RateItAll: The Opinion Network

i joined the coastguard ,did the whole mindless 8 weeks of less than physicaly demanding "boot camp" the whole thing seemed to be based around this sheepest idea of FOLLOWERSHIp.any way got thru but not befor i filled out a deceiving white slip of paper called a DREAM SHEET , prior to that i was sold a bill of goods by the recruiter,CCs, and instructors alike of the big dream of flying or driving into the hurricane to jump into the rageing sea to obtain "glory", so i filled it out and went so far as say that i would except any small boat station patrol boat or even small cutter or an air station from carolinas coast around to alaska. and for weeks further propelled my self thru the shit hole that is "cape may", ordersday and what do i get SFO EASTERN SHORE CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND VIRGINIA,a little alarmed i kept my hopes alive for a period of 10 days(BOOT LEAVE) and was empowered by the hope of that great things were ahead of me. long story short my chain of command consisted of a couple of shit head mason cheifs and 2 MICRO MANAGEING hell bitches of an o2 and a o4 soon after my arival i learned that i would not be even touching a boat in fact the base needed re painting so and that was gona take a few years so i could never get my recommendations for a school or sttion transfer so i hired a lawyer and got out you see i was working in excess of 50 hrs a week and was makeing about 16000 a year to paint if you want to be a painter or a woodworker the going rate for a civillian is about 25 an hr. to the credit of the coast guard there are limited amounts of jobs it provides that see excitment and provide valuable service the other 95% sit in a boiler room or paint ect your chances of ever seeing action are about the same as playing pro football. DONT JOIN . while getting out i was told i would never acheive anything no one would do bussines with me. for the record i now make atleast 60000 and go to school.

The Coast Guard is filled with bi polar under-educated douchbags. If I could find a job that was outside of the CG I would, but alas I need the money so I am stuck to a life of being angry and hating my life.

The service provided by the USCG is great. The "chain of command" is the most utter piece of disorganization in the US military. If all branches of service operated in the chaos of the USCG chain of command...the USA would have never won a war!!

The Coast Guard sucks ass! It's almost impossible to make rate unless you're in with the right people. When I was in the Guard, I saw the most unqualified people advance because they were buddy/buddy with the chain of command. There's a lot of fraternization that goes in. It's not about what you know, but who you know. Furthermore, all those nice things they promise you, you're gonna have to go through hell to get it.

Best branch in the military hands down.

When filling out your Dream Sheets, DO NOT select Sector Delaware Bay. WORST command in the military. If you make them look good, you're golden. If you work behind the scenes, youre treated as a useless asshole.

Coasties are nuts. I would surely not get in one of those boats unless my life depended on it.

As a former Cadet of the US Coast Guard Academy, I can tell you that the real Coast Guard training out on the fleet where real work is done is awesome and just as worthy of praise as any branch of service.
However, the Coast Guard Academy itself is a complete shit-hole filled with officers who are complete hypocrites that expect cadets to act a certain way but get shitfaced every weekend with cadets that they're "cool" with. On top of that they encourage senior cadets to take unecesary disciplinary action on other cadets (even their own classmates) for stupid things in order to "achieve order", whereas it could have been resolved with a simple conversation. Cadets are cynical and untrustworthy of eachother as a result and it's a horrible atmosphere. As much as I wanted to be in the real coast guard working with the enlisted guys who are awesome (pretty much my only motivation to stay in for a while), I'm glad I left the service.

The rank and file Coast Guard member is most likely a hardworking individual committed to his job. Yet I think the chain of command in the Coast Guard SUCKS. I especially think the recruiting command of the CG SUCKS. I applied for a commission in the CG and the recruiter told me I was qualified, had me jump through hoops for months, repeatedly stalled on doing HER job and eventually she failed to turn the package in on time. Afterwards, when I filed a Congressional complaint, the recruiting command said that they never told I qualified for a commission (what the hell was I doing with their recruiter for 9 months then?)
If you qualify for a commission; save yourself alot of trouble and go to another branch. The unprofessional and non military bearing with which these guys conducts themselves is a discredit to their uniform.

College is for those who can't handle the Coast Guard! I joined after college - I know. A tough job - a lot of jobs - with not enough people or money, but we still do it. Great working relationship with the USMC and respect from the same. If you want respect and the 2nd toughest rated Boot Camp: Go USCG. You want to be laughed at: Join the Navy - I know, I was there before college.

As an active duty member of the USCG after numerous years of service, I'm displeased with the lack of concern towards fellow shipmates. Furthermore, our core values are Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty...go figure right! Get a college degree and do something positive with your life, something you want to do. That is my advice to anyone interested in the Coast Guard.

Well, they certainly had the best armed ships of any nations coast guard that I ever saw. Harpoons? On a Cutter? Nice to have, but what for?

