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Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/reserve deployment
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Question
I was considering joining the coast guard reserve to help with college I am 35 years old and I'm wondering what the liklihood of activation or deployment is other than the 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year commitment. I am concerned at my age
because I have the chance to go to school without the coast guard and don't want to delay the process.
Hi Tolson,
<sigh> I really don't want to sound "mean" here, but exactly why do you think the Coast Guard (or any other Military Service) would expend the funds to send to you basic training, Coast Guard Job School, and then train you for one weekend per month and two weeks per year (while paying you a salary, and offer you education benefits?)
The Coast Guard Reserves (and any of the Reserve and National Guard branches) do this to ensure they have a trained "backup" to supplement the active duty forces, if needed.
If you're not ready, able, and willing to accept that commitment, then don't enlist in the CG Reserves. That's their entire reason for being. It's not to be a "welfare program" to provide college education. It's an "exchange." The CG Reserves agree to provide certain benefits (such as college), and you agree to go through their training program, and be willing to interrupt your life and go onto active duty anytime they need you. Don't like that? Then don't enlist. That's the "deal" they are offering, plain and simple. That's the "exchange."
Now, as of this week, there are only 358 Coast Guard Reservists called to active duty (see: http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11508). So, as the size of the Coast Guard Reserve is currently about 8,100, your chances of involuntary activation are small (but, that's not the point).
There's no such thing as a "free lunch." At "your age" you should know that.
Sorry, I didn't mean to sound mean, but none of the Military services are designed to take people in who just want the "benefits" without the "obligations."
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
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Rod Powers
Expertise
Rod Powers is considered one of the premire experts about U.S. Military career information on the planet. He has more than 30,000 articles about U.S. Military career information on the About.com U.S. Military Careers Information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com. Additionally, he is the author of "ASVAB for Dummies," "ASVAB AFQT for Dummies," (available in Dec 2009), and "Veteran Benefits for Dummies," all published by Wiley Publishing. He is also the author of "Barrons' Guide to Officer Candidate School Tests," published by Barron's Educational Series.
Experience
Rod Powers is a retired Air Force first sergeant, with 23 years of active duty service, 11 of those years as an Air Force First Sergeant. He has helped thousands of military members, recruits, and military applicants since he took over the About.com U.S Military Careers Information site in 1999. He has a reputation for "telling it like it is," so questions may not be answered based on "what you want to hear," but will be answered based of the bast available information, concerning the service/situation.
Education/Credentials
Rod is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Noncommissioned Officers Academy, the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and the Air Force First Sergeant Academy. He also holds an Associates Degree in Personnel Administration from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF).
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