Hey no worries, I'm not a very good example of the advice I'm giving. I joined the Coast Guard and transitioned to the Navy half way through my career. Saying that CG aviation is "dysfunctional" and has less opportunities than its DOD counterparts is an understatement. With that said, I, too, have had a great time, it's been a unique, interesting career, and I regret nothing. The advice I give is more in terms of if I was trying to get to the 121 environment as fast as possible, based on what I've seen/learned over my career.