Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 2/8/2008

Question
I'm interested in becoming an officer in the Coast Guard.  I have a college degree.  I've read on the website that to be an officer you must score a certain number on the ASVAB or score a certain score on the ACT.  I've scored high enough on the ACT, so will I still have to take the ASVAB?

May officers choose to live off base? Are there bases with a BX, etc. for the Coast Guard?

If enlisting as an officer, is there any possibility of not actually becoming an officer? (from doing badly in training, etc.)

If you're ordered to go to a place you don't want to go are you still forced to join?

Is asthma, or general anxiety an automatic DQ?

Last, and most important question: Is there a book of regulations that can be reviewed that has all of the answers and is binding, or will everything be in the enlistment contract?  

Answer
Dear Anthony --

I'll start with the health question first.  Asthma controlled by medication that does not limit strenuous activity is not a disqualification.  Generalized anxiety that needs treatment from a health care professional, probably is.

If you have a college degree, and your ACT, or GRE scores are current, your recruiter can accept them in lieu of the ASVAB.

Generally single officers are allowed to live off-base, but sometimes they are required to live on ship, or in apartment-like housing called bachelor officers quarters.  If there is limited government housing, you will usually be allowed to choose to live off-base, and receive supplemental pay (housing allowance).

As a Coast Guard member, you can shop in all the exchanges for all the services.  The Coast Guard has fewer large service bases, but has many smaller operations areas with a few services.

The riders in your contract determine what the service can do with you, and are often predicated on performance.  So yes, you could enlist with an OCS rider, do poorly in basic training, and end up as a seaman and not an officer.

You will have to fight to get multiple riders on your contract, so if you really want to be an officer and have OCS as a rider, you will have to work hard to also get a duty station rider on your enlistment contract.  And yes, the services can change where they send you, and you must go, or you are absent without leave (AWOL) and could go to jail.  

Usually officer candidates won't know their duty assignment until toward the end of their training program.  Often you get to choose based on your class rank, and specialty assignment.

Although there are laws that recruiters must follow, the services needs change from week to week, so positions available one week may be gone the next.  That includes billets to OCS.  If you do not hear what you want one week, wait and come back, they may have the billet you want next week.

Finally, get everything you want, and were promised, in writing.  READ your contract again before you sign it.  Recruiters have been showing candidates one contract, and then sending a different one to the military entry point (MEPS) hoping the recruits will sign the contract without re-reading it.  They leave out many things they had promised, like OCS, or accelerated promotion for good performance, etc.

Good luck to you.