How the U.S. Coast Guard defies the military recruitment slump

[@carlhicksjr8401]

Because the CG **always** has a legit real-world mission to do. You don't end up wasting two or three years of your life stationed at division sized replacement depot where 'excellence' is defined as how shiny the barracks hallway is and no DUIs that month. Even the guys who service and repair harbor bouys are actually doing something useful. I'm an Army veteran and I live in the Pacific Northwest. There are towns up here where every single person is related to somebody the CG has pulled from the drink, so we have a lot of respect for Coasties. Those dudes go out on rescues in weather that'd make Santa Claus stay home.

[@christiane5984]

So well put

[@carlhicksjr8401]

@@christiane5984 There is a special kind of chickenshit in the military where the battalion is out of training money for the year, so you spend 12 hours sitting on a hallway floor cleaning weapons because they can't think of anything else to do with you. The CGs don't have to put up with a whole lot of that....

[@eliaserickson]

I grew up and still live on an island in Southeast Alaska...I couldn't have set it better myself - we love our coast guard guys and rely on them tremendously. I could name numerous friends who wouldn't be alive had it not been for a Coast Guard response

[@dogmandan79]

Very true. Get yelled at for not having shined boots or save someone from a sinking boat. Hmmm 🤔

[@carlhicksjr8401]

@@dogmandan79 Or standing in formation for 30 minutes in the rain while the commanding manager deals with a phone call.

[@caseclosed9342]

People laugh and joke but the Coast Guard is a more serious branch then you think it is…

[@gohardorgohome6693]

@@caseclosed9342 wish they wouldn’t call it Coasties cause it makes me thingk of Goatsiee

[@brucesteele5810]

The Coast Guard is not a 'branch'.

[@WalterKing-f2h]

​@@brucesteele5810then what is it little boy!! 🤔

[@brucesteele5810]

@@WalterKing-f2h They are 'mud ducks.' Silly little man. Everyone knows that.

[@ocampbell1954]

Same shyt as border patrol ​@@WalterKing-f2h

[@currier207]

Maybe because a quality of life is so much better in the Coast Guard? Maybe because you can see the immediate results of the hard work you put in a day in and day out instead of just 20 years of a stalemate?

[@GentlemanJack705]

@@currier207 or maybe you just don't want to risk seeing actual combat.

[@Dee-ye2dk]

@@GentlemanJack705 ah, the army breaks you. Marines and army have the highest injury rate and mental health issues for a reason. One of my boys was rucking with 60lbs of gear for training. Dudes foot separated in the boot, NCO asked him to return to duty the next day. When I say separate, the medic said the bones in the foot separated from each other.

[@andrewwhite1335]

@@GentlemanJack705 Coasties have fought in every U.S. declared war from the Cutter Revenue Service in 1812 to landing craft in WWII to patrol boat forces in Vietnam. You probably shouldn't mention your ignorance to the family of the Coast Guardsman killed in the Persian Gulf while protecting oil infrastructure.

[@GentlemanJack705]

@@andrewwhite1335 I'm going to guess that the majority of the casualties or even injuries sustained by servicemen in those wars were not sustained by the US Coast Guard.

[@andrewwhite1335]

@@GentlemanJack705 You would be correct. However, to reflect actual risk, you'd have to look at numbers of personnel deployed by service. Obviously the smallest Armed Force is probably going to take fewer casualties, but you'd have to look at the numbers as a percentage of those deployed. Look up the Medal of Honor award for Douglas Munro if you want to see selfless bravery in action.

[@aaronbrandon2321]

The day the coast guard states "we don't test for cannabis" they gonna have to put people on waiting lists to join.

[@kcino]

Not wrong

[@Dog.soldier1950]

Gee drugged service members on duty doing dangerous stuff. What could go wrong

[@garmenlin5990]

​@@Dog.soldier1950You got service memebers committing SA in Okinawa, and I'm guessing they weren't on drugs, but alcohol

[@kingslate1]

Sure those are the quality of people you want?

[@simpleandawesomeanime3220]

@@garmenlin5990 That's a like a small minority and when they're off base. You want the military to start monitoring every soldier 24/7 even off base?

[@ChronicAndIronic]

Coast Guard is honorable and a net positive. no one’s going to spit on you for being a coastie.

[@carlhicksjr8401]

I wouldn't say that. There's a lot of people, even folks who ought to know better, who call Coasties 'puddle pirates'... and they mean it like an insult, not in the joking fashion that a soldier might call a sailor a 'swabbie' or 'skimmer puke'. What's more, the Navy is continually trying steal parts of the USCG's budget and the Air Force tries to steal another part of it. And I say all this as an Army veteran. I come fully equipped with all the inter-service rivalries and prejudices. But I live up in Washington State and there are towns up here where every single person is related to somebody the CG has pulled out of the drink at one time or another. It's hard not to respect that.

