# Navy or Coast Guard?



## JMartinez (Oct 10, 2014)

Brethren, when I graduated high school at the age of 18 I was going to enlist in the Navy. Right before I could I could sign up they told me they didn't have any openings for the job I wanted. as a result I enrolled in a community college. I plan on going to UTSA to earn at bachelors in accounting. I was thinking about joining either the Navy or the Coast Guard after graduating. What are your thoughts? what are the benefits, pros and cons, things of that nature? I really have no interest in joining that Army, Marines, Air Force, or National Guard... not really my thing.


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## Jraiford (Oct 10, 2014)

I joined the navy at 17, and left a year later and went to boot camp in Florida in August. I really enjoyed my time in the Navy. A few years after i got out, i saw an ad in the paper about working in the oilfield offshore. I began dealing with the coast guard. The coast guard has tons of local deployments, and would help considerably if you wanted to work offshore in the future. But they are really close to Law Enforcement. They just do it on boats. I would advise you to stick it out to 20 years, and get your retirement, then you could start another career. I worked with a captain offshore who was 79. He was almost deaf, and had trouble getting around. He worked for 30 years in once career, then spent another 20 on shrimp boats. At your age, you can make several careers which will leave you more time later for the things you enjoy.


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## Jraiford (Oct 10, 2014)

Oh, and it would be best to get the college degree before enlisting in anything. You could possibly qualify for Officer Candidate School, which would also help you later in life. A lot of people who were in the military end up in Law Enforcement, myself included. If i had gotten a degree, it would have made getting my certificates so much easier.


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## Morris (Oct 10, 2014)

I would recommend you figure out exactly what "your thing" is because all branches share an aspect of each other. Once you know what you want to do then see how each branch offers that aspect


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## Morris (Oct 10, 2014)

Also. An associates degree can qualify you for a warrant officer. Air Force doesn't have warrant officers but rest do. Pick a specialty before you pick a branch


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## Glen Cook (Oct 10, 2014)

I'm unclear why you think the sea services are materially different than the other services. 

If you are committed to a military career, why not consider ROTC?


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 11, 2014)

I'm an Army recruiter. Don't go to college first. Enlist,  use the Tuition assistance that the military giVes,  get some experience then go officer if u want.  Also  an AA degree is not necessary for warrent.  Only a HS Diploma is necessary. I also say join the Army as we are the only branch that guarantees jobs in writing prior to the applicant siging a contract 100% of the time.  You can be in the Navy up to a year after boot camp with out an actual rate (job) all branch's except the Army have the ability to do open contracts. ....also do u really want to ride on something long and hard and  be called  seaman?


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## Morris (Oct 11, 2014)

As has been proven twice now, tuition assistance is not a guarantee. I wouldn't plan my future around it.


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## dfreybur (Oct 12, 2014)

I favor all branches is my first level answer is "yes" as in either will be fine.  My second level answer is my hitch was in the Navy so I favor the blue branches over the green branches.  Coast Guard is blue, good to go.  ;^)  Both the Air Force and Marines span the blue/green worlds.  In Navy ships you'll see the real rivalry isn't whatever world power happens to be the opponent du jour.  Those change decade to decade.  The ones we want to beat and how we want to beat them is reflected on signs you see in our spaces.  "Beat Army".  Some sports game!

You understand that when not at war officially declared by Congress that the Coast Guard is part of the Department of the Interior not the Department of Defense, right?  The difference is subtle and as long as you do understand the difference and go in aware you won't be confused by the occasional difference.


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## Jraiford (Oct 12, 2014)

Actually, i believe they moved them to Department of Transportation/ Department of Homeland Security.


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## LelandC (Oct 16, 2014)

I was Navy. We saw the "Coasties" as mere pollywogs...slimy shallow-water creatures, not true blue-water sailors...never around when the tide is in because the water's too deep. But seriously, the DoD folks only execute their job functions to their full extent when war is on. The CG, on the other hand, is continually performing innumerable timely and critical rescues of folks truly in severe distress, wartime or peacetime. Has to be mightily rewarding...laudable success independent of global political discord.


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## Bill Lins (Oct 16, 2014)

LelandC said:


> I was Navy. We saw the "Coasties" as mere pollywogs...slimy shallow-water creatures, not true blue-water sailors...never around when the tide is in because the water's too deep.


That's a common misconception among squids. My son was stationed aboard WHEC 723, the Rush- a 378' "high-endurance" cutter home-ported @ Sand Island off the southern coast of Oahu. Their patrol district covered the entire Pacific from our west coast to China and from the Bering Sea to Antarctica. He has much more bluewater time than most Navy personnel, and the USCG has 14 deepwater cutters. Coasties ain't all "pollywogs".


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## Glen Cook (Oct 17, 2014)

<25 years active and reserve Navy.  I served with the Coasties, and actually have a decoration from them.  They are fine sailors and any sailor with a lick of sense knows that. We actually do cross platform assignments in support of their law enforcement role. Their young cutter officers have terrific chances for command experience and critical decision making.


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## Derek Harvey (Oct 19, 2014)

Army lol


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## JMartinez (Oct 21, 2014)

In the navy do you have a say where you will be stationed? How far off the bass can you go when you're off duty?


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## Ripcord22A (Nov 16, 2014)

No branch has duty station of choice.  Rule of thumb for travel distance with out a milage pass or leave is 50 miles.


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## Companion Joe (Nov 16, 2014)

JMartinez said:


> In the navy do you have a say where you will be stationed? How far off the bass can you go when you're off duty?



When I was in the Navy 20+ years ago, you didn't necessarily have complete control in where you were stationed, but if you did well in your "A" school, you got a little preferential treatment. For example, if you made certain grades, when it came time for your class to get duty assignments, they went down the class order: "Here are the available duty assignments. No. 1, you pick first." for example. I wanted to be stationed in Charleston (now closed), and I just got lucky that when it came time to choose, there was a ship on the board that was stationed in Charleston.

When you re-enlist, you have (or did back then) a whole lot of say.


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## Ripcord22A (Nov 16, 2014)

^^^^^^^ What he said.  Still done similar to that


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## Morris (Nov 16, 2014)

JMartinez said:


> How far off the bass can you go when you're off duty?



Air Force allows (unless in training status) to travel on pass anywhere in the States as long as you can get back within 12 hours (including flying). Overseas there are limitations usually to help members not get lost abroad or something much worse. 

Here in Okinawa I can fly to mainland Japan Tokyo on a pass. However, none of the other branches are allowing that here.


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## dfreybur (Nov 17, 2014)

At one time the Navy offered guarantees of deployment region for folks who scored above some level on the pre-enlistment ASVAB test battery contingent on performance at all subsequent schools.  Guys in my boot camp company already had fleet assignments on sub fleets east, west or Europe or squadrons on carriers in the Atlantic or Pacific.  At the time I was offered a first tour off Europe if I would go to nuke sub school.

ASVAB scores are highly correlated with performance at "A" school so I don't think these pre-enlistment assignments had much effect on the class ranking system described by Companion Joe.


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## Companion Joe (Nov 17, 2014)

Coming out of A school, I had a chance to work at NORAD. I said, "Uhhh, I didn't join the _NAVY_ to be stationed in Colorado."


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