I have no idea were to look. I was told to look under MSST... If so how do you get into MSST? Any advice?

SN Sarah Valdivia

Make rate. Then apply.

Keep in mind that even if you get to a MSST, there are so few K-9 handlers that it is an extremely competitive selection process. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I would suggest not having tunnel vision on that one job. If that's what you want to do, I say try your hardest and go for it, but I wanted to make you aware of the odds.

Thanks LetsGoRedSox, I have other rates in mind but if I can't get either then no big deal. Thank you. Can you be any rate besides Aviation and become MSST?

At most MSST teams, there are Boatswain Mates (BM), Machinery Technicians (MK), Electricians Mates (EM), Electronics Technicians (ET), Gunners Mates (GM), Damage Control Technicians (DC), Marine Science Technicians (MST), Storekeepers (SK), and Yeoman (YN).

A MSST team is not a job, it is the unit itself. It stands for Maritime Safety and Security Team.

There are plenty of ratings (jobs) in the Coast Guard. I would suggest that you go to the following website to check out all of our ratings:

http://www.gocoastguard.com/find-your-fit/enlisted-oppo...-rating-descriptions

Based on your thread title: "How do you become an MSST", I think you might have been confused on what an MSST is. Like I said, it is not the job, it is the place that you work. We do have MST's (Marine Science Technicians) in the Coast Guard, but that is an entirely different job.