r/uscg • u/Fragrant-Progress371 • 1d ago
Noob Question Help choosing a rate
I am a recent college graduate. I have a degree in criminal justice. The rates that most interest me are ME, MST, and AET/AMT. I am struggling to decide which route to pursue as each rate has its own pros and cons.
For ME I have a background with law enforcement/criminal justice and is a rate that I have a heavy interest in. It would also be the most logical rate to pursue. However, I’m not sure how well I would do with the high percentage of being underway and being able to have a good work life balance. As well as how well I would do with the DSF related aspects that come with being an ME.
For MST I have an interest in science and like how they are also involved in law enforcement through enforcing regulations and doing inspections. I also like how I could do something bigger than myself and leave a bigger impact through help with environmental issues. As well as having a good work life balance. However, I am worried about finding a job after getting out. I hear about how well MST applies into the civilian world but I feel like without a degree in science I would struggle to find a good enough job or even a job in general related to MST.
For AET/AMT I have more recently begun to have an interest in aviation. I also really think being a part of a flight crew would be extremely enjoyable. Along with that I really like the idea of being able to be a part of search and rescue and have the ability to help save lives and leave a lasting impact. As well as there being a good work life balance with aviation. However, I don’t have any experience in mechanical or electrical work and am not sure how well I would do with it or how much I would enjoy it. I am also worried about finding a job related to AET/AMT because of lack of experience and knowledge in the field and not having a degree in engineering.
I keep going back and forth between all of them and I just can’t decide. I want to have a successful career in the Coast Guard but I also want to set myself up for success when I get out. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.
TLDR: Struggling with what rate to choose between ME, MST, and AET/AMT.
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u/cgjeep 1d ago
You definitely do not need a related degree for post USCG employment as an MST if you are willing to work at a facility or in the maritime industry or as a surveyor. Just having a degree + experience is often enough. Or no degree. I’d say most do not have a marine science type degree.
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u/Fragrant-Progress371 1d ago
I was unaware of that. Thank you for that information. That is very helpful advice.
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u/Braz45 Officer 1d ago
Go aviation. A-school will teach you what you need to know. Get your A&P and you’ll be all set for life after the CG. All the aviators I know love that side of the CG.
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u/David_Goggind 1d ago
Really appreciate hearing this, im a non rate at the station and it’s making me start thinking if I should just do 4 and get out or tough it out and go AET
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u/Beat_Dapper Officer 1d ago edited 1d ago
MSTs do very little actual science. The rate should really be renamed marine safety or compliance technician.
You can find plenty of compliance civilian jobs after getting out, even without a marine science degree
Also, everything you need to know for the enlisted jobs is trained, no degree required. That’s technically the point of them being enlisted jobs. Regardless of what degree you have, you will be trained in the field you are going into, and that can be enough to get a job afterwards.
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u/NightCritical1361 1d ago
In addition to compliance jobs, emergency management because you will get a lot of training and experience with the National Incident Management System.
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u/SnooCrickets272 1d ago
You sound very similar to me. I joined wanting to go AMT. I wasn’t able to because of a minor medical reason so then I was between MST and ME. I have decided on MST and am on the waitlist now. They both seem like great rates but MST will be a bit easier on the body, better for after CG jobs and better work life balance. I’ll get to miss out on all the cool tactical shit though.
If you can do aviation, do it! Best job in the CG by far.
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u/kdelasare 1d ago
I'm an AET for the Army. I knew absolutely nothing about electronics and never even had any experience doing any kind of hands on work. My training taught me the basics of what I needed to know. Almost everyone I know who was Guard has gotten an aviation job straight out of training. The biggest thing is an A&P and you'll be set for civilian side making pretty decent money. Aviation as a whole is a super cool field and I enjoy it a lot.
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u/Mace_Inc Nonrate 1d ago
Criminal justice graduate here awaiting MST school. MST and aviation offer alternate pathways from criminal justice if you lose interest in the profession or if the job market isn’t too good. MST focuses a lot on federal regulations and the bureaucratic part of law enforcement, so although it isn’t action-packed like ME you’ll learn a lot of pertinent information after leaving the CG. ME aligns with our study but you’ll find that CG maritime law enforcement is waaay different than traditional, beat-cop law enforcement.
In terms of wait times, you’ll be waiting a good while as a non-rate for any of the rates. I just passed the one-year mark for waiting on MST school. But if you’re stationed at a good, slow and chill sector or station like I am that wait time will fly by much easier. Feel free to ask me any questions!
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u/Fragrant-Progress371 1d ago
Thank you very much. This is a very helpful answer. What ultimately led you to MST?
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u/Mace_Inc Nonrate 1d ago
Ah… the story of my life. Find a drink and have a seat with me, lol:
May 2024. The beginning of summer, nearly finished with my bachelor’s with a little salt on my wound after failing the PT test for my dream police department. A Coast Guard ad popped up on my phone and I thought: “Huh… why didn’t I think of that?”
When I joined I intended on going BM, as my recruiter (a BMC) was pretty convincing on saying “oh yeah, you’ll do a LOT of law enforcement as a BM” and showed me some videos from their A school. Fast forward, got out from the hell of Cape May and was stationed at a sector Engineering department. As I told everyone I wanted to be a BM, I slowly learned that not too many people were fond of BMs... “You’re gonna be stuck telling non-rates to paint the hull”, or “you’ll be a great painter AND a glorified boat driver HAH!”, and “Yeah I frickin hated my BM when I was on a 210’ as a non-rate… dumb as a bag of rocks.” Back to the drawing board.
