There doesn't seem to be a lot of prior service questions here so I'd like to add. I'm in the U.S. Army and I have two years left. I've talked with a USCG recruiter and he told me to contact a USCG recruiter when I had around 6-8 months left to set everything up to join the USCG. My question is how realistic is it for someone coming from another branch to join the USCG considering they are the smallest branch and have plenty of new recruits? Is it a long and hard process? Concerning the Open Rate List, how does that fully work? How many jobs are typically on the list? Is it the most critical jobs? What if my job is not on that list, I enlist as E1? How many dependents can you enlist with? I have a wife and two kids for my case. How is the ME rating working? I heard it's backed up. If so, does that mean one cannot enlist in it? Just an real information concerning prior service joining the Coast Guard, the ORL, the fact that all prior service must go through the USCG's full basic training. Thank so much!

Most jobs are not on the ORL, and for those that are, most jobs from other services do not cross over. If you didn't qualify to come in that way, you would come in as an E-3. You can enlist with 2 dependants (1 spouse and 1 child). The ME list is currently closed, and will not open again until the wait time drops below 1 year.

the Alcoast got posted the other day, they won't close lists over 18 months because almost every list would be closed, and closed lists would reopen july 1