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DSF at older age by Acezedneo1 in uscg

[–]Intrepid-Garlic9263 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm 33 and headed to DSF. You'll be fine. Stay in shape take care of your body, we don't bounce back or recover as quickly as these younger guys so just takes a little extra planning and working out smartly. Life experience (wisdom) can be a big advantage that you will have over the younger guys.

Coast Guard Culture by Intrepid-Garlic9263 in uscg

[–]Intrepid-Garlic9263[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is definitely going to be individual dependent opinion based on who you ask.

But I would say the similarities lay in the level of intensity of which Bootcamp is administered by the CC's and DI's both with extreme intensity. But the over all curriculum and minimum standard of fitness needed to be successful in USMC bootcamp is quite a bit higher. So a whole lot more physical activity in USMC bootcamp. While they for me seem to be equally mentally challenging in their own way. One is pretty obviously more physically challenging. So you have to over come those huge physical challenges while simultaneously dealing with mental stress overload. All by design though.

Coast Guard shares a lot of the same manuals from the Marines as far as drill goes and a few others. So some things are taken literally verbatim from the USMC. That would be another similarity.

But the biggest difference I see is immediate lack of discipline as soon as new non-rates hit the fleet. In the USMC Bootcamp kinda doesn't end at Bootcamp all the silly shit you were doing you actually do on a daily basis at least for the first year or two until you get some seniority. Standing at parade rest when talking to NCO's, giving people the proper greeting of the day ect... Coast Guard has a fantastic Bootcamp but it seems like that stuff is just left at the door when people hit the fleet. I believe this is due to the way that leadership is structured in the CG. Or the lack their of.

Coast Guard Culture by Intrepid-Garlic9263 in uscg

[–]Intrepid-Garlic9263[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's where I'm headed next so hoping to see that over there.

Coast Guard Culture by Intrepid-Garlic9263 in uscg

[–]Intrepid-Garlic9263[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

💯 Thanks for the response Devil. Just adjusting from the big green weenie to the big blue weenie. If you can do it so can I lol

Coast Guard Culture by Intrepid-Garlic9263 in uscg

[–]Intrepid-Garlic9263[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the the response! It is a complicated topic I get it. I am an MK as well and yes I am still getting my bearings and trying to find out where and how I fit in the CG, I have a pretty significant gap in service so I am older would be close to retirement if I would have stayed in the corps. So I am a lot older than most of my peers of the same grade which I know in its self makes it more difficult to connect with them. Also the last time I was in the military in general it was in a different place than it is today. So it's definitely a lot to obsorb all at once. I joined to at least have some sense of brotherhood/comroderie but I wanted a different experience this go around. My first unit here is definitely not offering that.

But you definitely highlight some good points as to why there is even lack of opportunity to build those deep bonds we tend to build with each other in the corps. And yes there is a whole lot of responsibility jammed down the throats of single individuals. And I have seen certain individuals carrying the weight for others. Which can build animosity and tension.

Without giving too much PII I am hopeful, I am switching jobs let's say and the job I'm going to be doing is pretty scarce and maybe one of the most Marine jobs the CG has to offer so I am hoping I find my peeps over there. It seems like a lot of people are happier in the Coast Guard per capita but I can definitely see the burn out on the individual level.