Unlock Your Education with the U.S. Coast Guard

More Reasons to Join the Coast Guard

You'll be Stationed in Real Communities

The Coast Guard runs shore units that live where the mission is, like Sectors, Stations, and Air Stations. That usually means working in coastal cities, ports, and waterfront towns where people actually live and work, not a giant isolated installation. Think Puerto Rico, Long Beach, Seattle, Charleston, and Honolulu.

You Get to See the World

The Coast Guard operates on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the Gulf Coast, and major inland waterways, including the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Assignments can land near saltwater, river systems, or ice country, depending on the job and unit. If you end up assigned to a cutter, “travel” can mean extended patrols and international work, not just weekend trips. For example, the USCGC Bertholf completed a 21,000-mile, 98-day Indo-Pacific deployment with international engagements and port visits. 

Your Work is Different Every Day

The Coast Guard operates a wide range of missions, including search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine safety, ports and waterways security, drug interdiction, and marine environmental protection. Different missions create different day-to-day experiences, even within the same unit. 

Your Work Matters

A lot of Coast Guard missions are public-facing and time-sensitive, like search and rescue and safety enforcement. It can feel less like “training for a future mission” and more like “today matters.”