Joining the United States Coast Guard

This book is for the teenager or young adult who is interested in enlisting in the United States Coast Guard. It will walk him or her through the enlistment and recruit training process: making the decision to join, talking to recruiters, getting qualified, preparing for basic training, and learning what to expect at basic recruit training. The goal is to help young people who might be curious about serving in the Coast Guard decide if it is right for them, if they are qualified for and prepared for it and if the Navy, Army or Marine Corps would be a better fit.

Snow Wildsmith is a former teen librarian now working as a book reviewer and writer. She specializes in comics for teens and children, reviewing for Booklist, Good Comics for Kids, No Flying No Tights, and more. Co-author of The Parent’s Guide to the Best Kids’ Comics, Snow grew up in a military family and now lives in North Carolina.

Snow Wildsmith

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 233
Bibliographic Info: 38 photos, glossary, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4760-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9121-6
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Joining the Military

Read This First      1

One: Thinking About Joining the Military      3
1. Things to Consider for Potential Enlistees      5
2. Things to Consider for Parents of Potential Enlistees      24
3. Things to Consider for Spouses of Potential Enlistees      30
4. Military Benefits      34
5. The Branches of the Military      42

Two: General Information About the Coast Guard      47
6. The History of the Coast Guard      49
7. Career Opportunities in the Coast Guard      62

Three: The Enlistment Process      71
8. What Is the Enlistment Process?      73
9. Eligibility Requirements      75
10. Talking to Military Recruiters      81
11. The Qualification Process      93
12. Visiting the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS)      96
13. Taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery      105
14. Joining the Delayed Entry Program      119
15. Preparing for Basic Training      123

Four: Coast Guard Basic Training      153
16. Overview      155
17. Basic Training Tips      160
18. Leaving for Basic Training      165
19. Arrival      172
20. Life During Basic Training      180
21. Basic Training—Eight Weeks of Hard Work      192
22. Graduation and Beyond      200

Glossary of Military Terms      205
For More Information      209
Resources      215
Index      221

Booklist Starred Review

“A wealth of military nonfiction exists for middle-grade readers, most of it geared toward kids with parents in the service. Fewer are the titles aimed at teens considering wearing the stripes themselves, and rarer still are those that are equal to books in the essential new Joining the Military series…the whole set is recommended…there’s little flash to be seen here, just page after page of insight. Authoritative, exhaustive, sober and indispensable”—Booklist

“a good addition”—ARBA

“aims to make sure enlistees make the most informed and beneficial decision for themselves and their loved ones”—Reference & Research Book News