Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone was familiar with the US Coast Guard reserves. I'm thinking of enlisting and am looking for as much info as possible. For example, do certain units deploy more than others? Is it enjoyable/fulfilling? What kind of shape should I be in before boot camp? And of course any tips before going in. Please chime in with any knowledge you may have. Thanks all.

My son is USCG reserve and in fact is doing his two weeks as I type. From what he told me-bootcamp wasn't that bad but he had a hell of a time getting in as they have cut way back on accepting recruits due to budget issues. He has tried on several occasions to go active but they were not taking. And he has a college degree!!! He does his duty at New Orleans at the Lakefront Station. I wish you the very best of luck.
Proud Coastie (reserve)Dad.

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I really don't know much about the CG Reserve, but when I was in the AK NG I ran the marksmanship program. Part of my job, besides qualification of NG Members, was weapons training and qualification for the CG and Navy Reserves.

Like I said, I don't know much about the program per se, but they were some of the nicest people I've worked with.

Didn't seem to have the Attitudes that Army and Marines had.

If my kids were interested in joining the CGR, I wouldn't have any problems what so ever,................except there isn't any water around here.

There WAS a USCG presence in Gillette Wyoming
until they shut the LORAN-C station down in 2010

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Compact 9mm Just my $0.02

What did they use, Wind Wagons??????????

USCG in Wyoming

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Compact 9mm Just my $0.02

They have a great program and lots of deserving people trying to get in. Lots of fun manning their fast patrol cutters, doing drug interdiction, rescue work, and their very important port security mission -- I have worked with their PSU units. I worked with lots of USCG Reserve folks during Hurricane Katrina when I was on military duty -- they did a fabulous job -- and I also worked with them during my assignment to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response in April-May 2010 -- again, I was very impressed with their training and their laidback yet professional approach to their duties. The fast cutters and vessels doing maritime security missions deploy for missions lasting 60 days to 6 months. The PSU (port security units) deploy overseas a very important mission -- protecting ports used by US forces during ongoing War on Terror missions -- for example, in Iraq.
I would encourage your interest -- you will find that serving your country is always a defining moment in a man's life.
Best of luck to you in your quest.

By the way, the cutters with the most drug busts have little marijuana leaf emblems stenciled on their bridge superstructure (kind of like fighter pilots/aces with small emblems of aircraft or the flags of enemy aircraft stenciled under their cockpits that they have shot down -- pretty cool.)

I was USCGR in early-mid 70's, was tough to get in back then until reserves of all branches opened up in preparation for the All Volunteer Armed Forces (aka End of the Draft). Doubt my actual experience is relevant today.
Historically the CG gets everything dumped on it that's got anything to do with water or boats/ships at the federal level. It's always been stretched too thin w/insufficent funding. As a result Coasties w/less age and rank are given more responsibility than those in other branches. I feel talent is recognized and rewarded. Make Do should be the motto with respect to equipment.
I was a 2/c Bos'n Mate, got excellent training which dovetailed nicely w/my then future career, Merchant Marine deck officer. By and large folks I served with were quite good, CG was stretched too thin to carry clowns or performers.
Am curious if a guaranteed school or rating is available. What particular trade skills do you have or are interested in?
Good Luck, Kevin

My youngest brother is part of the CG reserve unit that works out of Sandy Hook NJ. He was an active duty Marine from approximately 85 to 89. He was out about 2 years and got called back for Desert Storm, but the action was over before his unit even completed their re-training.About 2 years later someone talked him into considering the CG reserve. It turns out he didn't have to go through basic training since he had already completed it at Parris Island. He was also able to maintain his rank from when he left the Marines. He seems to really enjoy the reserves. His only bad time was when his unit was activated back on 9/11. I believe they ferried bodies out of Manhattan to a medical examiners office somewhere in NJ. Most of his time is spent pulling drunk fisherman out of the NY/NJ waterways.

Thanks all for the informative responses. I'll keep you posted on my journey.

Kevin,

Good chance we crossed paths at Cape May. (My Recruit Company was Romeo 83 in 1971.) Stayed at the TRACEN on Base Security till late '72 after Chief Haywood found out I'd worked at Greensboro PD before enlisting. Then got sent to Nixon's PSD at Key Biscayne as a Coxswaim for the duration. Also discharged as a BM2.

