The Canadian Coast Guard is a special operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada. We work to ensure the safety of mariners in Canadian waters and protect Canada's marine environment. We support Canada's economic growth through the safe and efficient movement of maritime trade.
Age Limits for EnlistingYou must be at least 17 to enlist in any branch of the active military. The oldest you can be to enlist for active duty in each branch is: Coast Guard: 31. Marines: 28.
Admission requirements
- be a Canadian citizen upon appointment.
- have a valid Canadian passport upon joining.
- meet the medical standard required for seagoing personnel, including vision and hearing standards.
- be able to pass a criminal record check and government security clearance at the reliability and secret levels.
To enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard, recruits must be 17-27 years old, have at least a high school diploma, be a resident alien or U.S. citizen and have no more than two dependents.
What are the qualifications to join the Coast Guard?
- You must be a U.S. citizen or a Resident Alien.
- Be between the ages of 17-31 (up to age 32 if qualified for attending guaranteed 'A' school) for Active Duty.
- Reservists must be between 17-40.
- Have a high school diploma.
- Have no more than three dependents.
The United States Coast Guard uses cutters and small boats on the water, and fixed- and rotary wing (helicopters) aircraft in the air. The Coast Guard employs various small arms including handguns, shotguns, rifles, and machine guns.
What Is the US Coast Guard? The Coast Guard is unique because it is not part of the Defense Department. However, the Coast Guard is considered a military service, because, during times of war or conflict, the president can transfer any or all assets of the Coast Guard to the Department of the Navy.
In the battle of Navy vs. Coast Guard, the Navy wins the heavyweight title. The Navy boasts 325,000 active duty and 107,000 reserve sailors, while the Coast Guard has just over 40,000 active duty personnel and 7,600 reservists.
Deployment is a major facet of Coast Guard life. To conduct operational missions and to maintain the highest readiness standards possible, units and cutters deploy on a regular basis. Coast Guardsmen and their families need to discuss and plan for important financial and legal matters prior to deployments.
Coast Guard basic training is intense and challenging like every other branch of the military. It's difficult to say one type of military service basic training is harder than the other branch. However, many agree that Coast Guard boot camp ranks among the most demanding, especially because of the swimming elements.
Active-duty enlistees and officer candidates can select from among a variety of job specialties. Many officer programs are available targeting college sophomores and juniors, college graduates, those with professional degrees and aviation training, and current Coast Guard enlisted personnel with college degrees.
Coast Guard Salary in California
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay |
|---|
| Top Earners | $105,683 | $8,806 |
| 75th Percentile | $75,699 | $6,308 |
| Average | $63,323 | $5,276 |
| 25th Percentile | $41,781 | $3,481 |
Before Serving in the Coast Guard ReserveCoast Guard reservists undergo Basic Training at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey, for eight weeks.
The Coast Guard life is not a typical military lifestyle. Unlike other military services, which operate large government housing tracts on military bases, most Coast Guard officers live in the local community.
The formal name for a uniformed member of the Coast Guard is "Coast Guardsman", irrespective of gender. "Coastie" is an informal term commonly used to refer to current or former Coast Guard personnel. In 2008, the term "Guardian" was introduced as an alternative but was later dropped.
The U.S. Coast Guard is the lead federal agency for law enforcement, incident response, homeland security, and disaster management in the maritime environment.
CCG does not have a conventional paramilitary rank structure; instead, its rank structure roughly approximates that of the civilian merchant marine.
Our organization. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) manages Canada's fisheries and safeguards its waters. The Canadian Coast Guard is a special operating agency within DFO. It is responsible for services and programs that contribute to the safety, security and accessibility of Canada's waterways.
The Coast Guard TodayIn times of peace, the Coast Guard operates as part of the Department of Homeland Security, enforcing the nation's laws at sea, protecting the marine environment, guarding the nation's vast coastline and ports, and performing vital life saving missions.
Coast Guard Maritime Force Protection Units serve as the “Secret Service of the Sea†protecting the U.S. Navy's ballistic missile submarines and other critical maritime assets slip in and out of port.
40,992 full-time active-duty service members are currently working in the Coast Guard, along with 7,000 part-time reservists, 8,577 civilians and 31,000 auxiliary Coast Guard volunteers.
In support of these missions, the Coast Guard operates a fleet of 22 helicopters. These helicopters and pilots provide support to ships engaged in critical maritime work including aids to navigation, environmental response, icebreaking operations, and in support of search and rescue as needed.
The U.S. Coast Guard has the largest Airbus Helicopter fleet in government service today, flying 101 MH-65 Dolphin multi-mission helicopters based at 18 Coast Guard Air Stations throughout the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Cutters shall be named after significant geographic locations; distinguished service members and key persons shaping Coast Guard history; Secretaries of the department under which the Coast Guard has served or is serving; important events throughout Coast Guard history; other service ships that were manned by Coast