[@gohardorgohome6693]

I always mishear it as goatsie

[@danjohnston9037]

Recruiting Offices in places where people have never seen the Ocean 😏

[@caseclosed9342]

So? When I was in Afghanistan there were Coast Guard personnel there.

[@carlhicksjr8401]

Hey, if joining the Navy or the CG was your only ticket out of Appalachia....

[@danjohnston9037]

@@carlhicksjr8401 EXACTLY Your Ticket Out Of Dead End Hell

[@marcusbrown188]

@@caseclosed9342I never served but isn’t there coast guards inland specializing in doing raids

[@carlhicksjr8401]

@@marcusbrown188 Yeah. The CG doesn't belong to the Department of Defense, they belong to the Department of Homeland Security. They are, first and foremost, a law enforcement service. They're the ones that go after drug smugglers at sea, police the fisheries, maintain harbor buoys, conduct rescues, etc. etc. Their military function is secondary to their purpose. All this puts Coasties in some very unusual situations in some very odd places. They were involved in the drug war down in South America... as boots on the ground raiders. They were in Afghanistan. All SORTS of places. Now, 95% of the CG is manning cutters, doing rescues, patrolling harbors, and so on. But there are some 'racing stripers' [the orange hash mark on the hull of CG vessels is called the 'racing stripe'] downrange in the Land of Bad.

[@Shining237]

Coast-Guard is better than fighting a rich man's war somewhere overseas like Iraq & Afghanistan

[@whiteghost9637]

😎 I'M GLAD THE U.S. COAST GUARD PROTECTED "ME" / SCHWARZKOPF ⭐⭐⭐⭐ / & COLIN POWELL ⭐⭐⭐⭐ IN *(BAHRAIN)* .... AFTER TWO *"COMMAND SHIPS"* BEING ATTACKED!!!!,,,, WE NEEDED A BREAK WITH (R & R) 🏖🍹💃🏻.

[@alleng012985]

​@Andrew54123 Exactly...They had hella coast over there with us. In fact...Coast Guard ships go on deployments just like the Navy

[@riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip]

​@@Andrew54123not only that but they have permanent international units to this day. They think just because the Coast guard protects the American coast that they aren't also shipped overseas.

[@DC-gp6hd]

CG has a base and cutters in the middle east.

[@BajatheChickenMan]

I'm a Coast Guard Vet, it's not really better, just different. We did lots of terrible things too.

[@glutengoblin]

Coast Guard is the most operational service

[@robertward8035]

Coasties are awesome.

[@thebookkeeper0851]

I think it has little to do with those policies. I think if one wants to have a military experience without compromise and without joining the army, then Coast guard might be the place.

[@karlnordinger5968]

Coast Guard and Air Force gets the best people .

[@cameron33187]

Yep!! The USCG is paying for me to go to law school!! Just amazing!

[@coleroyat01]

The other service members in the other branches told everyone else "Don't join my branch. Join the Coast Guard."

[@CatWith-AHat]

Because the last generation grew up watching the veterans be throwm away and we havent had a real enemy in a decade.

[@researcher7109]

As an army Veteran, we my joke about each others branches but the Coast Guard is pretty awesome.

[@earljohnson50]

The USCG is 40K total. That’s the same size as the NYPD. That’s why. They take like 400 recruits each year

[@crassustheelder9665]

I know a decent amount of Coasties and all of them are chill boat hobos that like to fish on the back of their boats. Love them

[@Goldphoenixof]

everyone at graduation of boot camp is e-3 once completion of a school automatically promoted to e4 depending on which rate you go e5 has been made supplemental

[@DH-mf6jf]

Not everyone graduates as E3 from boot camp. Where are you getting that from?

[@HerpDerpNV]

The USCG has some of the most beautiful duty stations.

[@tbsdrummer87]

Honestly the coast guard has to be the coolest branch

[@cheems5643]

Their a smaller community which is great for people who want to feel more included and not just a number and their mission is to help people which is another reason because most folks don’t want to take a life in war.

[@JanetRight]

5 nights ago our local news reported that 2 CG stations on Lake Michigan are closed due to lack of manpower. They showed the stations. The CG is maintaining them in hopes of reopening them but with low manpower they doubt they will open again. So how can they make this statement?