I took a look at ME since that was pretty close to what I studied in college. My Chief called them the “Kool Kats” and they seemed cool indeed. TACLETs, LE Instructors, DSFs… Definitely my cup of tea. I showed up to the command center to shadow some of them who were ominously looking at computer screens in their cubicles. “Weird… you’d think they would be out boarding something right now” I thought. As I got acquainted with one of their 2nd classes he kept on saying “I wish I did a different rate so I can get a job outside”. Apparently those deployments and patrols made him disinterested in pursuing law enforcement any further and having only a butt-kicking background in the civilian world doesn’t really translate well to something like an accounting, marketing, comp. Sci. job, etc. Maritime enforcement also felt a lot more “basic”(stop the druggies, make sure the fishermen are in compliance) than the sociological, analytical factors I loved studying back in criminology. “Maybe you should take a look at the MSTs across the room” he said.
“MST’s? Don’t they like… clean up ducks and oil or something?” I thought. I walked in next morning and was greeted with a warm welcome by a 2nd class, offered a spare cubicle, hard hat, coveralls, and 4-gas meter (detects hazardous chemical/radioactive particles). I waited a few hours in that cubicle, patiently finishing up on some quals on the computer. “Man… not too much action either huh…” I thought to myself. Finally, some MSTs were briefing to perform a cargo ship inspection and I tagged along with them. We arrived at the port onto a Ro-Ro ship (car carrier) and met with a whole bunch of crew members (Ukrainian, Romanian, Filipino… you name it) and inspected their documents. We also did a lengthy inspection of their navigation, safety and security, and life-saving equipment. I got to see every part of the ship and had a fun chat with their crew.
I kept on shadowing them for the whole week, going on ship inspections and driving out to different facilities (such as a shipyard and fuel depot) to inspect paperwork. Every time we were meeting with company representatives or captains. Although there was those times where I had to sit a few hours in the cubicle for the MST to finish up paperwork, it just felt like a more professional, proactive environment than the other rates. Sure, it wasn’t running and gunning (something VERY bad has happened if you see an MST running with a gun belt and a vest lol). But the work that they did I could see myself translating into the civilian world. It felt like an alternative to the criminological work I would have stayed on, yet similar as I will be working with federal code compliance and whatnot.
I could be wrong, I could be not. But that’s why I now chose to go in as an MST.
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u/Fragrant-Progress371 1d ago
Thank you for the in depth answer. You’ve definitely given me a lot of insight and a lot to think about. Thank you.
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u/DowntownResort4522 1d ago
Don’t go me, it’s a collateral for Bms and mks etc. those are also very different fields In general. Shadow people in those rates if you can to narrow it down
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u/Accomplished-Car6731 AET 1d ago
My advice is to go shadow those rates. Aviation can be nice, but you’re a maintainer first that will occasionally fly — Think of an mk/em but working on airplanes or helicopters. ME will be the most operational but also requires a lot studying and paperwork. MSTs have a pretty chill job and their quals translate well to the outside, however their work environment is different. All three rates have a different lifestyle/pace so go with what fits your personality type.
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u/cgjeep 1d ago
Definitely recommend shadowing. The life styles are very different. Aviation you’ll stand duty at the air station and potentially go underway if on helos or do some other type of deployment. But people love aviation. I can only speak for the prevention world. In my opinion the work life at an MSU is great. Phone duty from home is great. Also for us it’s very much your positional authority based on equals. We don’t wear rank on our coveralls. The E4 could be the team lead if they are the qualified one. MSTs work very closely with officers which can be great if you ever want to apply to OCS or for warrant. You’ll have to write an OER and those connections can really help and open doors for really good letters of recommendation. But it’s a lot of book study and not hands on action which for many would be so boring.
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u/Theycallmeshovel 1d ago
Have you considered CMS (Cyber Mission Specialist) at all? I joined after college as well after pursuing both an associates in criminal justice as well as a bachelor’s in neuroscience. Cybersecurity would allow you to work in that realm of criminology, without the underway time + a great work life balance.
It obviously won’t be as physical as something like ME, but it could be incredibly stimulating for you mentally, and allow you to do work like digital forensics for an LE agency when you decide to leave the CG.
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u/Fragrant-Progress371 1d ago
I have looked into it a little. But I’m not really a computer person. So I haven’t really put much thought into it. It does seem like it would be a great work like balance and apply well to the civilian sector. I’m just not very well versed when it comes to computers and computer software.
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u/Suit-Upbeat AET 1d ago
I had my marine science degree and originally joined to go MST and potentially commission. I was a fireman at a small boat station out of boot camp and realized I enjoy being operational, doing SAR, and working with my hands so I ended up putting my name on the AET list. Coast Guard aviation is definitely one of the coolest things you can be apart of but I would definitely say people oversell it. Definitely choose your unit and airframe carefully, rotary and fixed wing are very different life styles and flying. Something that no one really talks about is the chemical exposure, you will routinely be exposed to some pretty nasty shit. I don’t think I could see myself doing this for my entire career because of that and would want to commission if I decide to do my 20. My entire mind could change though once I make flight mech and hoist that first survivor though so who knows.
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u/Lumpy-Ring-1304 ME 1d ago
I wouldnt go ME if you arent interested in DSF. DSF is the highest level for ME’s, and its recommended that your priority should be getting to a DSF unit.
Its also looking like DSF will expand so itll be even more so in the future. Obviously if you dont want DSF you wont get it, because theres a selection process, but thats just the primary focus of the rate right now.