Coast Guard Engineering 3

Introduction 3

Bringing it All Together 3

Engineering Disciplines 4

Aeronautical Engineering 4

Civil Engineering 6

Naval Engineering 8

Ocean Engineering 9

Information Technology Management

and C4 Systems Engineering 9

Electronics Engineering 11

Telecommunications Engineering 12

Logistics 13

Industrial Management 13

Typical Engineering Assignments 14

Aeronautical Engineering 14

Civil Engineering 15

Naval Engineering 15

Ocean Engineering 16

Information Technology Management

and C4 Systems Engineering 16

Electronics Engineering 18

Telecommunications Engineering 19

Logistics 19

Industrial Management 19

Research and Development Center 19

Future Prospects 20

Aeronautical Engineering 20

Civil Engineering 21

Naval Engineering 21

Ocean Engineering 22

Information Technology Management

and C4 Systems Engineering 22

Electronics Engineering 23

Telecommunications Engineering 23

Industrial Management 24

Research and Development Center 24

Career Development 27

Selection Requirements 27

General Career Development Flows 27

Sea Duty Requirements 28

Assignments 29

TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Coast Guard Engineering booklet is prepared by the U.S. Coast Guard

Systems Directorate (G-S), U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC,

(www.uscg.mil/systems or http://cgweb.comdt.uscg.mil/g-s/gs.htm).

Questions can be addressed to the Systems Directorate at:

Commandant (G-S)

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters

2100 Second Street, S.W.

Washington, DC 20593-0001

202-267-1844

Mentoring: Engineers taking care of

Engineers 30

Professional Engineering Societies 31

Professional Activities 32

Table 1: Typical Engineering Career Patterns 33

Education 35

Postgraduate 35

Descriptions 35

Aeronautical Engineering 35

Aviation Engineering Administration 36

Avionics/Project Management 36

Civil Engineering 37

Civil Engineering and Business Admin 38

Naval Engineering 38

Naval Engineering Technology 39

Ocean Engineering 40

Information Technology Management

and C4 Systems Engineering 40

Electronics and Telecommunications 

Engineering 40

Industrial Management 40

Procedures 41

Service Obligation 42

Other Formalized Resident Training and 

Education Programs 42

Tuition Assistance 43

Useful Information 47

Officer evaluation Reports (OERs)

Selection Boards, Promotions 47

Command 49

Conclusion: Your Career Planning 51

Table 3: Engineering Specialists 

Sample Career Plan 52

Coast Guard Engineering

Introduction

Coast Guard Engineering duty offers you the challenge of applying and

expanding your knowledge and experience by working in a variety of

demanding assignments. In engineering duty, you can achieve a sense

of personal achievement and self-satisfaction that is difficult to match

elsewhere.

No position in the service will be closed to you because of your engineering specialty and background. Moreover, in many assignments

which do not specifically call for an engineering specialist, you will be

able to utilize the problem-solving techniques and analytical approach

that engineering training provides. You will be able to plan a career

while keeping your options open; the choices are yours as an engineer.

Bringing it All Together: Coast Guard Logistics

Long before the first propeller turns, supplies and support equipment

must be in place. Logistics management is the lifeblood that sustains all

Coast Guard missions. The quality of logistics support is a primary factor in determining operational readiness. A highly sophisticated and

responsive supply structure that is fully integrated with maintenance and

operational readiness requirements is a necessity in today’s Coast

Guard. Each day current Coast Guard logistics systems are being

improved and new ones developed to meet these needs.

Logistics offers an opportunity for a challenging career for persons,

especially engineers, with strong personnel and financial management

skills. A cadre of trained logistics professionals are involved in the

design and the delivery of equipment and supplies to Coast Guard

operational units. Logisticians serve at all levels in various logistics

assignments from supply officer afloat to the commanding officer of the

Engineering Logistics Center.