[@andrewwhite1335]

Because CG recruitment has been missing its goals for years, up until now. It will take a while to grow this year's recruits into trained 'officers' that are capable of remanning those stations. As long as they continue to meet their recruitment goals in the next few years, those stations should reopen.

[@GintaPPE1000]

Manpower goals are determined by the budget. You can meet your goals but still not have enough people, because you can’t pay for more. The defense budget is in its second year of decline relative to inflation.

[@gallagjg]

Let’s go. We need this.

[@carlhicksjr8401]

Funny story. One of my best friends is a retired USCG Warrant Officer. About 2004 or 5, my friend got a certificate from the Commandant, USCG, congratulating him for being a Founding Member of the Department of Homeland Security... I asked him if that came with jackboots and a black hat or did he have to buy those out of pocket... 🤣😂

[@SizzleCorndog]

Probably bc the coast guard is the most reasonable branch

[@Castle_Bravo.]

The Coast Guard will deploy you on a rescue mission to a breathtaking, remote paradise in the Pacific Ocean.

[@gohardorgohome6693]

…during a hurricane, but, yes!

[@DebraBrown-dc8vg]

If I am Drowning in a Flood?! Does the Coast Guard think for half a second that I care the Hand That Saves Me Has a Tattoo?!?😘 My Father spent 35years in the U.S. Air Force 28 of those years was spent in Research & Development. Many years spent in Foreign Lands Testing Vital Research on all fields. Especially Search & Rescue. There was several others in different Military Branches. Can say without Hesitation that every member of the Team ALWAYS REGUARDED THE COAST GUARDS IN THE HIGHEST REGUARDS!🥰👍👌💯

[@Platoon_Guide]

That’s good news because well over half of us are too fat to serve. It was a struggle but I was in the military for 23 years. No regrets. A secure nation is a free nation! 🇺🇸

[@TheultimateBradyBunch]

Because the coast guard is actually being used to do legitimate work. The army for me was just me on a base doing the most redundant crap I’ve ever done.

[@damham5689]

Maybe because the Coast Guard actually protects and defends America where the military is a mercenary force for corporations.

[@LeoLady3966]

That’s why I joined (just retired). I couldn’t see myself joining any other service.

[@Angiebanagie]

as a former USCG member(1977-1982), this is awesome for the best military service organization.

[@GentlemanJack705]

More probable that those recruited don't want to risk seeing actual combat

[@riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip]

Which corporations?

[@BajatheChickenMan]

The Coast Guard is frequently on deployments far from our shores wasting time and resources on the "War on Drugs" and useless migrant interdiction as those people are now paid to come here. It's insane how much of the limited resources the CG has are wasted lost causes.

[@Sagadrequiem]

Makes me wanna join

[@Masonwilliamlifts]

I’ve been in the process of enlisting since May to become a BM

[@dtxgmoney]

Threats to our country have evolved. No longer do we need to worry about an attack by sea, but by Ethernet.

[@crappyatlife]

Nerd

[@Sidewinder1996]

Because it's under the department of homeland security...

[@WalterKing-f2h]

It doesn't matter it's still a part of the United States military at all times I served with plenty of them in Iraq when I was in the army the rest of the department of Homeland security and nothing but a bunch of civilian departments!!!

[@minhdo1728]

You guys forgot to mention The Corp.

[@innanas]

Through surf and storm and howling gale, High shall our purpose be. "Semper Paratus" is our guide, Our fame, our glory too, To fight to save or fight and die!

[@hestoncjr.3560]

Thats what happens when you have the shortest basic training and the same benefits as the other branches

[@tc1uscg65]

The meeting recruitment goals don't mean much when you are laying up ships, reducing operational hours (combining stations for example) because you don't have to money to keep things going. How many 210's are moored that would normally be U/W right now? How many stations have reduced hours and have seen it's people farmed out to other units to keep them operational? How many many OPC's are being built vs ordered because there's no money. Oh and where's those Heavy Ice Breakers the service has been waiting for? Just saying. You can have all the people in place you want, if you don't have the money to operate their units, I guess they will be well trained by the time they get their feet wet.

[@gohardorgohome6693]

I hope they just give more responsibility to the CG auxiliary (for those who are willing to train), kind of like how they do with volunteer firefighters

[@tc1uscg65]

@@gohardorgohome6693 I agree. The CG auxiliary rocks. When I was assigned to group Ohio river, the auxiliary carried the meat of our SAR cases. Great and professional bunch of people.

[@gohardorgohome6693]

@@tc1uscg65 I’m in the process of joining on the northeast coast and I’m so excited

[@leporisjackson2060]

Yaay Coasties!!!!

