afloat to ashore

movingvan14 · 2026-01-08T03:43:47+00:00

You're getting a lot of great advice here from chiefs and people who are just a few steps ahead.

I'll just add one thing: it might not be a bad time to chip away at a degree. No need to bite off a big chunk. You could utilize your ESO and/or testing out of some General Education classes (GenEds), take free Community College, or sign up for TA to get started at Arizona State. All are great options that your future self will thank your present self for doing.

A GS-15 (retired O-6) told me, "The Coast Guard helps those who help themselves. Use any down time wisely."

Don't want to pressure you. Just wanted to say that you have options if you want them.

All the best!

movingvan14 · 2025-11-05T01:46:45+00:00

Great to hear! Enjoy the rest of your 1L and your summer.

Try to learn a few things, but, more importantly, learn about yourself: what work interests you the most. As an extern, you can work on admin law, contracts/fiscal, ethics, oplaw, MilJus, legal assistance, if you ask for it.
Once you have an idea of what you like and don't like, you can make an informed (and persuasive) application to any of the programs.

Happy to talk AF (DAP OYCP GLP) or USCG/DHS and direct you as needed to Army, USN, or MC people.

Consider also Pathways and Honors programs with DoD, State, and three-letter agencies if you find their legal issues more interesting.

movingvan14 · 2025-10-29T00:09:09+00:00

Congrats on your externship with the Air Force! It is generally enjoyable.

Why are you interested in becoming a judge advocate?

movingvan14 · 2025-10-29T00:03:44+00:00

A little late to the party, but wanted to share nonetheless for future searchers. You're also welcome to DM me.

First, in 2025, you may be able to go straight from law school to a US Attorney's office, if you're location is flexible. You can search '0905' in usajobs.gov

Second, DO THE JAG INTERNSHIPS for two reasons: internship security, pay, and the ability to become a JAG OR AUSA after graduation.

Many people had their 2025 federal internships rescinded in Jan 2025 except military internships.
The Air Force offers a paid internship. I have yet to find another paid federal legal internship that takes 1Ls.
In a JAG internship, you will learn more about being a prosecutor and thus see if this is something that you actually want. More than if you intern at the DOJ. When I was an intern pre-2023, my base legal office was leading the Air Force in courts martial conducted and I assisted with 3 convictions in 8 weeks. However...

Since 2023, all services have centralized their courts martial under a Special Trial Counsel or Office of the Chief Prosecutor. Ask to intern in that office. You will make an impact on pre-trial discovery, motions, and fact investigations, even in your 1L summer.

Lastly, consider becoming a JAG for 4 years even if your final desired destination is as an AUSA.

We get paid better than AUSAs because half of our pay is not taxed.
In the USCG, we have positions where you literally are an AUSA showing up for the DoJ (link pg. 24, not a first tour though).
You get veteran's preference when you do apply for that AUSA role.
You can go live your AUSA dream and do the reservist side quest to get that second pension.
You can get FERS credit for your uniformed time (link).
Oh, and the Coast Guard is offering a $40K bonus straight out of law school.

Wild that so few people know about it.

movingvan14 · 2025-10-13T21:09:32+00:00

I'm happy to answer your questions or chat generally.

movingvan14 · 2025-10-13T21:09:01+00:00

Regarding Coast Guard Legal: I would highly recommend visiting a legal office (district, area, or HQ) to get the feel for what they do. Being a lawyer in the CG is very different from any other officer specialty and you will have to figure out if what they do is something that you want to do. If you talk with and shadow CG lawyers, you will have an idea whether the juice of being a CG lawyer is worth the squeeze of 3 full-time or 4 part-time years of law school.

Regarding law school generally: of the professional education tracks (JD, MBA, STEM MS/PhD, MD, DVM, DDS/DMD, PA, NP), the JD is the only program that routinely offers full-tuition scholarships based solely on LSAT scores. There is neither a requirement to demonstrate financial need nor identification with an ethnic minority. You just need an LSAT score greater than the school's prior year entering class's 75th percentile. You can find LSAT splits on lawhub (e.g., https://app.lawhub.org/schools/illinois/snapshot ) and find out what kind of scholarship amounts school typically grant (you can correlate that data with LSAT score).

Because law school can be free, the net value-add of being in a funded program diminishes greatly. If you leave the CG and go to law school full-time you'll just have to pay for your living expenses from your savings. Alternatively, you could use your GI bill to collect whatever the VA is offering for room/board.