For engineers in other specialties, Coast Guard logistics offers an

opportunity to broaden their skills and helps shape the future of the

Coast Guard. Logistics meshes engineering needs with business operations, and the management and business skills developed during a

logistics tour will prove invaluable to engineers as they progress through

their careers.

Opposite Page: Upper portion - Coast Guard Station Niagara, New York. Lower portion

- first floor plan of Station Ashtabula, Ohio.

3
The Engineering

Disciplines

Engineering is a

technically oriented career field. Coast Guard Engineering consists of the

following principle sub-specialties: Aeronautical Engineering,

Civil Engineering, Naval Engineering, Ocean Engineering,

Electronics Engineering, Telecommunications Engineering,

Industrial Management, Material Management, Information

Technology Management and C4 (Command, Control,

Communications and Computers) Systems Engineering.

Regardless of the engineering specialty you choose, you

can expect assignments in increasingly responsible positions that will test your knowledge, leadership and management ability.

✓ Aeronautical Engineering

In the Aeronautical Engineering community, aviators, general officers, warrant officers, enlisted personnel and civilians all work together to plan, develop and support new

Coast Guard aircraft and systems, as well as manage the

LTJG Anthony

Erickson is a Ship

Superintendent in

the Industrial

Department of the

Coast Guard YARD

in Baltimore,

Maryland. A 1998

graduate of the

Coast Guard

Academy, LTJG

Erickson holds a

degree in Naval

Architecture and

Marine

Engineering.

4
Coast Guard aircraft maintenance program. Approximately 200 Coast

Guard helicopters and airplanes make up the seventh largest naval air

force in the world. The rapid growth and ever-changing technology

experienced in the aerospace sector provides a constant challenge for

the aeronautical engineer in integrating, maintaining and logistically

supporting the aircraft and systems used throughout the Coast Guard.

To specialize as a commissioned aeronautical engineer, you must first

qualify as a Coast Guard aviator. The normal career pattern proceeds

from pilot qualification to application for the student engineering training

program described in the Training and Education Manual COMDTINST

M1500.10 (series). This training combines on-the-job training and

short-term technical schools over a 12-month period that leads to designation as an aircraft maintenance officer. The student engineer program prepares an officer to manage the engineering department at an

air station. After one or two tours at aviation units, officers in the aeronautical engineer track may obtain advanced degrees by applying for

postgraduate study.

Following postgraduate study, these aeronautical engineers may be

assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC; the Aircraft

Repair and Supply Center, Elizabeth City, North Carolina; or to a large

air station as an engineer officer. From that point, career aeronautical

engineers generally move into command and control positions at air

stations or senior staff positions throughout the Coast Guard. 

The Coast

Guard Cutter

OAK (WLB 211)

hits the icy

waters of the

Great Lakes for

the first time.

The cutter is the

11th of the

Juniper Class

Seagoing Buoy

Tenders to be

launched at the

Marinette Marine

Facility in

Marinette, Wis.

The OAK was

launched on 26

January 2002.

5
✓ Civil Engineering

Coast Guard Civil Engineers manage the shore facility

capital asset portfolio for the Coast Guard (CG). They are

responsible for managing the entire life cycle of shore facilities by providing the necessary planning, investing, using

and divesting services to support the "right" facility, at the

"right" location, at the "right" time, for the "right" cost across

all CG mission areas. Shore Facilities Capital Asset

Management (SFCAM) is transitioning shore support from a

facility engineering focus to a capital asset management

focus. SFCAM will position the CG to be more flexible and

agile by developing a portfolio of options from which the CG

can adapt its shore facility capital assets to meet continually

changing mission requirements.

The shore plant consists of over 30 million square feet of

floor space on 65,000 acres of land, plus miscellaneous

roads, towers and waterfront facilities. The Plant

Replacement Value (PRV) is estimated at over $7.1 billion.