[@TrineDaely]

It's surprising how many military theme channels on YT doing "if the US gets invaded" videos either forgot or don't realize Coast Guard exists. Or why.

[@jamesphillips5868]

The Coast Guard has one of the best Officer programs that allows you to go to flight school also…CSPI/WIFI

[@brianlocal3]

basically….: they made it easier and lowered entry requirements

[@michaello7635]

What about hair?I will join if don't have to cut my hair😁

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

The hell with standards I say, 😈

[@panama-canada]

That’s? That’s arbitrary. But age - that’s ageism discrimination.

[@OscarA.BenitesNavarro]

Salvadoreans can become naturalized citizens in any Career if there lawyer and politician get to help them, inocent and good people they need to be and very good moral conduct.

[@jonny-d5v]

Uh, sorry, may I ask to see Nicole's (reporter's) tattoos?? `

[@overcast2959]

Semper Paratus

[@rebeccadubois8270]

Tattoos have never affected a person's ability to do ANY job. Obviously only for hiring standards.

[@Daniel15391]

@@rebeccadubois8270 standards. Like morals, values and principles. Tattoos say a lot about that person. And that's what Tattoos are for.

[@kindreddarkness]

The Coast Guard is genuinely badass. ...and unlike the rest of the military, is always (a) working; (b) doing meaningful things; (c) that benefit the country it serves. They also have officers worth respecting... unlike the rest of the military which stocks it's brass at every level with idiotic grifters.

[@tech-bore8839]

"Women still underrated" You can lead a horse to water, but you still can't make it drink.

[@gohardorgohome6693]

I want to be Beach Guard, if that is a thing

[@OscarA.BenitesNavarro]

Visas for El Salvador EB3 , and then they can request the Coast Guard academy.

[@mineolahome5243]

Don't lower standards.

[@abrahammendoza3500]

I was sent to the bootcamp last august but was sent back home due to dental reasons.😢😢 really wanted to be a part of the force but yeah, will try again soon.

[@dominique217]

They belonged to DoT for how long? And now they're DHS, unless we're at war. Their entrance requirements aren't as stringent as they are for the DoD either. There is no comparison.

[@NCTriGrl85]

What are you talking about, the entrance requirements aren't as stringent as any other branch??? Highest ASVAB minimum requirement, go to MEPS with every other branch, and have an 8 week boot camp with PT tests as well as actual knowledge tests. I got denied for my vision and had to get a waiver. The SAME waiver my brother got for the Marine Corps. And I wasn't allowed to have my cell phone on the weekends in boot camp like the Army allows.🤣

[@karlnordinger5968]

When I served mid 60's USCG [ 35,000 members ] was part of US Treasury Dept , rank E - 4 and above could make a federal arrest without warrant [ DOD members ARMY , USN , USMC , USAF, Space Force ... cannot ] . Ten percent of commissioned officers were mustangs [ former enlisted ] . USCG is the nations oldest continuous seagoing service . Minimum ASVAB test score requirements are the highest for any military service , since CG is small it is picky about who is selected for service , making it by far the most difficult military service to get into .

[@AsvphwQswxMrxiviwxmrkQer-he9eq]

CG is the strictest branch with the hardest training

[@WalterKing-f2h]

It's all part of the US military at all times little boy one of the six branches of the US armed forces there are veterans when they are discharge and they are deployed to war zones I served with plenty of them when I was in the army in Iraq the rest of Homeland security is just a bunch of civilian departments!!!

[@rjgallenero917]

Im in merchant marine industry. Filipino Seafarers is there any chance to join?

[@kevinallen5246]

They offer paths to citizenship for foreigners who want to serve. Get in touch with a recruiter. 🤙

[@Ahzush17272]

A lot of people are right off the bat can’t even join because of missing teeth, a majority of people are able to be fit and ready to join if some of these requirements are removed

[@rogerthat4545]

Sources??

[@svenrio8521]

I think the tattoo policy is especially egregious considering the history of naval tattoos. I'm glad to see a relaxing of standards for it.

[@johnathan1706]

So when i was 18 i went to a recruiters office and did everything I needed to do to join the military all i had left was MEPS my recruiter said they were going to pee test me i straight up told him ima fail i smoke weed he said if i could not smoke till it gets out my system well i never ended up joining

[@Dog.soldier1950]

This such poor reporting. The uscg has had to lay up vessels they could not man due to shortages

[@riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip]

No it's probably just your poor eyesight. If you check the graph that he literally posted and listened to a single word of this nearly 5 minute news piece you would realize that 2024 was the first time that they have met and surpassed their recruitment goals in 17 years. It's literally the entire point of this news piece. There is no poor reporting. Just your poor eyes and ears.

