Lil Rant

[DropTheGloves]

Some of you know I am going into the Coast Guard, and my plans are to become a Rescue Swimmer (AST). Well, today I decided to become a member of one of those Coast Guard forums.

I will tell you right now, I will never do that again. I simply made a thread, simply stating that I have a few questions for a recruiter, in regards to testing and my physical fitness testing. Basically because I have been given nothing but the run around where I am located, so I was hoping I would receive some answers there. The some old hag starts complaining how I am bashing the recruiters. It's like, WTF? old lady! It was far from bashing. She then goes on to say how recruiters have a more stressful job than ship captains. Really? Is she really that effin retarded?

I then basically told her that she was wrong with every assumption she made, and then told her to basically not respond to any of my threads. Then her other female friend came in, and tried to start too.

It just really frustrates me, when people comment on things and they make either assumptions or personally do not have the slightest clue on anything in regards to the question. It's really annoying as well. Guess that means I will be emailing recruiters directly again. End of rant.

[Xanthos]

Sorry man. There's a reason I never got on any of the ARNG forums.
- X

[DropTheGloves]

Originally Posted by Xanthos

Sorry man. There's a reason I never got on any of the ARNG forums.
- X

It's okay. It's just frustrating when these retarded people respond and they don't have the slightest clue about anything.

[Brokinarrow]

Well... recruiters DO have a pretty stressful job. They have a quota to meet each month, and if they keep getting a low number of recruits they can get in trouble. The really crappy thing is that some of these guys didn't WANT to be recruiters: During service you can be SELECTED for recruiting duty, and if you refuse it doesn't look good on your record. Also their hours SUCK

Anyway, good luck with the Coast Guard man, people may make fun, but I know I heard somewhere the coast guard boot camp is the 2nd most difficult one to go through (next to the Marines of course )

[DropTheGloves]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Well... recruiters DO have a pretty stressful job. They have a quota to meet each month, and if they keep getting a low number of recruits they can get in trouble. The really crappy thing is that some of these guys didn't WANT to be recruiters: During service you can be SELECTED for recruiting duty, and if you refuse it doesn't look good on your record. Also their hours SUCK

Anyway, good luck with the Coast Guard man, people may make fun, but I know I heard somewhere the coast guard boot camp is the 2nd most difficult one to go through (next to the Marines of course )

Lol thanks. The school I will be going through ("A" school) is compared to spec ops for the Navy, Marines, Air Force, as well as the Rangers for the Army...difficulty wise.

[Partick]

Recruiters may have a stressful job but some are are just a@#holes. When my wife joined the military before we got married she was lied to, promised things that never materialized and the guy was an all around prick to her once she signed on the dotted line.

[RobertHarriSS]

Originally Posted by Brokinarrow

Well... recruiters DO have a pretty stressful job. They have a quota to meet each month, and if they keep getting a low number of recruits they can get in trouble. The really crappy thing is that some of these guys didn't WANT to be recruiters: During service you can be SELECTED for recruiting duty, and if you refuse it doesn't look good on your record. Also their hours SUCK

Anyway, good luck with the Coast Guard man, people may make fun, but I know I heard somewhere the coast guard boot camp is the 2nd most difficult one to go through (next to the Marines of course )

As long as you can do push ups and run, Coast Guard boot camp is no big deal. At least it wasn't 20 years ago.

[DropTheGloves]

Originally Posted by RobertHarriSS

As long as you can do push ups and run, Coast Guard boot camp is no big deal. At least it wasn't 20 years ago.

It's totally different for rescue swimmers though. That's why they have one of the highest DOR/failure rates for military boot camps.

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by DropTheGloves

It's totally different for rescue swimmers though. That's why they have one of the highest DOR/failure rates for military boot camps.

DTG,

I'd do a little more research if I were you...

All I can say is you don't have all you facts straight.

I'm a 9 year Navy rescue swimmer and was a Fleet Replacement Aircrew Instructor. (Trained new Helo Aircrewman/rescue swimmers) Basically when you graduated from our school you got your wings then went to the fleet. So we trained all aspects of being a Helo crewman SAR, CSAR, ASW, and so on. My guess is the recruiter you are talking to is over selling what a rescue swimmer really is. But we are not comparable to SEALS or any true SOF unit.

I'd say we are close to Rangers but only because we spend so much time in the water. But they have real combat training the you will never get as a rescue swimmer/ helo crewman. Even if you become Combat SAR (overland) qualified. Now a forward controller or combat controller... They are more SOF oriented and closer to a SEAL than a Ranger IMHO.