The average age of a Coast Guard building exceeds 39

years; many were constructed before World War II. The

effective operation and maintenance of this plant requires

6

Maintenance and Logistics Command Pacific (MLCPAC) Type

Desk, LT Pat Murphy, and Engineer Officer, LT Chad Jacoby,

inspect a 378’ cutter’s propulsion shaft liner while being

machined in lathe at San Francisco Drydock.
innovative SFCAM techniques and the employment of modern ITM

software. A Coast Guard civil engineer's duties encompass the full

range of problem solving and technical skills to embrace the SFCAM

principles to plan, invest, use and divest these shore facilities.

Specialization as a civil engineer is open to officers with a degree in

civil engineering or an allied field, who have completed an initial

assignment at sea or ashore. Two types of civil engineering assignments are available: facilities engineering duty and civil engineering

staff duty.

Career patterns in civil engineering offer challenging opportunities.

Some junior officers perform facilities engineering or civil engineering

duty while awaiting assignment to postgraduate education. The CG

Civil Engineering postgraduate opportunities offer two different options

including: a Master's in Civil Engineering (MSCE) or a dual Master's

degree in Civil Engineering (MSCE) and Business Administration

(MBA). After postgraduate school, most officers are assigned to a Civil

Engineering Unit (CEU) or a Facilities Design and Construction Center

(FD&CC). Subsequent tours, involving greater responsibility, include

assignments such as:

assistant facilities engineer or facilities engineer at a major shore

command, construction

project manager at a

FD&CC, executive officer of a CEU, or

The Ambros

Light, located 7.5

miles east of

Sandy Hook, New

Jersey, under

construction.

Ocean engineers

are responsible

for the design,

construction and

maintenance of

Aids to

Navigation. 

7
assignment to the Shore Division of the Maintenance and

Logistics Commands or the Office of Civil Engineering at

Coast Guard Headquarters. Rotational tours may be available, if requested.

✓ Naval Engineering

Naval Engineering specialists are involved in the planning,

design, construction, outfitting, operation, maintenance and

alteration of Coast Guard boats and cutters (ships). This

includes some of the most highly automated machinery,

electrical and ordnance systems in the world. An undergraduate engineering or related technical degree is preferred for naval engineering specialty candidates. Entry

level naval engineers normally complete a two- to three-year

training/indoctrination program in afloat and ashore assignments. This familiarizes the individual with the entire spectrum of naval afloat operations and maintenance, contract

administration, quality assurance procedures, project management and fleet maintenance support.

Naval engineers also serve as engineer officers and assistant engineer officers on larger cutters. They are responsiLCDR Susan Powers is Chief of the Facilities Management Division at

the Coast Guard YARD. A graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, she

earned her degree in Civil Engineering in 1987 and continued

advanced studies in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in

Construction Management at the University of Illinois.

8
ble for the operation and maintenance of the cutter's engineering plant,

and direction of engineering department personnel and financial

resources.

Officers seeking engineering assignments afloat should complete the

qualification requirements for shipboard engineer in accordance with

the Personnel Manual COMDTINST M1000.6 (series) within their first

two commissioned officer duty tours. With this qualification, you may

serve as an engineer officer aboard two medium- or high-endurance

cutters in subsequent duty tours.

Naval engineers may qualify for graduate level education programs that

lead to Master’s of Science degrees in either Naval Architecture and

Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Naval Engineering

Administration. In general, the senior-level naval engineering billets

require postgraduate education.

✓ Ocean Engineering

Coast Guard Ocean Engineers provide engineering support for aids to

navigation and marine environmental protection. This includes the

design, development, testing, evaluation, procurement and maintenance of a vast array of equipment used in these program areas such

as; buoys and mooring hardware, light and sound signal systems,

power and control systems, offshore structures, and oil/chemical spill

containment and recovery equipment. Ocean engineers have managed the conversion to solar power of over 15,000 lighted aids to navigation and the automation of hundreds of lighthouses. They also manage multi-million dollar construction contracts to build offshore range

towers with complex lighting and power systems.

