Thinking of the Coast Guard...

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 01:32 AM

Ionno what I wanna do with my life and I'm lost... I'm just taking general ed classes in college and don't know wtf I wanna do... I don't think I'll have enough money to pay for a 4 year college once that time comes around, and the military seems like a good option...
However... before I started college I had spoken with a Coast Guard recruiter and told him about how I "used" to have ADHD. He said that I would probably get denied at the MEPS and left it at that. Now, I don't have it any longer. I had taken medicine for it but stopped Junior year of highschool and the lady I was seeing said I was good to go... So wtf... Think after a couple semesters of college (with my current 4.0) would help at all showing these picky bastards that I am more then enough qualified to join?

**CSAR** · 01-12-2007, 01:46 AM

I don't think it would be an issue if you didn't bring it to their attention. I commend you for being honest and up front with the military recruiters and staff at MEPS, but as long as you've never been committed to a mental facility or charged/found guilty of any misdemeanors or felonies, then you should be good to go.

If you were to join the military or Coast Guard, what occupational specialty would you be interested in?

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 01:49 AM

Well for the Coast Guard, probably Botswain'es Mate... Seems like they are the jack of all trades and do a little bit of everything, I mean, I tend to get bored with some stuff overtime, so that may be nice... Or anything with some action in it... I crave thrill... Except for rollercoasters, hate em

**bbplaya21** · 01-12-2007, 01:53 AM

i have a few friends that are in the coast guard. sent some cool picks back of a drug bust a couple years ago out in international waters. My sister works at a recruiting place. if i didnt have a career in baseball then i prob would have joined.

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 01:57 AM

Or I could continue to try and get a degree in something and perhaps try for an officer...

**CSAR** · 01-12-2007, 07:52 AM

LawMan - boatswains mates spend most of their time chipping rust and then painting "once over dust, twice over rust." That's for guys who can't walk and chew gum at the same time. Most occupational specialties get old in the services. Regardless of the job, there's always a lot of hurry up and wait involved.

I don't know your reasons for wanting to join the services, but let me take a stab. I'm guessing that since you crave action, you're interested in discovering how you'd act in battle - would that be correct? And you've got a perfect GPA too. Have you taken the ASVAB test yet?

If you're smart and want some action, I'd recommend trying to become a TACP in the Air Force. First off, this job will keep you on your toes. Second, TACPs (especially those who are STS qualified) get attached to Special Forces (Green Beret ODAs) and STS qual'ed TACPs get attached to SEAL and Delta units. You are literally the lifeline for these guys! Your job is mainly to call in JDAMs and other ordnance on enemy positions. The downside is that you don't get to do a lot of shooting because the radio is your primary weapon.

If you're interested in being a hopper and popper, then go for the Army Rangers. The Army gets all the money and the really good missions, because they are the biggest branch of the armed forces. The Ranger tab is universally respected and it will give you the edge and help grease the wheels if you decide to try for Special Forces. The downside is that Rangers often make up blocking forces or QRFs to support special operations forces, both of which have their good/bad points.

Don't go Navy. Being stuck on a floating sausage boat making big circles in the Persian Gulf for 30+ days would drive any man insane. There's a lot of unreported rape and other sick stuff that goes on while at sea. Most aircraft carriers have one murder or suspicious death on each deployment. Plus, when you go out to sea, there's nowhere to go.

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 12:49 PM

Ranger's sound pretty good... I mean, I'd need to start running more but other then that I should be fine... I did take my ASVAB when I was a fresh Senior in highschool, I got like a 62 or something, all I can remember was my GT was 105... Yeh, I do well in all subjects except math =/

**goodcents** · 01-12-2007, 12:55 PM

The only coast you will be guarding is the iraqi coast

**goodcents** · 01-12-2007, 12:58 PM

If you saw
bagdad er
off to war arkansas to iraq or any of these dvds, you would stay the hell out of the military till this iraq shlt dies down

Every soldier I talked to or seen intrerviewed wanted the hell out of that country and thought it was a waste of life

