Expert: Eric Ernst - 11/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: i have a few questions for you and i appreciate that you are available to answer them. Im studying for the coast guard test i scored in the middle 30s on all the sections. My goal is to just receive a 45 on the math and english sections,because i was told thats what they look at?..Now if i get a 45 does this mean i dont have any options on where i would like to be stationed?i never really did well on tests its my weakness so thats why im focused on just passing..Also a lot of people who were in the military they claim you dont really get anything out of it just the fact you are taking care of for the time they need you such as 4 years for the coast guard. How hard is it being in the caost guard and what is life like after boot camp? How much free time do u receive after boot camp? And how controlling is everything?
Thank you

ANSWER: Hello Lauren,
I'll be honest, I've never been any good at test either. I'm more of a hands on type of learner. You are probably talking about the ASVAB test for the military. There are plenty of books out there to help you study for the ASVAB test, I had to use them in order to get a higher score on my ASVAB test, when I went through my recruiter there office wasn't taking anyone who scored lower than a 65 overall on there test. I oringinally scored a 64 so I had to study for about a month and ended up scoring a 74 on it next time I took it.
As for Coast Guard Life, it's the best everybody works hand in hand with each other and we are a very close knit community, As for time off when i was at the small boat station we worked a panama schedule which basically means that we only worked half of the month. But when you are on duty you work the entire time so if you worked Monday and Tuesday for 48 hours then you were off Weds. and Thurs. I'm in the Aviation side of the house for the Coast Guard so I work Monday through Friday and I'm off Sat. and Sunday, and I'm in my own bed almost every night unless we fly somewhere and then we stay at a hotel. As for the controlling part it's really not to bad.. Like I said earlier we are one big family and we all get along great.
Well I do have to be going, if you have anymore questions please let me know.
Thanks,
Eric

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello Eric,
  I appreciate you answering my question in such a short period of time. I have the ASVAB book, and ive been getting tutored at my college for math thats my biggest weakness especially since we cant use a calculator on the test. I was always able to use one so the test is so much harder because i cant use it. But my recruiter angel out in Hauppauge...claims i just need to land in the 50s on all the sections in order to get a good job so i dont end up cleaning toilets etc...because i deff wouldnt want to do that! He didnt say he wouldnt take me if i didnt land in the 60s or 70s as long as i score 45 and up on all the sections?? But i hear so many different stories its hard to know what to believe. So if i score in the 50s what are my chances on getting to pick where i can be located? And i guess depending on your job, thats when you can determine your hours and how busy you are going to be? What job opportunites are you offered if you land in the 50s?? Do alot of people in the Guard just work?..or do they go to school and work?..I wouldnt mind just working for the guard and just forget about school..i hear theres barely time to even go to school because you are learning all about the coast guard and working for them?

ANSWER: Hello Again Lauren,
I'm glad that you are getting tutored at your college for Math, I've never been any good at math seems when they start mixing letters with numbers I tend to get confused ;).  But here is actually how it works out of boot camp. When you are in Boot Camp you will submit 10 choices on where you would like to be stationed, they will give you a book with all of the duty stations in the Coast Guard. You submit what you would like and a detailer will see what is available for you. I was fortunate because when I saw my recruiter I had a guaranteed district. So I knew which district I was going to be in. Also if possible you can get a guaranteed A-school, I discourage this because if you end up doing something you don't like you are stuck in it for at least several years. As for the scores I'm going to give you a link to the A-school list to show you what you need in regards for scores for certain jobs here is the link.... http://www.uscg.mil/epm/docs/A-SchoolList.pdf  Scroll down to the bottom of page 4 it will show you the minimum scores for each job in the Coast Guard.
As for your education, the Coast Guard is all about your education, granted when you first report in to your first unit you will be very busy for the first several months getting qualified at your unit, i.e. if you were at a small boat unit you would have to get qualified as a Boat Crew member on the 47's and 25's you will also be known as a non-rate because you haven't been to an A-school yet so regardless you will still have to do the menial jobs at night like sweeping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms and every now and then standing in as a "Mess Cook" which means you will be washing dishes. We all do it at the beginning. Once you go to A-school though things get a lot easier granted you still have to get qualified like myself for example, I'm in the aviation world, so I had to get qualified on my aircraft as a Basic Aircrew member and as a Mission System Operator. Basically you have to know everything about the aircraft it took about 6 to 7 months to get fully qualified but i have all sort of free time. I basically work an 8 t0 4 job.
I hope that some of this information is helpful if you have any more questions please let me know.
Thank You,
Eric

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again Eric,
  Thank you again for your time :)...I dont think i meantioned this to you..but i am graduating from suffolk with an associates degree in liberal arts...:) so i dont know if that means anything?...And yea my recruiter said the same thing about how everyone has to learn about what their responsibilities and duties are going to be with a job :)...so everyone who first enters the guard they have to clean dishes, sweap etc??...So is it true you get paid a decent amount of money when you complete boot camp?..So when you say A-school..you mean learning about a job that the guard offers?..I know several people that go into the military and they just pick a major and they do it just because its paid for. I dont want to do that if I end up going into the military I want to just learn about the jobs they offer and succeed in that. Thats the only schooling i want to do :)

Answer
Hello Again Lauren,
May I say Congratulations on your early upcoming graduation. Keep working on your education the Coast Guard will also help you further your education as well.. O.k. About the pay I am going to give you a link that will tell you exactly how much you will make. Granted this is just your Pay this doesn't include your BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing), and it doesn't include your clothing allowance and BAS (Basic Allowance for Substinence a.k.a. food) Here is the link...  http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/militarypaytables.html   click on 2009 pay table...
When I do say A-school that is your advanced school or your job for the Coast Guard...The Coast Guard is different than any other branch where it lets you decide what you want to do after you complete boot camp and get your feet wet..That way you are doing something that you enjoy doing and not something that you hate doing. You deff have the right can do attitude that the Coast Guard is looking for. My advice keep going with that attitude and it will take you very far in your Coast Guard Career. :) If you have anymore questions please let me know and I will be more than willing to help you out.:)
Thank You,
Eric