Hi everyone my name is Tyler Etheridge. I just swore in to the US Coast Guard and I am very excited about my future in it. I will be going in as an E3 and was wondering how hard it would to get involved with the MSST or other law enforcement areas of the Coast Guard. I leave for basic in January. I live in Mississippi so the cold will take some time to get use to the weather. Thanks for your time and I look forward to becoming part of the Coast Guard.

First things first, welcome aboard. Not only to the forums, but the CG as well. Nice to see a fellow son of Mississippi taking the leap. You have quite an adventure ahead of you, and one in which you will learn alot. Getting involved in LE is pretty easy, and it usually depends on what rate you go. As a BM, you will have plenty of opportunities in LE. Dont expect them straight out the gate though, there are other qualifications you will have to earn first.

T

Welcome aboard! Depending on how far you want to travel, you could come visit Station New Orleans, where our MSST unit is also co-located. You could take a tour of our boats and talk to some guys who have just recently graduated boot to get some info on what to expect and how to get where they got. If there are closer units (obviously not MSST but just regular Stations) nearby I would give them a call and set up a time for a tour. Since I've been here at STANOLA (Station New Orleans) I've given several tours to both new guys coming in and to families who have their son/daughter at a distant station that want to see what life is like for their child. Don't be bashful, we are here to make you feel more comfortable with your career choice. Good luck at boot!

As J said above, feel free to come tour. I am in Mississippi, on a cutter homeported in Pascagoula. If you can make it down here, on one little island we have a small boat station, a 210 WMEC, and 3 patrol boats (179' WPC class). Feel free to call ahead and stop on by.