Yes. With the exception of Food Service Specialist, most wait times will be between 1 and 3 years.

The link that Cooch posted shows the approximate wait times for each school.

Man I cannot wait to go to IT-A School im currently on a 270 ft in Key West and lemme tell you, being a non rate on a 270 for close to 2 1/2 years can certainly take its toll on you. Been on the list for close to 2 years now.

jdiggy, my son was on the Seneca from April 2009 until March 2012 waiting for A School. So yeah, it sucks. But he learned a lot and said he loved his time as a non-rate and glad he got to do all he did. You'll get there soon... Best of luck.

I was a non rate on a 270 in VA. It does take it's toll on you. The lists should be opening up pretty soon.

Let me says as a Non-Rate about to go to A-School, it is difficult waiting for a job while knowing you can not advance until your name comes up on the list. I felt the same way when I spent months waiting on one list. Then I decided to change lists because the list I was on was not going to afford me the opportunity to enter the Rating in a timely manner and felt it may not be advantageous to a Career as a Coast Guardsman to wait for it. I still have been in about a year and a half. I was not on a cutter; but I still worked extremely hard. Now that I am ready to go I am proud of everything I went through, I have felt what it is like to earn respect, and I know even better how to lead. I came in with a Bachelors from a Job that I made considerably more money. I am not posting this to patronize you for having animosity for wait times. I would like to share that in the begging I felt somewhat under appreciated because I know I was ready to contribute. I have a sense of ownership for my Coast Guard career now though and I feel like I earned my place as part of the team. The day I left my unit, my last day there, I could not express the gratitude and honor I had to be a part of that unit.

I believe this is what sets us apart from the other services. We earn every stripe, every ribbon, every accomplishment comes with experience. I would not have it any other way.

Oh I definitely appreciate the experience. Early on all I was doing was partying and doing the least amount of work on the boat, the typical "shitbag", and I used to get a whole bunch of the older SN's pissed off at my lack of work ethic. Now 2 years later, I'm a Lead SN and im being told that people would have never guessed that this is who I would of became to yrs later.

Being on the cutter has taught me alot, because while most people consider 270's to be specifically for training the JO's, I viewed it as somewhat of a humbling experience. I grew with my crew and I learned to work not just for myself, but for my friends. Once that started happening my attitude changed.

However it's time for me to move on.

FYI. At this time, IT A-School class sizes are about 6...

do you think they will take more next fiscal year?

yes. look at the list, it shows the projected class convening dates and class sizes for the next 3 classes.

Can anyone tell me the opportunities that are available for a fully qualified, hard working IT?

For instance, I'm currently an ME3 (interested in going to IT A School), and I know that the more quals I have (BTM, BO, etc) the more opportunities there are for me to deploy or do certain jobs at different units. What are the career paths as an IT in the Coast Guard? I've read about "C" schools available to mid-career ITs but where does that get you as an IT? Do they get to deploy?

I'm also a reservist. I have already deployed overseas to Kuwait (which is why I'm wondering if ITs ever deploy), and I'm very interested in the rate as it would be more inline with what I do as a civilian.

I'd really appreciate anyone's answer who is already an IT or was once an IT and can give me some pointers as far as career paths ITs have.

There are not very many reserve opportunities for IT's and your LE quals won't matter much in our world. I have one reservist working for me and she drills during the week, we couldn't accommodate weekends in our shop. She works telephone and computer tickets just like the other techs.

Does any one know how often classes for IT are taken? (Once every month or two months, etc?)

This is what the TraCen Petaluma website says (http://www.forcecom.uscg.mil/Our-Or...ining/IT/)

Thank you! I must have missed the convening part when looking on the site myself.

I just ran across this by accident. Sorry and don't mean any disrespect but the last item, Center Office Tech, I had to chuckle. When I retired in 99, I landed a job with Sprint working at a central office in Detroit for the Wire-line (Long Distance Division). From the bit I understand about the TT rating much less the IT rating, a TT/IT if they use the same curriculum is more in line as a outside plant tech. I had to go to a nortel school for 2 sessions to become DMS100/250 certified and a couple years of OJT. I spent 10 years as a CO switch tech and it was a constant learning experience. I.e., never got boring. Being a switch tech is pretty deep and the closest TT/IT's could get in similar work might be running 2.5 twisted pair between the MDF's for T1 cross connects. I never knew the CG to use Tellabs equip, much less Nortel and a HOST of other flavors. Never seen a DACS 1/0 or 3/1 on a ship or land unit, no million dollar Cisco fiber racks or frame relay networks, etc.. How may TT/IT's work with large battery (UPS) plants. Not those little APC boxes we plug our PC's into, but banks of batteries that would fill a semi truck? Do they teach fiber splicing (I would think so but just wondering). Lots of preventive maintenance  thats about as exciting as cleaning the head on a ship after a patrol. So for what it's worth, as a TC, I was as versed in being a switch tech as today's CG IT types would be writing in Python. Just a heads up about expectations. 

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Telecommunications Technician
Central Office Technician