United States Coast Guard - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

DNM · 10-23-2007, 01:44 AM

Well, today I got an email from my recruiter giving me my dates. They go as follows:

Ship Date - 12/11/07
Est. Grad. Date - 02/01/08
Guaranteed GM "A" School Date - 03/17/08
GM "A" School Grad. Date - 05/23/08

And then I'll receive a little bonus for enlisting. All in all, things are looking good. The hardest part will be leaving my wife here to sell the condo and ready everything for our first station. (getting married next weekend)

Semper Paratus.

rlh2005 · 10-23-2007, 03:55 AM

Good luck and best wishes for all the impending changes. What field/specialty are you looking at?

Tiburon65 · 10-23-2007, 05:51 AM

Good luck, stay safe, and thanks for doing your part. It's greatly appreciated.

**eric_t12** · 10-23-2007, 07:52 AM

congrats, i knew a guy i went to WLC with who was an E6 in the coastguard before he went green with the rest of us.

let us know how it goes!

Ishpeck · 10-23-2007, 10:19 AM

Okay, I've been wondering this for a while...

People in the army are "soldiers." People in the navy are "sailors." In the marine corps, they're called "marines," and in the air force, they're "airmen."

What do you call people in the coast guard?

AKpredator · 10-23-2007, 12:38 PM

Some call them Coasties!

Despite all the jokes and their mostly non-combatant role, they have programs and specialties that require a big set of brass ones hangin'!

I worked drug interdiction in the early 90's and we had a Coast Guard ship and helicopter working with us. Very competent folks. The pilots were the best I have ever seen.

The rescue swimmers, no matter where they work, are exceptionally courageous to go in alone, in the worst kinds of weather to pluck those in peril from the water. One of them is recieving all kinds of kudos for a save last February here in Alaska.

And those who chase the drug boats down south have a great job and they get some pretty good training for it.

Good luck, man! If you get to Alaska, let me know.

medicstimpy · 10-23-2007, 10:08 PM

Congrats on enlisting. Too bad you have to be at boot camp for the holidays, though. Best of luck with it. We see you guys along the border and in Upsate NY/VT all the time.

I know being a Paramedic, I always wanted to join the USCG back when they let we Canucks serve in the US forces but a work accident won't let me pass a physical.

**DanTheEldest** · 10-23-2007, 10:24 PM

After watching that Kevin Costner/Ashton Kutcher film about the rescue swimmers I have a whole new appreciation for what the Coasties do. Granted, it was just a movie and might not be completely accurate, but wow....

Thanks for your service in the most overlooked branch of the armed forces.

DNM · 10-23-2007, 10:45 PM

Thanks guys. I'm going in as a Seaman/E-3 (go 'head and make the jokes) and my rate will be Gunners Mate. I could go in as a non-rate and have a designated district, in which I would choose D13 (WA/OR), but I think I'll really like what duties a GM handles. The Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Security now and is technically a non-combatant branch. The Guardian with K. Costner and A. Kutcher was based on the air bases and Aviation Survival Technician (aka Rescue Swimmers) and is pretty accurate for that side of the Guard from what I hear. Though I have no desire to do that and I can't swim well enough to pass that entrance test to A School. lol (those guys are NUTS)

The Coastguardsmen are often referred to as Coastie's btw. (as AK mentioned) And if I do get Alaska, I'll let you know. The wifey DOES NOT want Alaska but I don't mind. Plus, we go where told.

I'm excited. I counted down my days at work left. I have 10 more 13 hour shifts and then with the 3 weeks vacation I'll be taking... I don't have a lot of time left. The worst parts are: being at boot camp over the holidays, leaving a month after getting married, and not being able to shoot (really shoot) for 5-6 months. My goal to make Master by next summer is on hold now.

But wherever I end up, I will be shooting a hellova lot once settled down and it'll be worth it. GAH, I'm excited.

AKpredator · 10-24-2007, 04:31 PM

Nothing wrong with Alaska, particularly if you get southeast. Sitka is nice, so is Ketchikan. A little colder than Western Washington, but not much snow... just a lot of rain. Grouse, deer and bear hunting. Steelheaed, halibut, salmon and bottom fishing (I used to work on Prince of Wales Island), boating. All kinds of outdoors activities. The coasties there fish as much as they work. I came across a cutter with a whole deck full of halibut while I was on a kayaking trip in the 90's.

You can also get Anchorage Marine office and Anchorage Port, too. I had a big tiff with the Chief in the Marine office a few years ago. Other than that the guys are pretty cool. Party animals.

If you can make IDPA Master, they might stick you on the shooting team. What a job, eh.

10-23-2007, 01:44 AM	#1
DNM XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Western WA Posts: 1,377	United States Coast Guard Well, today I got an email from my recruiter giving me my dates. They go as follows: Ship Date - 12/11/07 Est. Grad. Date - 02/01/08 Guaranteed GM "A" School Date - 03/17/08 GM "A" School Grad. Date - 05/23/08 And then I'll receive a little bonus for enlisting. All in all, things are looking good. The hardest part will be leaving my wife here to sell the condo and ready everything for our first station. (getting married next weekend) Semper Paratus. __________________ "As I walk down the valley of the Shadow of Death I have no fear because I am the meanest motherfu**er in the whole valley" - General George S. Patton

10-23-2007, 03:55 AM	#2
rlh2005 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 196	Good luck and best wishes for all the impending changes. What field/specialty are you looking at? __________________ XD9 SC XD45 C and other stuff

10-23-2007, 05:51 AM	#3
Tiburon65 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 443	Good luck, stay safe, and thanks for doing your part. It's greatly appreciated. __________________ XD 45acp You're not living life till you are part of the food chain. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.

