Coast Guard Officer Job Description
College graduates, civilians, and those serving in another military service can become a Coast Guard officer by successfully completing Officer Candidate School (OCS), successfully graduating from the Coast Guard Academy, or through a Direct Commissioning Program.
Other People Are Reading
-
Officer Programs
-
Coast Guard officer programs include aviation, engineering, communications, control, command, law, environmental, intelligence, and computer and information technologies.
Officer Candidate School
-
Officer Candidate School (OCS), located in New London, Conn., is 17 weeks of training and studies, including seamanship, law enforcement, nautical science, and leadership. Upon graduation, you receive a commission in the Coast Guard Reserve as an O-1 (ensign) with a three-year active-duty obligation.
-
Direct Commissions Program
-
If you are a professional aviator, lawyer, environmental specialist, maritime academy graduate engineer, or former military officer, you don't need to attend boot camp or OCS to become a Coast Guard officer.
Blue 21 Flight Initiative
-
Officers who successfully complete OCS and flight training incur an active duty requirement of 11 years. Upon earning his or her "Wings of Gold," a Coast Guard aviator responds to distress calls, and protects our nation's coastlines from illegal smuggling and federal law violations.
Engineering Officer
-
An engineering officer oversees the construction, design, and maintenance of Coast Guard shore facilities, merchant vessels, or vessels.
Environmental Managers
-
An environmental manager in the Coast Guard protects the environment from chemical and corporate oil spills.
-
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Mike Baird
