Joining the Coast Guard (02:20)

High-school student Riley Dreaney visits the office of Petty Officer 1st Class Addae Morgan, a Coast Guard recruiter.

High-school student Riley Dreaney visits the office of Petty Officer 1st Class Addae Morgan, a Coast Guard recruiter. Morgan answers Dreaney’s questions about serving in the Coast Guard, and then Morgan and Petty Officer Virgilio Garcia take Dreaney on a tour of response boats at Coast Guard Station Seattle.

To join the Coast Guard, a person must be between the ages of 17 and 27 and have a high school diploma, although GEDs are sometimes accepted. A potential recruit must also take a medical exam and pass other background checks.

A high-school student can join so long as the student is 17 and has parental consent. High-school students may also participate in the Coast Guard’s Delayed Entry Program (DEP), in which a student enlists but waits until after graduation to attend Recruit Training.

See All: Enlisting, Recruiting

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