**zodiac666** · 01-12-2007, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by LawMan018

Ionno what I wanna do with my life and I'm lost... I'm just taking general ed classes in college and don't know wtf I wanna do... I don't think I'll have enough money to pay for a 4 year college once that time comes around, and the military seems like a good option...
However... before I started college I had spoken with a Coast Guard recruiter and told him about how I "used" to have ADHD. He said that I would probably get denied at the MEPS and left it at that. Now, I don't have it any longer. I had taken medicine for it but stopped Junior year of highschool and the lady I was seeing said I was good to go... So wtf... Think after a couple semesters of college (with my current 4.0) would help at all showing these picky bastards that I am more then enough qualified to join?

the coast guard recruiter said you would probably get denied at MEPS for ADHD??? in another thread you said you tried to get into the marines but you needed character references to get in because you had ADHD so you just gave up. i had a few legal troubles so i had to get a waiver and have 10 character references to join the Army, its no big deal.

so you're saying that you could get into the Marines with a couple character references but the elite coast guard wont let you join???

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 01:06 PM

Yeh, he said the Coast Guard is like, "high class." Like the Army, Marines, Navy, etc. will let you in for a lot of stuff that the Coast Guard wouldn't... I should have just slapped him right there...

**goodcents** · 01-12-2007, 01:07 PM

Watch bagdad er and you will never again think about the military

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 01:08 PM

Actually now that I think about it I got a 108 GT on the Marine Version of the test, and all I know is each branch tests differently...

**goodcents** · 01-12-2007, 01:09 PM

They were sawing off limbs left and right

young boys dying with no end in sight

**zodiac666** · 01-12-2007, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by LawMan018

Actually now that I think about it I got a 108 GT on the Marine Version of the test, and all I know is each branch tests differently...

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is the same for all the armed services, just different scores are required to join different services.

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 01:26 PM

I know it's the same test, and there are different versions, but the paper I got afterward showed how each of the branches scored it, and I just needed to look at Marines... DOn't know if that's what you meant or not? Anyways... I just looked into The Green Berets and it looks pretty kickass... Guess I'll start doing some cardio finally =) .... But yeh, I am not planning on even signing up until I know I am at least perfectly physically fit... for it

**NightTrain** · 01-12-2007, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by LawMan018

I know it's the same test, and there are different versions, but the paper I got afterward showed how each of the branches scored it, and I just needed to look at Marines... DOn't know if that's what you meant or not? Anyways... I just looked into The Green Berets and it looks pretty kickass... Guess I'll start doing some cardio finally =) .... But yeh, I am not planning on even signing up until I know I am at least perfectly physically fit... for it

dude just practice jumping thru your ass for 4-5 days without any sleep and no food...... once you get good at that then go ahead and enlist to be infantry and try to get ranger school...... its all a big head game

**LawMan018** · 01-12-2007, 03:12 PM

Without any sleep or food? COme on... we all know that will hinder my progress lol... I'll wait till, if ever, I decide to join and have them do it for me

**dhriscerr** · 01-12-2007, 03:55 PM

Full Metal Jacket

**Shane35aa** · 01-12-2007, 04:53 PM

Lawman good luck. No matter what branch you decide if you work hard and put your heart in it you will do well. Yeah you got to take a little shit at first but thats just part of it. I would recommend you pick a MOS that has something to do with what you want your career to be once you get out. That way you will get some experience which will definately help with the resume. Also people die everyday from accidents and bullcrap that don't go to combat. Just put alot of thought into your decision and talk to several people who hve "been there" for advice. It cracks me up when I hear people saying how bad military is when they never pulled a minute in a chow line. Sort of like getting advice on how to ride a horse from someone who has never been in a saddle. CSAR as usual is giving some pretty good advice. Take it all in but think alot before you commit. Good luck in whatever you decide

**kobiack** · 01-12-2007, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by goodcents

The only coast you will be guarding is the iraqi coast

straight...

**jnc995** · 01-12-2007, 10:03 PM

Actually, if you joined the coast guard, the only way you would go to iraq is if you voluntered. What he said about the cg being high class, is kinda true. People in the CG arent better than the rest, but the coast guard will deny you for a lot more stuff than the other services. But, for the adhd, all you have to do is check NO on the paper they give u to fill out. They arent gonna run a full doctors background check on you. But you can also get a waiver. If you really want to join the CG, and you have questions, just let me know, I can answer them.
Also, the whole chipping paint about BMs isnt 100% true. Yea, when you are a brand new BM, you will be chipping paint, but once you start to advance, you stop doing that, and then you just select and direct. You can also get into law enforcement stuff, where you dont even do any to boats. All u do is boardings, and chase after drugs.