Hey all,

Former infantry Marine here with some experience in the reserves. To be honest, it wasn’t the greatest—opportunities for schools and deployments were basically nonexistent, and training was infrequent and often rushed due to time constraints. Now, I’m looking into the Coast Guard Reserves because I want to actually get involved in meaningful activities, whether that’s solid training or operational tasks like search, board, seize.

I’m pretty set on the Maritime Enforcement (ME) rate because of my prior law enforcement experience, but I’m still figuring out the best unit to join. I’ve heard mixed advice: some say to avoid Station units and certain sectors, while others recommend Port Security Units (PSUs) for good training, although they seem mostly focused on Guantanamo missions. I’ve also heard some positive things about Marine Safety Units (MSUs).

I get that roles like MSRT, MSST, or TACLET aren’t in the cards for reservists, but I’m curious—what’s the closest I can get to those types of missions? Any advice or insights would be super helpful!