Don't know much about the puddle pirates, I am retired Navy. I did 12 active duty and 9 reserves. I think everyone who wants to go into the reserves should do one hitch active duty. The experience gained puts you way ahead of your reserve counterparts when it comes to advancement, experience, etc.. Reserves do one weekend a month and two weeks sometime during the year for a total of 38 days or so of active duty = to one month plus a week for your active duty counterparts. Good luck and God bless with whatever decision you make. Just this old Chief's two cents worth. P.S. Retired in 07 so my experience is somewhat recent.

You would not believe all the things the Coast Guard is responsible for.
Before the advent of GPS and such they had LORAN (Long Range Aid to Navigation) stations around the world. All of the navigation aids in the bays and rivers are theirs. Boating safety, ship inspections, Life jackets. Basicly if water touched it the CG had a finger in it.
When I went in in '68 we were under the Dept of Transportation and there was a total of 38,000 of us. Had lots of fun and a lot of long days and nights in HH-3F Helos.(before rescue swimmers) One of the differences between us and other branches of servise was the fact that when we were out, there were no officer and enlisted barriers. Always loved to fly into an Airforce base, we would figure the fuel load and put the pilots to refueling while myself and the other crewman went uptop to check out the engines, trans and such. Freaked out the AF to see O5s & O6s refueling a bird. Ah yes, good times.
Larry

m75rlg,
Attended Cape May U in the Fall of 1972, a member of Uniform 19, BMC Miller (Lee Emery's cousin perhaps) looked after our well being. To encourage us to develop a close relationship w/our M-1 Garands he had us shower and sleep w/them for a while. A good time was had by all.
Kevin

As my son says, "Dad they let me shoot .40 cal sigs and drive 25 foot harbor boats-what's there not to like!" (I'm thinking hey I wonder if they want a 56 year old overweight lawyer)
Anyway here is a little trivial that I am quite proud of.
In Jeanerette Louisiana (the town within which I reside) thee is a boatmaker called Gravois. The old man made some od the finest aluminum fishing boars to be had anywhere (in fact South Louisiana is a hotbead for some great aluminum boat fabricators). I met him when I first came down here and lost a good bit on money to him in the poker games we used to play at the weekly cook ups. ANyway his son took over the business and a few years ago they morphed into metalshark-and landed a HUGE government contract building harbor boats. Check out their website. These boats are WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! Last time I drove by their shop-they had about 20 ready for shipment.
* Metal Shark

I really like that little 16 foot "flat" boat

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Caje,

Those look like great boats. Since I was in, back in the day, the Guard has reallly moved on up.

I ran single screw 30' and twin screw 40' steel hulls.

The PSD had 27' Magnum Marine powered by duel Holeman-Moody Ford engines and Volvo outdrives. Like one of my shipmates posted on Fred's, "Running them was the most fun you could have on the water with your clothes on!"

Being moved from the Department of Transportation to Homeland Security has been good for the USCG.

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And then of course there was the Company high porting that Garand around the Quadrangle because somebody dropped a pubic hair in the urinal on inspection Friday!

The joys of boot camp! All 13 weeks of it. Did you stand any Brig or Main Gate watches? If so we would have had contact. I would have either been the Brig Warden or Roving Patrol NCO.

The TRACEN was a much better place after you'd been in long enough to grow your hair back. Not a bad duty station. Good White Hat club, and not far from the board walks at Wildwood or Atlantic City during the summer.

m75rlg,
I was involved w/the Honor Guard unit, learned how to spin rifles, big mistake.
Managed to avoid the brig, saw the Main Gate 6 times, 2 of them being
Arrival in late Sept., Departure in mid-Dec.

Did the bulk of my ACDUTRA at So Portland Base, mostly small boat crew w/the Regulars. Sometimes we'd run supplies and personnel out to the Lightship. There was one fellow who was coxswain, always in trouble for being a f' up, he could really handle a boat. Made the 44' Motor Life Boat dance like nobodies business, never seen anyone approach his skill level.

For a while one winter I got stuck mess-cooking (KP duty)on duty w'end, not punishment, it was just my turn. The fellow in charge was a 1st Class, Filipino named Ernie. He watched me for a while, figured I was OK so he'd turn me loose early Sunday afternoons to get on the road for school. He used to pack me a Care Pkg too!

Met a lot of good people and saw leadership the way it should be done.
Semper Paratus, Kevin