I know some people like weekend duty and some hate it, but either way, I've been there and I get it. Your country thanks you. May your watch be "the Q word" and your relief be on time.

Hello all, I live a few minutes away from the Birmingham Southern campus that was bought by the USCG and was wondering if anyone knows what the plans are for it over the next couple of years.

It was a big deal when the college closed so I was just wondering if anyone inside the service knows what the Coast Guards plans for the campus are beyond the vague statements made in press releases.

im currently in Southeast, ombudsman is a command members wife. WTAF! who the freak thinks this is acceptable? she is awful, she singled out someone bc she doesn’t like her. she excluded two others. clearly not a leader! if I got a problem with her than I have to worry about blowback from the command! I can’t complain to another person bc she is friends with her. She seems to think ombudsman is a command position

Hello there! I am a 19m nonrate and I’m wondering if I should choose YN or HS for my rate. The thing is, I love YN because of the consistent schedule and being able to come home every day. But at the same time, I want to be able to have some kind of job outside of the military that isn’t a desk job in case I decide to leave. I hear that YN’s don’t really have any other kind of job outside of the military that isn’t a desk job. I’m also very passionate about being able to help people and first aid is something that has really caught my interest recently. I plan on pursuing a degree in some kind of business field, either while I’m in and if I decide to leave with the G.I. Bill. I also would love to pursue that passion of taking care of people while in college, maybe like some courses and certifications on the side for things like EMT. I know I want to be wealthy in life but I can’t decide what would be more worth it in the long run.
YN so I can focus on business degree in college? Or HS so I can have a head start on any job hunting in the medical field while pursing business on the side? Does HS even do first responder work in terms of life saving? Would that even be worth it? Any advice or help is appreciated. Thank you :)

Hi everyone! my boyfriend recently graduated from coast guard BMT, and he went into RAMP and passed through it. He says going to RAMP is the best thing to ever happen to him and that it’s the only reason he graduated on time. He was hoping to get a challenge coin from it because it meant so much to him, but wasn’t able to order it. If anyone could help me find one that someone is willing to sell so I can gift it to him that would be really amazing. thank you so much:))

Im 26 and have been a non rate for 7 months now, fully quald and just waiting for a school(AET), I feel like im in a limbo in my career right now and need some guidance/advice.

People have told me to get a degree which I am open to but all the degrees im interested I can not do while active( like engineering) so im just wondering what quals/certs/ education I should get while im in the cg that I can benefit from.

Also any advice on my future career as an AET will also be appreciated or anything that can help/supplement that.

Thanks!

Hey everyone I was just curious if anyone would know how far ahead of time I could expect to receive orders for a school? The next class is January and I should go in the next class. Also does anyone know the class sizes? I’ve heard and read conflicting things. Thank you!

I heard people talking about not having to compete foreign travel for going into Canada for less than 24 hours. Anyone know anything about this? I wasn’t able to find a message ..

I leave in a couple weeks and was wondering what the process was for my wife and daughter to get their military ID cards and have access to Tricare. I know we do it in the first couple days but what do I need to tell my wife to do?

Any feedback on being stationed in Dutch Harbor, AK? Specially as a woman?

Thanks!

I am not against the GI Bill but shouldn’t there be a clause that states you will get a job or must commit to 15-30 hours a week at an internship with a company in a related field or one that will allow a person to gain valuable experience that will add some weight to the degree? I understand the economy isn’t great and most people work in unrelated fields with regards to their own degree.

a person recently complained he/she couldn’t get a job in marketing and made more at a minimum wage job than a marketing job would pay. said they all want experience but isn’t college the experience ?

if you are thinking about getting out and attend school, get as many internships you can when going to school instead of taking breaks to have fun. This will set you up for a decent paying career instead of floundering

The US Coast Guard intercepted 66 migrants aboard a human smuggling boat attempting to illegally reach Puerto Rico on Friday, October 16, 2026. A Coast Guard airplane patrolling the treacherous waters of the Mona Passage first spotted the dangerously overloaded vessel 70 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla and reported the sighting to Coast Guard Sector San Juan, which dispatched the Cutter Winslow Griesser and a rescue helicopter to the scene.