Now as far as the coast guard is concerned.... Those puddle pirates live and breathe SAR, it's all they do and they are very very good at it. So much so they try to take rescues from the Navy whenever they can... I'll tell you the story of a Coast guard helo dumping gas to beat a Navy helo to a rescue someday... Every now and then they will send rescue swimmers to Navy rescue swimmer school. But they have their own training pipeline that is every bit as tough and in some ways tougher than Navy RSS. Granted Navy helo crewman have more areas we are trained in as we do more than overwater SAR... But make no mistake those guys are very good in the water. They deserve our respect and I hate them on general purpose so it's hard for me to admit it.....

Yes there is an extremely high drop out rate for SAR in the Navy. Mostly because recruiters convince young kids that they can get through it and they just have no business being in the water. My RSS class started with 25 and we graduated 9. Ten dropped in the first week. Those were the ones that should have never been there in the first place. The others got hurt or couldn't keep their heads cool during multiple survivor training (multies).

Yes it's tough, yes I'm very proud to have been a Swimmer and even more proud to have been an instructor. But what you've been told is incorrect.

We are not on the same level as SEALS. Not even close.

Now in fairness I've been out now for almost 7 years, during which the community has gone through some major changes. But the Job of a crewman hasn't changed much at all. I have Many Many close friends who are Chiefs and Senior Chiefs now and I can easily get you in touch with someone who can give you the No Shyt truth on what being a fleet rescue swimmer is all about. Just say the word.

[GTAHVIT]

Oh and "A" school has nothing to do with Rescue swimmer training... "A" school is just one of the 5 or so schools you will go through. "A" School is the technical part of your job as a helo crewman or AW...

The entire pipeline from boot camp to getting your wings pinned takes about 18 months...



Edit:

I may be wrong about Coast guard A school... that's a little different.


But the bottom line is NO rescue swimmer, CG or Navy is on the same level as Special Forces.

[DropTheGloves]

Originally Posted by GTAHVIT

Oh and "A" school has nothing to do with Rescue swimmer training... "A" school is just one of the 5 or so schools you will go through. "A" School is the technical part of your job as a helo crewman or AW...

The entire pipeline from boot camp to getting your wings pinned takes about 18 months...



Edit:

I may be wrong about Coast guard A school... that's a little different.


But the bottom line is NO rescue swimmer, CG or Navy is on the same level as Special Forces.

I am not claiming they are on the same level, I said, I have been told that the boot camp, in regards to difficulty is on the same level.

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by DropTheGloves

I am not claiming they are on the same level, I said, I have been told that the boot camp, in regards to difficulty is on the same level.

Sure Boot camp for all services is pretty much the same. Just different focuses...

But there isn't a different boot camp for rescue swimmers.... you might just do some extra PT... AFAIK That's how the Navy did it. SEALS and SAR candidates did early morning PT to help get you ready. but it wasn't anything overly difficult. Just extra pushups situps and runs.

However one day the SEAL Chief was in charge of the extra PT and he decided to have all of us do summersaults the length of a foot ball field and back.... Image about 100 guys puking about half way there and then having to roll through it on the way back.....

Not cool.....

[DropTheGloves]

Originally Posted by GTAHVIT

Sure Boot camp for all services is pretty much the same. Just different focuses...

But there isn't a different boot camp for rescue swimmers.... you might just do some extra PT... AFAIK That's how the Navy did it. SEALS and SAR candidates did early morning PT to help get you ready. but it wasn't anything overly difficult. Just extra pushups situps and runs.

However one day the SEAL Chief was in charge of the extra PT and he decided to have all of us do summersaults the length of a foot ball field and back.... Image about 100 guys puking about half way there and then having to roll through it on the way back.....

Not cool.....

I know what it feels like to be pushed like that. Maybe, not quite as bad, but I have been there. Done it with football. Had to keep doing the mile run until everyone on the football team did it under 10 minutes. Had to do continous up downs, leg lifts, hundreds of push ups, crunches, snake runs, all in 95 degree heat.

Yeah, you can get me in touch with one of your friends. Just send me a pm.

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by DropTheGloves

I know what it feels like to be pushed like that. Maybe, not quite as bad, but I have been there. Done it with football. Had to keep doing the mile run until everyone on the football team did it under 10 minutes. Had to do continous up downs, leg lifts, hundreds of push ups, crunches, snake runs, all in 95 degree heat.

Yeah, you can get me in touch with one of your friends. Just send me a pm.

Cool sounds like you've got some good experience to lean on when it gets tough.

The only advice I would give you is to spend some time in the pool. Many many guys show up to RSS who can run 5 min miles and do 100's of Push ups, sit ups and pull ups... But can't swim 100 meters....

FWIW.

Good luck my man.