COAST GUARD RECRUITING GOALS ACHIEVED: A HISTORIC MILESTONE
For years, the U.S. Coast Guard has struggled to recruit new enlistees; according to the data provided, this issue in recruitment can be traced back to 2018. With an average of 20% short each year from 2019 through 2021, when the pandemic hit the country in 2020, it was the worst year for them. COVID-19 has prevented any prospected recruits due to lockdowns and the fear of going outside due to the virus. The service needed 3,700 recruits during the pandemic but could only get 2,812 enlistees. Fast forward, everything is changing; the Coast Guard recruiting goals had met its target this year for the first time in six years.
Coast Guard Beats Recruiting Targets
Using new strategies, marketing, and aggressive investment toward stations and recruiters, the Coast Guard was able to meet their target for fiscal 2024. Officials mentioned they recruited 737 reservists and 4,442 active-duty enlisted personnel, exceeding the goal of 6% for personnel and 25 for the reservists.
Since 2022, the service has added new recruiting offices not previously covered by onsite personnel. Now, they have added around 95 recruiting billets to help make the process faster. Aside from this, the Coast Guard recruiting goals include a bonus program called the Scout Talent and Refer (STAR); this initiative will give $1000 to any Coast Guard employee or member who can refer a recruit. This incentive hyped a lot of people from the organization.
Captain Ben Keffer even mentioned that due to the exceeded target, a more robust Coast Guard will help ensure the service is always prepared for any challenges. He even encouraged those in the service to keep spreading the word, especially about opportunities in the Coast Guard for those interested in joining.
The New Strategy to Attract Enlistees
In order to fight the shortfall that the service had been battling for years, they have set new Coast Guard recruiting goals, including launching multiple personnel initiatives to attract enlistees. They have also added new incentives such as higher tuition assistance and shorter enlistments. Then, they rolled out signing bonuses, developed its Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and added talent acquisition specialists for recruiters.
To attract people to join, they created a better brand awareness program that showed the Coast Guard what it does so that young people can get the message. To further strengthen their goals, the Coast Guard joined the five Defense Department services, which were able to reach their targets for 2024.
Captain Ben Keffer, commanding officer of Coast Guard Recruiting Command, mentioned that they would prioritize their life-saving missions, protection of the Marine Transportation System, and national security. With these new numbers they had, the Coast Guard will need to adjust its personnel ranks in order to fill vacancies. Currently, their gaps are at the E-4 and E-5 ranks.
Keffer even added that the new Coast Guard recruiting goals for 2025 would be able to bring in 4,300 active-duty personnel and hopes that the good flow of personnel will continue.
In terms of gender, women are continuously having success with nearly 600 applicants. As per the service data, around 84% of the males are on active duty, and 16% are female. Minorities also make up around 32% of the ranks. There are 16.5% who are Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% Alaskan, Pacific Islander, Native American, or Hawaiian Native, 4.7% are multiracial, 2.2% are Asians, and 5.8% are Black.
How to Join the U.S. Coast Guard
To join the service, there are a few things that you need to consider, and it will be a life-changing decision that you will ever make. The first step is to get in touch with a recruiter; they will help you make your decision to discuss your interest. You can contact them via phone, email, or the Coast Guard website. Once you've decided, the following steps will be a screening and interview. You will discuss everything with your recruiter, from your goals to the road you will take once you join the service.
The recruiter will also ensure that you meet the basic requirements. Once you've passed, you will proceed to the examination and testing steps. There is the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, where you must score 36, and the physical exam and drug test. After passing all of these, there will be a background check such as criminal and credit checks.
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