Ballsy guys, especially the ones doing the search and rescue work.

The Coast Guard boot camp is a joke, well I had 2 years of ROTC in college and 2 years of Citizens Army Training in high school that's why. But even after that, the military structure with the boy scouts/girls scouts are probably better and the chain of command is horrible. The Coast Guard sucks, I should have joined the Marines or even the Navy and have some respect. Screw this I am getting out next year! Wohooo!

The Coast Guard boot camp is a joke, well I had 2 years of ROTC in college and 2 years of Citizens Army Training in high school that's why. But even after that, the military structure with the boy scouts/girls scouts are probably better and the chain of command is horrible. The Coast Guard sucks, I should have joined the Marines or even the Navy and have some respect. Screw this I am getting out next year! Wohooo!

Vastly under-rated and important service particularily in the age of terrorism

Great group who risk their lives to go into the water after people. Very tough work and very risky.

ha ha ha ha ha

I just got out of coast guard boot camp and it was a lot more demanding than I thought it would be. The physical training was not that difficult unless you are a weak swimmer. Being that the coast guard is the smallest branch, there is no room for dead weight. Those who are stupid or disrespectful get weeded out very quickly. There is no falling through the cracks. I thought most people who joined the military do so because they cannot handle college or they have no home lives, but all the recruits at boot camp were very lively, dedicated, and bright. The part that makes me proud to be a coastie is that we do our job everyday, and we are very humanitarian. We don't go around dropping bombs on cities or shooting foreigners. We quietly do our job of saving lives and protecting resources, while working with a small budget and limited manpower. I'm glad the coast guard demands so much of its sailors. You cannot save someone else if you cannot take care of yourself.

This whole board is disgusting, we are all serving our country. We all have pay grades and we all live by our respective branches code. The fact that we do soo much on an every day basis and NOT complain about recognition makes me proud to be a coastie. For all you other servicemen who want to bash this service I have pity on you and whoever you serve with Because at some time you'll be working with the CG and you'll see what it's all about. I respect all branches for the role they play in our nation's defense. The coast guard has a special role just as everyone else does. Every coastie I've ever met represents well. I'm truly proud to be a member of the United States Coast Guard. Honor, Respect, Devotion to duty. Thats our promise to the county and its the promise we strive to keep.

The Coast Guard may not be in the Department of Defense, but that does not mean it is not a military service. Thay have fought in all our wars, including the current war in Iraq and have shed blood and died like other servicemen. Their boot camp is very difficult and is probably second only to the U.S. Marines. Unlike the other branches of the service the Coast Guard has very little down time. They are indeed the police of the oceans, they contend with drug smugglers, illegal immigrants and general crime. They save lives in the harshest weather conditions when nobody else has the the training or abilty to survive, much less save someone, always at the risk of their own lives. During times of war these fine men and women answer the call of duty like every other member of the armed forces. This outfit should be the one to be called , the few, the proud. They deserve it. My son is a member of the Coast Guard and is on the other side of the world as I write, not safe at home going up and down the Coast. They do so much more than I ever thought.

Actually, this ISN'T a branch of the US Military. It used to be part of the Department of Defense (i.e. military) but is now under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security. US Title Code or not, it simply isn't a military service branch; it is more akin to a police force with a seaborne flair. It certainly doesn't operate in the same capacity as the Navy or Marine Corps, and certainly no correlation can be drawn betwixt it and the Army or Air Force, so trying to argue that the Coast Guard is really a service branch is like trying to push speghetti up a hill.

The U.S. Coast Gurad is the greatest MILITARY(USC Title 14 PT.1 CH.1 Section 1)service in the world. At least we hold high standards in our screening process.

Anyone whose job it is, among other things, to go out and rescue people who may not have enough sense to stay out of bad weather, deserves acollades. The pay is not that great (certainly nt commensurate with the risks), and recognition for what they do probably isn't what it should be either.

Oldest life saving service in world.

I think anyone who takes the time out of their lives, especially the time they could be spending with family to protect our country is a hero to me. I am tired of hearing how one branch is better than the other. None of you people are better than anyone else. Get a grip !

A lot of people look down on the Coast Guard. They are not really military, except in time of war. They are mainly into coastal patrol, rescue, and drug interdiction. I respect them for what they do. The Navy may be able to do the same things as them, but they specialize in those types of operations. They are a valuable asset to the United States.

The Coast Guard is more important than most people think. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is the hardest college/university/academy to get into in the nation. Isn't this enough to prove the Coast Guard is legit? To most of you, it isn't and I'm not surprised.

No you don't have to be six feet tall and it is still part of the Military, you two IDIOTS.

Not even a branch of military. Now department of Transportation