midwestcop

Let me first apologize for what I suspect will be a lengthy post. If you are a military aviator or have knowledge of this subject, please continue reading and give me whatever advice you can. I have been seriously considering a career in the USCG for several years and I have several questions before taking the plunge.

First of all, I am 24 years old and live in the midwest. I have a bachelor's degree in sociology and will complete my master's degree in criminal justice leadership and management in August 2010. I have been a police officer for 3.5 years for a medium-sized agency (160 sworn). I consistently lead my department in most statistics and am known as a hard worker who is "on the fast track" to management. I hold a private pilot's license and will hopefully add an instrument rating by the end of 2010, which is when I intend to apply to the coast guard. By that time, I should have a little over 150 hours TT with approximately 20 of those rotary.

Aviation and law enforcement have been the only two interests I have ever had. I almost went Air Force ROTC out of high school, but changed my mind at the last minute for a career in law enforcement. I would love nothing more than to fly for the USCG. None of the other services are a serious option for me at this point in my life because I think a lengthy overseas deployment would be too trying on my young family.

Since I don't want to take the chance of going to OCS and not getting a pilot slot, my only viable option is the Blue 21 program. When I found out about this program two years ago, I was disappointed to learn my bachelor's degree from a large state university didn't meet the minority requirement. For this reason, I chose to immediately start on my master's degree at a school which did qualify.

If anyone has any experience with the Blue 21 program, what do you feel my chances for success are (I know it's a crystal ball question, but try to humor me)? I know the program is intended to attract minority candidates, so will being a white male make it a long shot for me? Once one applies for the Blue 21 program, how long is the selection process? If not selected, can (should?) one apply again, and if so, how many times?

My next set of questions regard life as a coast guard aviator. This is the one subject I really haven't been able to find much info about on the internet and what I am most interested to learn about. Since I live in the midwest, visiting an air station and talking to pilots isn't a convenient option. Before I apply, I want to make sure living as a coast guard pilot is something that will work well for me and my family.

How are duty locations selected and do pilots have any input? How often do pilots transfer to other stations? What is a typical day like at an air station? How are the shifts? Are more senior pilots always on daytime shifts, while rookies work nights, or do they rotate? What about deployments? How many per year? What are they like? What are the differences between helo and fixed wing deployments? What air stations have more than others?

Whew, sorry again for the long-windedness. I just haven't been able to find this information anywhere online and would like to learn as much about life as a coastie as possible before sending in the paperwork. Any other information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

USMCFLYR

I can't help you with any of your questions midwestcop - I'll let others tackle those questions - but I can't think of much else out there that would be more rewarding than being in the Coast Guard. I just wish they had a program where *old* guys like me could switch over because I'd be there in a second! Good luck with your search and best of luck if you decide to join the USCG.

USMCFLYR

flyingsailor

I've sent this thread to several of my friends who are CG Aviators, hoping they are APC members or will register and answer your questions more directly.

Sadly I chose not to go to CG Flight School in '03 for a couple reasons (which I do occassionally kick myself for) the main one being that I was able to get my MSEE done and paid for by the CG. However, I ended up working on my ratings at the local FBO (wherever I was stationed) and just recently got my AMEL addon to my commerical. So, all in all, not that bad.

Anyway, Officer Assignments is a fairly complex monster, which the member does have some input over. Typically you could expect to be transferred ~4 years with some staff tours thrown in for "diversity". Whether or not you "deploy" (to a cutter as a helo pilot) is based upon your airframe, Air Station and a number of other factors (if you're a rotary wing aviator at all).

While I can't help with your Blue 21 questions (and feel I'm not really helping that much here anyway), I would say do NOT dismiss OCS (non-Blue 21) as an option. While you may not get a slot right after graduation, nothing stops you from going to the fleet for 6-12 months and then applying to flight school. Last panel took 34 out of 40 applicants from the fleet.

Again, I'll try to get a hold of someone who is a pilot and has some insight on the Blue 21 program to post here, or will put you in touch with them (if someone doesn't get to this thread first hopefully).

Two other quick options that pop into my head are:

1 - Check out the latest Flight School Solicitation Message:

USCG Internet Releasable General Messages

You want ALCGOFF 250/08: FLIGHT TRAINING SOLICITATION

and take a look at the current requirements. There is also a name/number at the bottom for contacting about Aviation Career Opportunities.

2 - Where in the Midwest are you (state)? Or where is the nearest Air Station to you? Being such a small organization I either know someone there, or at worst know someone who knows someone that I can put you in direct contact with to hopefully answer most (if not all) your questions.