10-23-2007, 07:52 AM	#4
eric_t12 XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: SD Posts: 3,416	congrats, i knew a guy i went to WLC with who was an E6 in the coastguard before he went green with the rest of us. let us know how it goes! __________________ FBI: Gun Owners are Potential Terrorists Our Economic Future: GAO 21st Century Challenges The Police Have No Duty To Protect You VFW Life Member GOA Life Member

10-23-2007, 10:19 AM	#5
Ishpeck XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Earth Posts: 3,548	Okay, I've been wondering this for a while... People in the army are "soldiers." People in the navy are "sailors." In the marine corps, they're called "marines," and in the air force, they're "airmen." What do you call people in the coast guard? __________________ Because Godwin's law hasn't been beaten hard enough today: I don't think it's any coincidence that one of the forms of "witholdings" in my paycheck is labeled "SS." http://me.ishpeck.net/index.php?P=2020_vision

10-23-2007, 12:38 PM	#6
AKpredator XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 394	Some call them Coasties! Despite all the jokes and their mostly non-combatant role, they have programs and specialties that require a big set of brass ones hangin'! I worked drug interdiction in the early 90's and we had a Coast Guard ship and helicopter working with us. Very competent folks. The pilots were the best I have ever seen. The rescue swimmers, no matter where they work, are exceptionally courageous to go in alone, in the worst kinds of weather to pluck those in peril from the water. One of them is recieving all kinds of kudos for a save last February here in Alaska. And those who chase the drug boats down south have a great job and they get some pretty good training for it. Good luck, man! If you get to Alaska, let me know.

10-23-2007, 10:08 PM	#7
medicstimpy XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Montreal, Quebecistan in the land of anti's... the dictatorship of Canada Posts: 415	Congrats on enlisting. Too bad you have to be at boot camp for the holidays, though. Best of luck with it. We see you guys along the border and in Upsate NY/VT all the time. I know being a Paramedic, I always wanted to join the USCG back when they let we Canucks serve in the US forces but a work accident won't let me pass a physical. __________________ Springfield Armory: 1911 Loaded SS (x2), XD9-TAC & XD45-TAC AR-15: Armalite .223, RockRiverArms 9mm Ruger: Mark III, 10/22 S&W: 686 Tokarev: 1942 Soviet TT33, 1958 Hungarian TT-58 Tokagypt, 1954 .22 Polish Sportowy Norchinko: M14S (x2) Taurus: 455 Tracker... 45ACP wheel gun... WAY KEWL If GUNS kill people then spoons made Rosie O'Donnell fat

10-23-2007, 10:24 PM	#8
DanTheEldest XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 6,174	After watching that Kevin Costner/Ashton Kutcher film about the rescue swimmers I have a whole new appreciation for what the Coasties do. Granted, it was just a movie and might not be completely accurate, but wow.... Thanks for your service in the most overlooked branch of the armed forces. __________________ The AK-47: Designed to be field-stripped and used effectively by a half-drunk, half-frozen illiterate conscript who found it buried in Mother Russia's mud after last year's Regiment exercises. SOP: retrieve from ground, pee in action, cycle bolt, go back to work. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. --Martin Luther

10-23-2007, 10:45 PM	#9
DNM XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Western WA Posts: 1,377	Thanks guys. I'm going in as a Seaman/E-3 (go 'head and make the jokes) and my rate will be Gunners Mate. I could go in as a non-rate and have a designated district, in which I would choose D13 (WA/OR), but I think I'll really like what duties a GM handles. The Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Security now and is technically a non-combatant branch. The Guardian with K. Costner and A. Kutcher was based on the air bases and Aviation Survival Technician (aka Rescue Swimmers) and is pretty accurate for that side of the Guard from what I hear. Though I have no desire to do that and I can't swim well enough to pass that entrance test to A School. lol (those guys are NUTS) The Coastguardsmen are often referred to as Coastie's btw. (as AK mentioned) And if I do get Alaska, I'll let you know. The wifey DOES NOT want Alaska but I don't mind. Plus, we go where told. I'm excited. I counted down my days at work left. I have 10 more 13 hour shifts and then with the 3 weeks vacation I'll be taking... I don't have a lot of time left. The worst parts are: being at boot camp over the holidays, leaving a month after getting married, and not being able to shoot (really shoot) for 5-6 months. My goal to make Master by next summer is on hold now. But wherever I end up, I will be shooting a hellova lot once settled down and it'll be worth it. GAH, I'm excited. __________________ "As I walk down the valley of the Shadow of Death I have no fear because I am the meanest motherfu**er in the whole valley" - General George S. Patton

10-24-2007, 04:31 PM	#10
AKpredator XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 394	Nothing wrong with Alaska, particularly if you get southeast. Sitka is nice, so is Ketchikan. A little colder than Western Washington, but not much snow... just a lot of rain. Grouse, deer and bear hunting. Steelheaed, halibut, salmon and bottom fishing (I used to work on Prince of Wales Island), boating. All kinds of outdoors activities. The coasties there fish as much as they work. I came across a cutter with a whole deck full of halibut while I was on a kayaking trip in the 90's. You can also get Anchorage Marine office and Anchorage Port, too. I had a big tiff with the Chief in the Marine office a few years ago. Other than that the guys are pretty cool. Party animals. If you can make IDPA Master, they might stick you on the shooting team. What a job, eh. Last edited by AKpredator : 10-24-2007 at 04:34 PM.

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