Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 4/24/2006

Question
Hi I was thinking about joining th Coast Guard but there are a few things I need to find out first.  Here are some questions I need the answers to.  What is life like after boot camp?  How long will I be home for untill I am stationed?  What is life like after you are stationed.  Do I have personal time after my 9-5 job?  Can I do what I please?  Can I live a normal life like I do after my 9-5 job?  How long do I have to enlist for.  I feel like that any branch of the Military service is like a prison, you cant do what you want freely.  And I dont want to feel like i am in prison.  Say I am stationed in Key West.  Am I allowed to go out socially after 5pm?

Answer
Dear Mark --

During your basic training phase, you will have little to no free time.  Depending on what specialty you try for, basic training can last from 14 weeks to almost half a year.

Very few military jobs are 9-5.  However, when you are off, if you are not on restriction for wrong doing, or serving in a war zone, you can do those things that are legal for adults of your age to do in that state.  If you are in a foreign country, you are bound by the stricter of either the country's laws or the uniform code of military justice, and the locally published military guidance.

Most coast guard jobs are shift work, and you work your boat during its shifts.  You may work four 12-hour days and have 3 days off, you might work five 10-hour days with 2 days off.  You might work a mix of days and nights.  

You must arrive at work each day completely sober, or you can be charged under the uniform code of military justice.  If your most pressing desire at this time is to ensure you have time to party, I do not recommend service in any branch of the military.

Use this site to find out more about the Coast Guard and its entry and basic training requirements:  http://www.gocoastguard.com/faq.html

Best of luck to you in this decision.