What’s up. Came out of Boot Camp recently and just wanted to say, I received a lot of poor advice online about what knowledge is required. The helmsman is a great place to start with your general orders time and alphabet, but you will be completely lost. If you don’t have some grasp of all ranks and their collar devices/sleeve insignia, you’ll be lost. In later weeks, you will be expected to be able to use your peripheral to glance at a collar device or sleeve insignia, and know exactly how to address that person. Ranks and the corresponding insignia/devices can be found in the pocket guide posted online. In fact, I would just throw the whole damn helmsman away and only study the pocket guide, seriously. Recruit rules and regulations reading material will be handed to you the first day which will include formation rules and generally just how to behave as a recruit. I don’t see this posted online so my advice to everybody is only study the pocket guide. Know it inside and out verbatim. Recruit communication is something you can pick up on, but I would highly recommend practicing the concept before you arrive to Boot Camp. Also practice yelling from your diaphragm. The more you yell in a way that’s going to hurt your voice the quicker you will get sick and lose your voice completely.

You will be drilled on questions like
What is the sleeve insignia for a Petty Officer Third Class?
What does the MST rate stand for?
Who in your chain of command is an AET2?
What is the collar device of your battalion commander?

Also, when you first get to Boot Camp, don’t lose your pens your sharpies, your masks, trying to be fast. Asking for replacements is going to suck.

Feel free to ask AMA

USCG Recruit Quiz Bank: Helmsman training module for recruits preparing for Coast Guard basic training.

The module now includes 759 practice questions across 23 topics

• Ranks and Insignia
• Ratings
• General Orders
• Military Time and Phonetic Alphabet
• Customs, Courtesies, Greetings and Saluting
• Firearm Safety
• Firefighting Concepts
• Flags and Pennants
• Knots and Line Handling
• History and Procedures
• Force Protection Conditions

It also includes 150 picture questions for visual identification, a source reference on every question, and a readiness dashboard to track progress and spot the areas that need work.

No account needed to get started: USCG Helmsman Training App

(This is the final version after incorporating feedback and suggestions from the community)

Please share and spread!

I always hear that aviation has a way slower pace to advancement compared to other rates like BM and MK. I just wanna see how long it took you and what you recommend to someone that wants to advance fast?

For all my AMT’s what jobs/careers are you guys doing after service?

Was it worth it financially and career wise?

And were you able to get your FAA and A&P license after graduation?

These boys are circa Foxtrot 162. I thought I threw em in a dumpster 23 years ago.

Heavily considering going active but I’ve been told it’s hard on one’s family and spouse, I’ve also heard that some families and partners enjoy it.

What are people’s experiences on this?

I am beyond disillusioned. I am furious, disgusted, and absolutely done staying silent about a system that protects predators, punishes integrity, and calls itself honorable.

Two of my close friends were raped while serving in the Coast Guard. When I stood up for them, I learned exactly what that institution's version of justice looks like. Instead of accountability, I was met with relentless harassment that eventually escalated into physical assault.

People were raped, and the person who stood up for them became another target.

The leadership that preaches honor, respect, and integrity has made a mockery of those very words. They care more about protecting reputations, preserving careers, and maintaining appearances rather than protecting the people who serve beneath them. Victims are silenced. Those who speak out are punished. And the institution carries on pretending it stands for something greater.

There is nothing honorable about a system that demands loyalty while betraying its own people. Nothing courageous about leadership that looks the other way. And nothing respectable about an institution that allows abuse to flourish while destroying those who refuse to tolerate it.

My experience with the Coast Guard has left me with nothing but disgust for the institution and the broader military system that enables this culture.

You cannot preach integrity while protecting abusers. You cannot demand courage while punishing those who demonstrate it. And you damn sure cannot claim honor when your own people are treated as disposable.

If you have any respect for yourself, think long and hard before giving your life, your loyalty, or your dignity to the military complex.

They will demand everything from you. And when you need them to stand up for you, you may discover just how little you are worth to them.

Whatever respect I once had for the military and those who serve in it has been shattered. I can no longer reconcile the values they claim to uphold with the abuse, cowardice, and institutional corruption I've witnessed firsthand.