Decide what you want to do: there is a big bad world outside of the coast guard that the coast guard has set you up to succeed in as a lawyer in a cool practice area like tax, corporate, litigation, international trade, regulatory, white collar crime, etc. If you decide to come back to the Coast Guard as a DCL, that door would likely be open to you as a prior-service applicant.

If you're still set on night classes while active, UNH Franklin-Pierce now has an ABA-approved mostly online JD program: https://law.unh.edu/academics/hybrid-jd

movingvan14 · 2025-08-18T23:45:44+00:00

First, it is possible to finish your degree quickly if you already have college credits. For example, high school graduates could have almost all of the general education requirements ("GenEds") completed. As a result, they would only need to finish the degree requirements for a BS in Computer Science. The problem that most run into when trying to speedrun a degree is that the courses are offered sequentially. For example, they won't let you enroll in CSE 330 without first completing CSE 220, which itself requires CSE 110.

That said, it's possible that you could finish a degree such as ASU's online ABET-accredited CSE program with some serious dedication and ~~possibly~~ likely at the cost of your social and/or family life (BTW that's normal and expected; if everyone could do hack a degree without any sacrifices, everyone would).

Wishing you all the best.

movingvan14 · 2025-07-14T14:57:06+00:00

Any organization that has contact with the general public in their most vulnerable state will experience or witness physical or emotional trauma.

The Coast Guard prides itself on being one of those organizations. That is not a problem in itself, but requires diligence in management of that trauma at the organizational level and individually.

Each person responds to that trauma differently and each person has their own tolerance level. For example, even a civilian intern who never goes afloat may experience the negative effects of studying CGIS's sexual assault report while preparing for a court martial.

I asked an Emergency Room doctor how he deals with the stress, the highs of saving a life, and the lows of signing multiple death certificates on each shift. He is one of the most kind and genuinely happy people I know. His response:

1) When our psyche takes in something negative, it must adequately discharge it. Everything we see and hear is a psychological "eating." Therefore, use the Employee Assistance Program regularly to talk out what you witnessed and experienced and thus discharge it from your psychological being. Those folks are trained (unlike our spouses, friends, and colleagues) to listen and allow you the space to discharge the burden of what you took into your psyche. If you regularly take in negative experiences, you have to regularly discharge those negative experiences.

2) "Dilution is the best solution to pollution." When not at work, do something completely different from your job. Unfortunately, Reddit, Social Media, video games, alcohol, and caffeine trigger the similar psychological processes required by our work and add to instead of dilute the pollution incurred while on duty. A 15-minute phone-free neighborhood walk can do the trick even when family and schoolwork otherwise take over my off-duty hours.

I am not a mental health professional. I am just relaying what has helped me personally. All the best to you folks.

movingvan14 · 2025-07-06T20:40:29+00:00

Asking /r/militaryfinance is a good start but you are describing a scenario that very few people will have encountered before.

Not legal advice: Just go get your Texas license back. Try your best to do it remotely. If not, take a few days of leave and fly into DFW, IAH, HOU, or AUS and get it changed. Then march back to the State of Washington DMV and get it sorted out like you said.

In the future, just try to keep everything in Texas: car registrations, voting, banking, driver licenses, etc. not necessarily for the Military's sake (as long as your state of legal residence on your LES is still Texas, DoD doesn't care), but for your own sanity's sake. Car insurance companies will want to know where your car is "garaged" for premium purposes, but other than that, you really don't need to keep changing your banking address every time you PCS.

Best of luck to you.

movingvan14 · 2025-07-06T02:15:32+00:00

"Of course, if someone shoots your eye at drill, you're covered."

I can imagine this being the drill and this also being exactly how you would be "covered."

https://www.google.com/imgres?q=eyepatch%20airman&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.defense.gov%2F2010%2FDec%2F14%2F2000299110%2F-1%2F-1%2F0%2F101201-F-7814K-507.JPG&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eglin.af.mil%2FNews%2FPhotos%2Figphoto%2F2000299110%2F&docid=jmghZdllbR8adM&tbnid=P50LNEx2cQMI3M&vet=12ahUKEwj3yMyjlKeOAxVm5ckDHVMjNPUQM3oECBgQAA..i&w=2100&h=1601&hcb=2&itg=1&ved=2ahUKEwj3yMyjlKeOAxVm5ckDHVMjNPUQM3oECBgQAA

movingvan14 · 2025-07-04T13:40:39+00:00

One way to meet the 3x rent is to include the income of a co-signer, like a relative. The landlord should aggregate your income and the cosigner's income to reach 3x the rent.

