Expert: Rod Powers - 12/28/2007

Question
QUESTION: I have many questions to ask but I will not put them all on you at once.  Here are just a few:
1) What is A-School and does everyone have to go?
2) If my boyfriend and I marry then join the Coast Guard will we be able to live together?
3) What is the minimum amount of years I can sign up for?
4) What exactly does it mean to be an enlistee like it says on the main USCG website?  Is it different from being on active duty?
5) Can you take the ASVAB more than once?  Does it matter that I didn't take it during high school?
6) Do I have to have a certain amount of college credits to join?

I'll ask more later...

ANSWER: Hi Brittany,

1) What is A-School and does everyone have to go?

A-School is the school that teaches you your actual Coast Guard job. Everyone who enlists goes to basic training (see my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/cgjoin/l/aacgbasic1.htm). However, basic training doesn't teach you your actual Coast Guard rating (job). It just teaches you the basics of being a military member in the Coast Guard.

Now, the Coast Guard handles job training a little differently than the other military branches. In the other branches, the person's actual military job is decided either before they join, or during basic training. After basic training, they go immediately to their military job school, before going to their first duty assignment.

In the Coast Guard, however, the vast majority (99 percent) of non-prior service enlistees join with no guarantee for a specific job. After basic training, they go directly to their first duty assignment, and perform "general duties," for about a year. During that year of performing "general duties," you scope out various Coast Guard jobs you come into contact with, and then "strike" (apply) for a job. Once accepted for that job, you would attend A-school to learn the details of that job. For details about how the different branches do job selection, see: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter3_2.htm.

2) If my boyfriend and I marry then join the Coast Guard will we be able to live together?

I don't totally understand the question. Do you mean if you marry and then you *both* join the Coast Guard, or do you mean if you marry and then just you joins the Coast Guard?

If the latter, in the vast majority of assignments, your spouse (and/or children, if any) would be allowed to transfer to your base at government expense, and you would either live with them in on-base family housing (for free), or you would live with them off-base and receive a monthly housing allowance to help pay for rent and utilities (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/military6.htm). If you are assigned to duty about a Coast Guard ship, there will, of course, be periods of time that you are at sea where you will be living aboard the ship. It depends on what type of ship, and mission. Some ships/missions go on patrol for just a few hours each day, and then return to home port, while others go out for weeks (or even months) at a time.

Now, if your boyfriend and you marry and you *both* join the Coast Guard, the CG will *try* (no promises) to station you together under a program called "JOINT SPOUSE." For details, see my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/familydomestic/a/militarycouples.htm.

3) What is the minimum amount of years I can sign up for?

Minimum Coast Guard active duty enlistment period is four years. However, everyone who joins the Military for the first time incurs a total 8 year commitment. What that means is that if you enlist in the active duty Coast Guard and then elect to get out after four years, the Coast Guard can still call you back to active duty, at times of war, or emergency for up to four years after your discharge. For details, see: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter4.htm.

However, the Coast Guard currently doesn't have any involuntary IRR members recalled to active duty. Right after 9/11, the CG did recall a couple of thousand IRR members, but they were released from active duty after about a year.

4) What exactly does it mean to be an enlistee like it says on the main USCG website?  Is it different from being on active duty?

There are three types of military personnel in the Coast Guard: enlisted members (often called "enlistees,") Warrant Officers, and Officers. For the differences between the three, see pages 3, 4, and 5 of my "U.S. Military 101" article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/military101.htm.

5) Can you take the ASVAB more than once?  Does it matter that I didn't take it during high school?

It doesn't matter that you didn't take the ASVAB in high school. In fact, even if you did take it in high school, the Coast Guard would probably want you to re-take it, as the high school ASVAB isn't as complete as the enlistment version of the ASVAB.

One can retake the ASVAB more than once, but it depends on the reason for retaking it. An ASVAB score is valid for two years, so if one last took the ASVAB over two years ago, and wants to enlist, then he/she would have to re-take it.

Generally, if you receive a minimum qualifying score to join the service of your choice (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/genjoin/a/asvabminimum.htm), you can't re-test (unless your scores are more than two years old at the time of your enlistment). If your score is below the minimum, you may take a re-test after waiting a minimum of 30 days from the first test. If you don't achieve a qualifying score on the retest, you may re-test again, but must wait at least six months between tests.

6) Do I have to have a certain amount of college credits to join?

If you have a high school diploma, then no. If you do not have a high school diploma, or have a GED, you will need hat least 15 college credits to join the Coast Guard (the Coast Guard only allows about 5 percent of those who enlist each year to have GEDs without college credits).

While college is not necessary to join the Coast Guard (if you have a high school diploma), college credits can get you advanced enlistment rank. For details, see my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/navyjoin/a/advancedrate.htm.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com.

You may especially want to read my multi-part feature article, "What the Recruiter Never Told You" at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/joiningup/a/recruiter.htm. It should answer many of your questions about joining any branch of the United States Military.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com


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

QUESTION: Thanks!

1.) While in basic, can family visit?
2.) I've looked at chart after chart and don't totally understand how pay works. For me just starting off in the reserve, how much would I be paid monthly?

Answer
Hi Brittany,

1.) While in basic, can family visit?

No. Not until your Coast Guard Basic Training Graduation Ceremony, at the very end of basic training.

You may wish to read my article about Coast Guard Basic Training at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/cgjoin/l/aacgbasic1.htm.

2.) I've looked at chart after chart and don't totally understand how pay works. For me just starting off in the reserve, how much would I be paid monthly?

It depends on your assignment/status. During times when you are on full-time active duty, such as during basic training and/or A-school, you would be paid the same as active duty members.

First of all, you would recieve "base pay," which is dependent on your rank and years of service (see my enlisted pay charts at: http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/pay/2008pay/blenlbasepay.htm. As an E-1 (the lowest enlisted rank), with less than four months of service, you would receive $1,246.00 per month in base pay while on full-time active duty service (basic training).

If you have civilian dependents (a civilian spouse and/or children), you would also receive the "with dependent" rate of housing allowance while on full-time duty. The amount depends on your rank and the location of your dependents (see: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/housingallowance/a/08bahewdmen.htm).

Under a brand new change in the law, if you are singled, you could receive the "non-dependent" rate of housing allowance, while on full-time active duty, if you can show that you own a house, or pay rent on a house (http://usmilitary.about.com/od/housingallowance/a/08bahewodmen.htm).

Once you graduate basic training, and return home, you'll be required to perform one weekend of "drill" per month. For that, you will be paid "drill pay," the amount of which is also dependent on your rank and time-in-service (see chart at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/fy2008paycharts/a/respayenl.htm).

One does not receive a housing allowance when performing weekend drill. So, for someone in the rank of E-1, with less than four months of service, they would recieve a total of $166 per month for drill pay. After four months of service, the same member would recieve a total of $179 per month in "drill pay," in exchange for one weekend per month of duty.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my U.S. Military information site at: http://usmilitary.about.com. Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com