Getting into the USCG

[ReconJos]

Hello all,

I'm hoping any / many of you can give me some information to help a student I know who is earnestly trying to find a way into the Coast Guard. I'm an EA-6B NFO stationed in Whidbey Island, WA, and am also the Blue and Gold Officer (USNA recruiter) for my town's high school. In my interaction with their guidance counselor, she told me about a young man who has a great deal of experience already with firefighting and EMT / paramedic-type work, including a rescue at a major fire at our town's oil refinery earlier this year. He is trying to find out if there would be any paths for his experience in the Coast Guard; however, he, his parents, and the guidance counselor have had ZERO luck in getting any of the recruiters they've contacted to email / call back. So my questions are:

1) are there any avenues in the Coast Guard where this young man would be able to use these skills, or work in a similar field?

2) if yes, are there paths on both the officer and enlisted side of the house?

3) do any of you have a reliable recruiting contact I might be able to pass to him? As we live two hours north of Seattle, there isn't a recruiting office / district nearby, and the closest one has been unresponsive as I mentioned above.

Any information you have, either regarding my questions or just "good to knows" about Coast Guard careers, would be greatly appreciated.

Doodles

 

[twobecrazy]

1. Rescue Swimmers are basically EMTs that can swim. CG Rescue Swimmers and Navy Rescue Swimmers are alike as they go through very similar training. From a quick search I would recommend he check out these threads.

http://www.airwarriors.com/forum/sh...y-SAR-Swimmer-school?highlight=Rescue+Swimmer
https://www.netc.navy.mil/nascweb/aeats/arss/arss.htm

2. Rescue Swimmers are only enlisted.

3. Nope Sorry

 

[twobecrazy]

Here is the scope that I got when I clicked the second website's cantrac tab:

"This course provides personnel with initial training and hands-on experience in First Aid, CPR, Rescue Equipment, Waterborne Lifesaving Techniques, Day/Night Water Entries, Parachute Disentanglement, Search and Rescue Tactics, Night and Multiple Rescue Situations, and Helicopter Operations. Students will also undergo rigorous physical training which consists of 90 minutes of extensive calisthenics and a 2.3 - 3.0 mile run daily; Strength training with free weights and machines; Swim800 meters in 20 minutes or less; Swim 400 meters buddy tow in 16 minutes or less; Swim 500 meters in 13 minutes or less, followed by a 400 meter buddy tow in 19 minutes or less (5 minute break between swims); Swim 500 meters in 11:30 minutes or less, followed by a 400 meter buddy tow in 17:30 minutes or less (3 minutes break between swims); and a 2000 meter bay swim in 50 minutes or less."

 

[twobecrazy]

Here is some Coast Guard related items he may want to look at.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/coastguard/a/cgrescueswimmer.htm
http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/USCG_Rescue_Swimmer_History.asp

This website has information about the CGA and its relation to Rescue Swimmers:
http://admissions.uscga.edu/i2e/news/guardian.asp

Here is the offical job description of The Aviation Survival Technician (Rescue Swimmer):
http://www.gocoastguard.com/find-yo...escriptions/aviation-survival-technician-(ast)

I think I have given enough info on the subject matter now...

 

[Brunes]

1) Rescue Swimmer would best fit his EMT skills. The firefighting stuff is more a Damage Controlman thing.

2) No-There are no rescue swimmers on the O side. Pilot is probably the closest thing. Officer specialties are not as distinct in the CG as the Navy.

3) Not anything better than the local recruiter that I can think of. Recruiters are spread VERY thin nation wide (2 or 3 people for several states in most cases). Keep trying is the best advice I've got.

 

[H60Gunner]

1) Not to start a pissing contest about Navy vs CG swimmers- but as I understand it, Navy swimmers are rated and then qualified as swimmers in addition to their "day job"-A 25 day course to be a collateral duty swimmer is very different than a 5 month school for a rating and CG rescue swimmers ARE EMT's and do a significant amount of work in the rescue/rigging shop when not airborne.

Most of that is wrong wrt Navy Helicopter Rescue Swimmers. You have made the common mistake of confusing the surface rescue swimmers with aviation swimmers. Not even close as far as skills, training and professionalism. EMT qualifications, yup, check been there done that. Time for a Navy Helo Swimmer to hit the fleet, about 18 months or more.

OP- Has the individual looked into becoming an Air Force Para Rescue Dude? Those guys are the ultimate in saving lives...

 

[twobecrazy]

1)but as I understand it, Navy swimmers are rated and then qualified as swimmers in addition to their "day job"-A 25 day course to be a collateral duty swimmer is very different than a 5 month school for a rating and CG rescue swimmers ARE EMT's and do a significant amount of work in the rescue/rigging shop when not airborne.