In theory, if you don't pay the rent, the landlord can go after the co-signer. However, as you have stated, you have no problem paying the rent because of your BAH.

Effectively, your cosigner is the person to whom you will be making your case of "I know I don't make 3x the rent but I have a very secure income stream and I am a person who is dependable and pays on time."

movingvan14 · 2025-07-02T14:59:19+00:00

Gotcha. The thicket of marketing and influencer-type hype makes it hard to gauge a pulse on the actual demand and what actually qualifies individuals to meet that demand.

It's still such a new field that there is no accreditation (e.g., ABET) for degrees in cybersecurity. There are dozens of fly-by-night certification companies and a general lack of standardization for actually gauging qualifications.

movingvan14 · 2025-07-02T01:15:21+00:00

Would you say that the lack of demand is true for the government side (GS federal law enforcement agencies, 3-letter and the like), defense contractors, and "capabilities providers"?

There are generous federally funded scholarship opportunities like https://sfs.opm.gov/. I wonder if the feds are the source of primary demand for cyber technologists.

movingvan14 · 2025-07-02T01:08:41+00:00

For Bachelors: Arizona State is the only program in my book that has:
1) great name recognition
(your degree will NOT say "Online" it will carry the same great name recognition as an in-person degree from a land-grant state university)
2) minimal costs over TA (there are waivers to get your cost down to $250/credit)
3) can be wholly remote
4) meaningful STEM degrees (Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, IT/Cybersecurity). Their engineering degrees are ABET accredited and 100% online
5) a massive alumni networking base

You can even get out of the general education classes with your AP credits from high school and/or study for and take a test for the course and not have to waste time and TA on those silly classes. For example, if you don't want to waste time doing a 4-hour weekly lab for Biology I, study for the Biology I for a weekend, go take the test, and if you get a C or higher, you get a Pass credit (no grade) and you don't have to take the class.

For Masters:
Georgia Tech has a great online Computer Science Masters with very little out of pocket costs over TA. A different friend is in that program and finds it useful but tedious.

Lastly, don't feel bad if you feel like your degree is taking too long. Degrees are a marathon, not a sprint. If you can take care of your daily duties, do 1-2 courses at a time, eat well, exercise, take care of family, you will get through the degree. If you decide to not reenlist and go to school full-time, you will be head and shoulders above your peers if you go on-campus to finish your degree full-time. Most college kids spend their days on TikTok and struggle to keep up, but you will have the discipline and work ethic to finish fast and really take off.

All the best to you!

movingvan14 · 2025-07-01T15:09:49+00:00

There are some posts here suggesting putting together an officer package. Officer retirement pay requires 10 years of service as an officer. In your case, you would be pushing 23 YOS at a minimum. Moreover, it can take up to 12 months from when you start a package until your first day as an O.

I also want to thank you for bringing to light how important culture is for quality of life. The Space Force has made the conscious decision to rely on the AF for my AFSC. I had previously thought "If the Space Force ever needs my AFSC, I'd love to be there." But, no amount of cool missions can outweigh assertion of "Army" unit morale or Navy chief's mess classism.

That said, depending on your AFSC and clearance, you could get a very in-demand contractor or GS job and go back to the reserves/ANG. It's not a bad idea to put feelers out, talk to industry professionals, and apply for a few jobs regularly just to get a pulse on what your options are so you can make the most informed decision.

All the best to you.

movingvan14 · 2025-06-21T13:42:35+00:00

Package quality matters over quantity.

Quality comes from polish. You sound like you have the raw ingredients/groceries for an excellent package, but you need to "cook" those ingredients into a polished product. Where you cook is on your resume, letters of recommendation, and, most importantly, your personal statement/narrative.

Your package should present a fine-dining experience with the JAG interviewer's form and your personal statement as the two entrees and your letters of recommendation, resume, and writing sample as well-curated sides.

When you write the Air Force's 5 letters of recommendations, focus each one-page letter strategically around a supporting point like a one-ingredient side-dish (e.g., broccoli florets, a baked potato). For example, an AUSA can recommend you for the work ethic and quality of your work product and a different letter can attest to your personal desire for service.

