What an interesting read this thread is.
I did it backwards. Graduated in 1985 from Washington State with a BA in Accounting. Spent a couple of months interviewing, but decided to enlist in the Coast Guard. Part of me always wanted to be a coastie, from having grown up boating on Puget Sound.
Went in with the idea of doing OCS, but ended up liking my job as a QM too much. Served on two ships, Polar Sea and Resolute. Did many boardings, covered most of the North Pacific from Panama to the arctic circle, and San Deigo to Adak Island. Loved it.
Should have reenlisted. Had I done that I'd probably have been a lifer. Was making zero money but I loved my job. Now I'm in the IT bidness making obscene money and hating my job. I don't always think it was a good trade. I miss the CG pretty much every day.
Would I recommend it to kids today? Absolutely without reservation.
Hey wheels
I missed this thread when it first because I was on my last deployment before I retired. In December 05 I was off Somalia looking for pirates. How many people can say that?
I signed up in March 1982 in Olympia. I wanted to go Coast Guard but there was a year delayed enlistment at the time and I didn’t want to wait that long. The Navy could take me as a QM in July. Could have left the next day if I had wanted to go as a deck seaman.
I was 20, had started my second year of college and realized I still had no idea why I was there. I joined the Navy for what I figured would be a short break until I decided what I wanted at school. Ended up staying for 24 years.
The good outweighed the bad by a long shot. The camaraderie, the service, the travel was great. I loved being a navigator.
I’ve never thought the military as a career was for everyone, but I’d recommend a single hitch to just about anyone.