Coast Guard Career
Coast Guard Career
The Real Poop
You drop from a helicopter, plunging into glacial sheets of ice water and gigantic swells that even the Navy won't touch. You do this to save lives.
Oorah!
So that others may live.
You show up to save people: when boats capsize, their innards spilling into shark-invested waters; when vortexes of water suck all signs of life down into the pit of the bottomless sea; when houses tumble and buildings fall after the levees break. You save as many lives as you can.
Oorah!
So that others may live.
You're a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer, a coastie, and Poseidon himself notes your arrival. You're part athlete, part military soldier, part fish—and part insane—for going out there and putting yourself into harrowing situations so others may live.
Oorah!
If you've got the stomach for the dangers mentioned above, the Coast Guard might be just the spot for you. And you'll be rewarded handsomely for your bravery—the average pay for a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer is $75,000 a year (source). There's a lot of range in that salary, though, depending on your rank. Officers can make $85,000 to around $100,000 a year (source).
As a member of the Coast Guard, you'll be issued a gun and expected to know how to use it. You'll also be taught to do cool salutes, twirls, and razzle-dazzle movements that'll make you the hit of any St. Patrick's Day parade.
A typical day may find you rescuing people from sinking ships, capsized ships, or other boating mishaps.
There's also a lot of dropping out of helicopters into the icy ocean to rescue people, so if you're afraid of heights, flying, or falling, the job of rescue swimmer probably isn't for you. Maybe try maritime enforcement, intelligence specialist, operations specialists, or food services.
Coasties enjoy the security of a regular twice monthly salary, full health benefits, and even paid vacations (though you'll probably want to go somewhere sans water, like Death Valley or Coachella). Wanna go to college? No need to worry about student loans—the Coast Guard will even pay your tuition.
Getting in will be just as tough as the actual job. You'll have to survive eight weeks of boot camp at Cape May where it's unlikely your instructor will look like Kevin Costner or back you up in a Navy bar fight. It's highly likely, however, that he or she will make you race fellow cadets in a swimming pool.
Boot camp is grueling, demanding, and all about speed and precision, but when you graduate you get to wear a really cool white uniform, complete with hat, gloves, and everything.
Coast Guard swimmers are trained not only in water rescue but also in EMT skills, as they are responsible for life support both in rough ocean water and in the helicopter on the way to a hospital (source).
To succeed in the Coast Guard, you'll need to be great with taking orders. If you get annoyed with your mom telling you to take out the garbage or make your bed, you'll be in for a rude awakening when your training officer barks out orders on exactly how to make those hospital corners perfect.
There's no talking back. There's just doing it exactly the way you're told to do it—any deviation could put your life and the lives of others in jeopardy.
If you find saving lives and swimming appealing but don't like the idea of boot camp or service in the military for an extended portion of your life, perhaps becoming a lifeguard at your local pool or beach is more up your alley. You'll have the same life-saving ability and CPR training, but nobody will care if you make your bed in the morning.
Of course being a lifeguard doesn't allow you to jump eight feet out of helicopters in a ship wreck to rescue people, save hostages from hijackers, or smash ice floes that are barring a cruise liner from getting to Club Med. For those you'll need the up-for-anything mentality of a coastie.