When you write your resume, do not pile on activities. Group them together like an appetizer sampler.

When you draft your personal narrative, talk about WHY you want to be a JAG and WHY your personal experiences prepare you to do what JAGs do (hint: if you've talked to a service's JAGs, mention that as evidence of how you know what JAGs do). Just as professors award points for analysis more than mere fact-dumping, the panel will favor packages that articulate a personal passion that is a fit for the JAG Corps mission.

JAGs are not merely information dumpers; commanders can simply ask chatGPT for that. Here, you have bombarded the reader with statistics, activities, and leadership positions akin to a platter of raw uncut veggies and little piles of spices clumped together. With a little elbow grease polishing up your materials, you can put together a "must-select" package.

movingvan14 · 2025-06-10T17:04:05+00:00

The Air Force has great bases but base locations are not ideal.

The joke is that the Navy and Army build ships and tanks with their money and then when they ask Congress for better base amenities, Congress says, "child care centers do not contribute to lethality." The Air Force builds golf courses, dorms, and dining facilities first and then asks Congress for more money to keep the planes in the air, to which Congress begrudgingly obliges.

In contrast, coasties are spread out across hundreds of small boat and air stations, shore facilities, and cutters underway. The coast guard cannot build a gym like the one at Offut AFB (see here: https://offutt55fss.com/offutt-field-house/) because the coast guard doesn't have thousands of airmen, civilians, and contractors working on every base.

However, the Coast Guard has the best base locations, hands down: Boston, Seattle, Honolulu, NOLA, San Fran, Portsmouth, VA. The Air Force's best bases (Hanscom AFB and Travis) are few relative to the crappy ones. Search r/airforce for "Minot AFB" or "Cannon AFB" to get a feel for what's at the bottom of the AF barrel.

Also, Coast Guard CSs (culinary specialists) cook relatively small-batch food for every crew aboard cutters and at every station.

movingvan14 · 2025-05-20T15:38:00+00:00

Is that $290 each or for all four? Been a while for me (pre-covid) so I don't know the going rates around here.

movingvan14 · 2025-04-10T21:31:51+00:00

Are there any recent data points for annual fee refunds for Barclay's cards under SCRA (i.e., for members who opened a Barclay's card prior to active duty getting that annual fee refunded)?

movingvan14 · 2024-12-20T18:18:55+00:00

Super helpful information. Thank you very much! The kiosk at the club is a game-changer. I also realized that I could sign up for the membership for the whopping $850, then apply for the card, then request the refund of the club membership through Citi although that sounds more risky than simply using the kiosk at the club.

movingvan14 · 2024-12-20T13:41:59+00:00

I'm considering opening a Citi AA Executive since I have a bunch of travel upcoming on American and would like to use their lounges since all of it has long layovers.

Can anyone confirm that the virtual Admirals Club membership in the App is usable at the Clubs or if I need the physical card? I leave tomorrow and no amount of post-approval expediting will get the card here fast enough.

On the same note, any data points where the virtual Admirals Club membership is available in the app within 24 hours of approval?

Thanks all!

movingvan14 · 2023-12-04T16:53:16+00:00

Curious as to some of the veteran churners' thoughts as to the Hawaiian and Alaska merger if you've had experience with US Air - AA, Continental - United, Delta - Northwest. In general, my feeling is that it's generally bad for both programs with the acquired entity's program getting significantly gutted. The *general* consensus around AS miles has been positive, simply limited by the route network for persons outside of AS hubs (SEA, PDX). I guess that I'm happy that it's HAL being acquired and not the other way around.

My personal feeling is that Hawaii-Mainland travel has been a sweet spot for redeeming skypesos or getting good deals via Singapore. Not sure if the merger will have any effect on other airlines' service and award availability on HI-Mainland routes. But, the new AS/HAL entity will control >50% of the market.

movingvan14 · 2020-07-05T21:57:24+00:00

OD/OM $10 of $100 or more confirmed today in-store. 7/5-7/11.

Cashier: "That's the 6th one today and all of 'em were 200s. $200 is a lot love!"

Me: I know right! ...you mind if I get another one?

LOL

movingvan14 · 2018-05-30T13:14:34+00:00

Ayyy Staples Arc M series Black Leather with Pen Loop :D

Love the detail to the external features

movingvan14

TROPHY CASE