Either way, good luck with your pursuit!

rickair7777

The USCG has a variety of missions, and you can be deployed overseas. One of my immediate family members went to Iraq with the USCG. Your odds are better than the army, but I would not join any military service if your family situation precludes deployment.

Geographically the US is very isolated, we don't have to do much to defend the lower 48 from invasion. The fundamental nature of the US military in the 21st century is overseas power-projection...therefore most us will spend time overseas.

You correct in assuming that OCS is a crap shoot for those wanting to fly...my family member did OCS with some wanna-be aviators, all of whom were sorely disappointed in the end.

As I understand it, they can't really screen people based on race, so Blue-21 is an end-run to get more minority applicants. By accepting applicants from minority-heavy schools, they hope to increase their odds of getting more minorities. I suspect you will compete on equal footing as long as you meet the blue-21 requirements.

flyingsailor

Out of curiosity, are you speaking from Coast Guard experience? From the officer stand-point, overseas assignments (even to the middle east) are quite competitve. The handfull of friends I've had (albiet not aviators, but afloat operations) have had to almost fight to get the opportunity to serve in the middle-east for a year.


Again, was this USCG OCS? The Blue-21 initiative/program IS in fact OCS, just with a guarenteed slot at Pensacola after graduation. I can see people blindly going to OCS assuming they'll get a flight school slot at graduation and being disappointed when they are assigned to Coast Guard Cutter so-and-so or Sector so-and-so.

I guess it boils down to how bad you want it. If someone can't get selected from a Blue 21 school, it appears to me that the odds are in their favor that if they don't get a slot right out of OCS, they will get a slot within 6-12 months provided they are motivated and successful (which isn't that hard to do as an Ensign) at their first tour.

I might be totally off-base here, but a quick scan of the past three year's panel training panel results yields:

Number Applied / Number Selected
02 DEC 08: 40 / 34
05 MAR 08: 32 / 20
04 DEC 07: 47 / 28
06 MAR 08: 17 / 26
05 DEC 06: 42 / 23
13 JUN 06: 22 /18

These are just the selection panel results and I don't beleive account for CG Academy/OCS - Direct to Flight School members. Another thing that the numbers will not show, are those officers who failed to screen their first time, but were picked up in a subsequent board.

It's not perfect or an absolute (but other than death and debt, what in this life is?) but I truly beleive, based on my 14 years of service, that it boils down to how bad you want it and what you're willing to do to obtain your "prize".

rickair7777

Technically, I am a USCG dependent

Like I said, the USCG has less chance of overseas assignment than the military services. But my family member did not volunteer or "fight for" the opportunity to go to Iraq, it just happened.

By "OCS" I meant just going to OCS with no flight guarantee. Obviously Blue-21 requires OCS, you can't get commissioned without it (unless you went to the academy).

If his heart is set on flying, he should pursue a guarantee. I personally would not gamble 4-5 years of my life on the odds you have published.

UPTme

Too bad you missed this board!

flyingsailor

Oops, transposed numbers... Sorry.

Yeah, that was definitely the board to sit for...

I wish I had numbers on the people who didn't get selected the first time, but got picked up the second time.

Also, rickair: You're right, if you want a 100% slot at Pensacola, you are rolling the dice (though with good odds) by straight OCS. Guess it's ultimately up to the member to make an informed choice.

midwestcop

Being new to this online discussion board stuff, I haven't yet figured out how to quote from other posts. To answer your question, I'm from Missouri. I know there is a USCG reserve unit in STL, but the closest air station would be Houston or New Orleans or Detroit.

I know deployment is always a possibility in any branch of the military, but the reason I'm choosing the USCG is to minimize the chance as much as possible. From trolling other discussion boards online, it was always my understanding that the USCG rarely deploys aviators, and the pilots who do deploy do so by choice.

Thanks for posting the numbers on the how many officers are selected for flight training from the fleet. While this is encouraging, my goal has always been to fly and I can't really see myself doing anything else. Maybe if Blue 21 doesn't work out and I'm not ready to give up the dream, I'd consider OCS, but the thought of life on a ship for 1-2 years isn't my idea of a good time.

As far as Blue 21 and minorities, someone on another discussion board said that since the USCG can't specifically recruit minorities, this is their thinly-disguised way of doing so. He said that even though Blue 21 would not prevent qualifying white males from applying, most would get thrown out of the process in favor of minority candidates who may or may not be as qualified. I haven't been able to find any Blue 21 stats indicating how many of the applicants are chosen and what their demographics are, so any help in that area would be appreciated.

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far and I look forward to some USCG aviators finding their way here and sharing their experiences.

UPTme

You click the big "Quote button in the bottom right of their post.

Glad I could help.


Blue 21 sounds like a great program. I wanted to do it, but my school wasn't dark enough.