I could be mistaken but you don't do just a 25 day course in the Navy to be a collateral duty swimmer. You are correct the Navy swimmers have a collateral duty such as sensor operators, etc... But apparently according to the Coast Guard, "As a collateral responsibility, an AST may be expected to fill aircrew positions such as HC-130 Dropmaster or Loadmaster, Sensor Systems Operator, HU-25 Dropmaster, Helicopter Basic Aircrewman, and Helicopter Rescue Swimmer" which was obtained from the Coast Guard AST job description on their website. That is similar to what a Navy rescue swimmer does when he/she isn't in the water but flying around. When he/she is on the ground they will be doing a ground job as well.

Also, from my understanding when you become a Navy rescue swimmer you are a certified EMT as well. So I don't believe there are any differences other than location, ships, aircraft, gear, etc... that makes a difference between the two jobs.

 

[sardaddy]

ReconJos,

I PCSd from the Air Station in Port Angeles in July so I undertand the difficulty getting a recruiter in that area. The Seattle office is your best and only bet. While I don't want to be pessimistic, we (the Coast Guard) are currently sitting pretty in regards to recruitment so the recruiters don't have to work too hard to meet their quota. In addition almost all "A" schools are on about a 2 year wait once the member completes boot camp. In addition, AST (Rescue swimmer) school has an over 50% drop out rate.

With that said, those guys seem to have a great time until I deploy them into freezing water in the middle of winter then the job choice seems to suck a bit. A more diverse job to consider is Boatswain Mate. These guys man the small boats and many are EMT qualified. They do as much if not more SAR than an air station depending on the unit and they are the hands on folks when it comes to rescues whether they are at a small boat station or deployed on a larger cutter. They also do law enforcement and other missions.

You will not find any CG officer job that will be hands on like you are looking for. Even as a pilot, I get into the thick of things but am not the one making the grab or doing CPR to keep a survivor alive. That is all enlisted members and they do a great job.

If he is really interested in the Coast Guard, you have station Bellingham nearby and further away you have air station Port Angeles. I am positive either one would be more than willing to show your perspective Coastie what they do at their units. Keep bugging the recruiter and eventually he will call back.

Good luck

 

[Brunes]

Most of that is wrong wrt Navy Helicopter Rescue Swimmers. You have made the common mistake of confusing the surface rescue swimmers with aviation swimmers. Not even close as far as skills, training and professionalism. EMT qualifications, yup, check been there done that. Time for a Navy Helo Swimmer to hit the fleet, about 18 months or more.

OP- Has the individual looked into becoming an Air Force Para Rescue Dude? Those guys are the ultimate in saving lives...

Is that 18 months including AW A school and Basic??

I could be mistaken but you don't do just a 25 day course in the Navy to be a collateral duty swimmer. You are correct the Navy swimmers have a collateral duty such as sensor operators, etc... But apparently according to the Coast Guard, "As a collateral responsibility, an AST may be expected to fill aircrew positions such as HC-130 Dropmaster or Loadmaster, Sensor Systems Operator, HU-25 Dropmaster, Helicopter Basic Aircrewman, and Helicopter Rescue Swimmer" which was obtained from the Coast Guard AST job description on their website. That is similar to what a Navy rescue swimmer does when he/she isn't in the water but flying around. When he/she is on the ground they will be doing a ground job as well.

Also, from my understanding when you become a Navy rescue swimmer you are a certified EMT as well. So I don't believe there are any differences other than location, ships, aircraft, gear, etc... that makes a difference between the two jobs.

I'm not finding a "Rescue Swimmer" rating in the navy...so I'm trying to figure out where the descrep is. A Coastie AST is a survival technician first and an aircrew/loadmaster/sensor operator second....Not the other way around.

That Aviation Rescue Swimmer School link says that class is just 25 days long?? Is that only part of the curriculum?

Thanks for the info IRT Navy swimmers...I've only ever met one...so maybe I got the wrong impression. Removed my top post.

 

[twobecrazy]

Is that 18 months including AW A school and Basic??

Yes that includes all the training from start to finish, however, that is not always accurate as you will have delays in classing up, holidays, e-leave, etc...

I'm not finding a "Rescue Swimmer" rating in the navy...so I'm trying to figure out where the descrep is. A Coastie AST is a survival technician first and an aircrew/loadmaster/sensor operator second....Not the other way around.

That Aviation Rescue Swimmer School link says that class is just 25 days long?? Is that only part of the curriculum?

Thanks for the info IRT Navy swimmers...I've only ever met one...so maybe I got the wrong impression. Removed my top post.

AWR is the rescue swimmer rating. You can see it here in this link:
http://www.npc.navy.mil/Enlisted/CommunityManagers/Aviation/AW.htm

Yea the 25 days is only part of their curriculum. That school is basically a weeding out process.

No problems. I think the confusion is in the AW description. Rescue Swimmers are trained to perform a couple of different jobs such as the AST so they may go out on a sub hunting mission or a rescue mission. Yes they are AWs but they are Rescue Swimmers first. The AW rating gives them a job description and a means for promotion.

 

[ReconJos]

Hi all,

Thank you very much for the responses, especially SARDaddy's information about CG recruiting, quotas, wait times for A schools, etc. I'll pass these along to the young man and see where he wants to go from there...I appreciate it!

ReconJos