[@bertrandlewis4906]

They shouldn't reject for being prescribed ADD medication in the past.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

If I had it to do over again I would spend 23 yrs in the CG rather than the army . Drug interdiction sounds like fun, they don’t shoot back as often as the Taliban 😂

[@danielszymanski-jw5kq]

Who wants to defend our representatives families and friends investments ??? The average American isnt getting anything but placed in the ground all for $$$

[@Aggie98bqn]

Rescue swimmers 👍🏼👍🏼

[@reviewerreviewer1489]

The coast guard won't send you to die for Israel invading someone else's coast?

[@karlnordinger5968]

USS Liberty , look it up and never forget .

[@sidewalkid]

Dangerously based comment

[@elintocable0072]

I men whe are tire of invade countries coust guard offers a good payments and benefits with out invade countries bro thats a W.

[@CyrusEppie]

Huh interesting, Im planning on joining by the start of 2025 haha and this video pops up

[@Velvetred1551]

This is what happens when the army navy marines and Air Force don’t change their standards and policies to match the new generations.

[@mustang8206]

You got the honor of serving in the military and get to board cartel ships like you're a pirate

[@lastChang]

Countries now are smart enough to know about China 🇨🇳. It can't fool others anymore.

[@danielwilliams1748]

The coast guard protects our border. We care. Military fighting for stuff people don't believe in. Nothing to do with tattoos

[@CraigErskine19D]

The coast guard is part of homeland security not DOD, if you did your homework you know that.

[@WalterKing-f2h]

It doesn't matter little boy is part of the military at all times the rest of the department of Homeland security or civilian departments do your homework losers fram a Iraq army veteran!!!!

[@dynamo3059]

y does this chick sound like elizabeth holmes

[@akanimoubaha5809]

❤ very much interested but I wish you.U.S Coast guard shall assist Nigeria marine coast guard to achieve the immediate flying up by the country President.... and senate.... because so many youths suffering after the training from Nigeria training process and the country navy shall retrieve from coast guard duties..... thanks 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Lt commander Okon.U

[@joesyoutubepage]

now to pass the asvab 😂

[@DH-mf6jf]

It’s easy. You have bigger problems if you can’t get a decent score.

[@sk8boardshawtii]

you'll be fine, im in process of enlisting in the USCG right now and i just had my 37th bday... i scored a 71.........20 years after high school and no college degree!!!

[@BrayJoanna]

Martinez Cynthia Lewis Sarah Thompson Kenneth

[@seanrhone5306]

A 41 y/o E-1? YIKES!

[@blakedavis2447]

Imagine a 38 year old e6+ about to retire bossing around a fresh 41 year old e1

[@Goldphoenixof]

E-3 *

[@cheems5643]

Gotta start somewhere

[@Ryan_Christopher]

Might have an Associate's Degree at least, so E-3 Entry. Army gives E-4 for a Bachelor's, Air Force gave me E-3.

[@Goldphoenixof]

@@Ryan_Christopher nope everyone at graduation of boot camp is e-3 once completion of a school automatically promoted to e4 depending on which rate you e5 has been made supplemental

[@duyluanho547]

😘😍🥰🖤🖤♥️

[@ac1143]

Let me guess - No longer need to know how to swim?

[@mrtee3477]

You might see more black people.

[@Robert-t1m3p]

Over my dead body

[@ConfusedCrab-tp8gc]

Building back better 😂

[@Boredman0195]

Make weed federally legal and allowable for troops and boom all the brachs will not miss thier recruitment goals

[@John-tx1wk]

The government would never make weed legal for military members to use. Now if they made it were prior use was not a nearly automatic disqualifier that would have an effect on recruitment.

[@Cryforthebadman]

The CG is not a military service!!!!!

[@johnalver]

so poor they sell their kids

[@chltmdwp]

The US Coast Guard is not part of the military…

[@Patrick_3751]

It's a branch of the armed forces....How is it not part of the military?

[@chltmdwp]

@@Patrick_3751 if they are truly part of the “military”, then why does the DOD send the CG to do its dirty jobs to bypass the international laws when conducting missions? That doesn’t sound like a military branch to me.

[@Xtreme_995]

Yea they are. They operate under homeland security during peace time and the US Navy during wartime and I’ve never been a coastie

[@John-tx1wk]

14 USC 1 disagrees with you. Now what should I believe, a random anonymous dude on the internet or actual US law? Hmmm.

[@andrewmiller6780]

Semper Paratus USCG MSRT 🇺🇸💪🏻⚓️🛟⛵️

[@duyluanho547]

😘😍🥰💜💜💜