Expert: Cynthia Bedell - 11/27/2007

Question
I've been honorably discharged from the usmc for 11 months after serving a five year enlistment, and i have about 2 years left on IRR. I was wondering what the best course of action would be in becoming a uscg officer would be. i have no college degrees, and i only have a GED with college credits. i would appreciate any incite, your knowledge and expertise can provide, Thanks.... Chris

Answer
Dear Chris --

You have a few options that you could apply for to train to be an officer in the Coast Guard.  Some will be limited by age and marital status.  

If you are unmarried and younger than age 22 (possibly waiverable to age 25) then you can apply to the Coast Guard Academy.  If you qualify, you would receive a free education up to your bachelors degree, and a commission into the Coast Guard upon graduation, in exchange for agreeing to serve 5 years active and 3 years reserve.

If you are younger than 25 years old you can apply for a reserve officer training corps (ROTC) scholarship for the coast guard.  These scholarships are rare compared to the other services so you would have to work hard to find one.  Your college tuition would be partially paid for, and you would get your commission into the Coast Guard upon graduation, and owe the same amount of service as the academy obligation.

Finally, you can visit a Coast Guard recruiter, and enlist with an Officer Candidate School (OCS) guarantee on your enlistment paperwork.  Since you are a Marine, you might be allowed to waive basic training and go straight to OCS.  I emphasize MIGHT.  Most of the services will use basic training to weed out the candidates that should NOT go to officer candidate school.  Your enlistment paperwork would guarantee you OCS, if you perform at a high enough level in your basic training course.  Otherwise, you would revert to an enlisted sailor in the Coast Guard.  If you do not want, to be an enlisted sailor in the Coast Guard, do not try this option, or the academy option.  Only the ROTC option will allow you out of your contact with no enlisted service obligation, if you fail to meet the officer training standards.  Furthermore, before you could be promoted to lieutenant commander, you would have to finish your college degree on your own time with this option.

Your final (but least likely to succeed because direct commissions are so rare) option is to get your college degree in a field that the Coast Guard needs, and then apply for a direct commission.  Unfortunately I do not know the fields that the Coast Guard is seeking now, or is likely to be seeking 3 to 5 years from now, when you are likely to finish your degree.

If any of these options are of interest to you, and you would like more information, please write back.

Best of luck to you.