A limited number of specialty billets are available at Coast Guard

Headquarters, Civil Engineering Units and the National Data Buoy

Center. Related tours may be performed in aids to navigation billets,

afloat or ashore, or marine environmental protection billets at Marine

Safety Offices or on the National Strike Force.

✓ Information Technology Management and C4 Systems

Engineering

With today's ever growing dependency on technology, the Coast Guard

needs officers with Information Technology Management (ITM) and C4

(command, control, communications and computers) Systems

Engineering background, experience and skills. The Coast Guard

9
Chief Information Officer's (CIO) vision is to deliver the right

information to the right people at the right time to support all

Coast Guard missions. As such, the need for ITM and C4

specialists will only grow. These jobs within the Coast

Guard will become more demanding where an officer will

not only need to master the technology, but will also need to

master the operational and logistical business processes

being leveraged by technology. The disciplines that comprise these ITM/C4 specialties include: information technology management, software systems engineering, communication systems engineering, telecommunication systems

management, computer systems design, computer science,

electrical/electronics engineering, digital signal processing,

and guidance/control systems engineering. If an officer has

a strong performance record, the officer will have an excellent chance of being selected to attend graduate school in

one of these programs. Officers in these disciplines are

spread across all other programs in the Coast Guard. ITM

and C4 Systems Engineering will continue to be a critical

specialty within the Coast Guard as cutters, boats, aircraft

and other operational and support mission platforms

advance in complexity and rely heavily on technology.

These ITM/C4 technology experts should be capable of

LTJG Alex Dodd (left) and LT Josh Mickel (right), Civil

Engineering graduates of the Coast Guard Academy in 1998 and

1995, respectively, review engineering drawings at the Coast

Guard YARD, Baltimore, Maryland. LT Mickel is a 1999 Master of

Science Civil Engineering graduate of Oregon State University

and obtained his Professional Engineer’s license in 2000. 

10
applying and managing technology in support of all Coast Guard missions. Officers

performing well in this specialty who

demonstrate the skills necessary for performance at the next higher rank and level

of responsibility will be very competitive for

promotion and out-of-specialty operational

assignments. The Electronics engineering

and Telecommunications Engineering subspecialties are further discussed below.

✓ Electronics Engineering

Coast Guard Electronics Engineers are

involved with all facets of electronic and

C4ISR (Command, Control,

Communications, Computers, Intelligence,

Surveillance and Reconnaissance) throughout the entire life cycle of the system.

These engineering functions include the

design, development, testing, evaluation,

development of specifications, development

of national and international standards; and

support of a wide variety of systems, including navigation, shipboard, vessel traffic

services, security and display systems and

other specialized systems such as those

developed to enhance maritime domain

awareness. These systems are often

among the leading end of technological

innovation, and Coast Guard electronics

engineers are internationally recognized as

experts in maritime technology.

Coast Guard electronics engineers have

designed shipboard electronics suites and

integrated navigation systems, navigation

services to the public such as differential

GPS (Global Positioning System) and

LORAN (LOng Range Aids to Navigation),

standards for shipboard navigation safety

equipment such as GPS, Electronic Chart

Display Information Systems (ECDIS), integrated navigation systems, radar, shipboard

Coast Guard members get some

hands-on experience in how to

inspect a tower.

11
data networks and shipboard automatic identification systems. Coast Guard electronics engineers have been in the

forefront in the design, development and implementation of

command and control systems that not only provide a high

level of interoperability between Coast Guard assets (land,

sea and air) but also between the Coast Guard, Department

of Defense and other government agencies.

✓ Telecommunications Engineering

Telecommunications Engineering, an electronics engineering specialty, is a skill supporting virtually all missions

of the Coast Guard. Like electronics engineers, Coast

Guard telecommunications engineers design, develop, test,

evaluate, specify and support radio, landline and fiber networks integral to Coast Guard command and control, homeland security, and distress and safety operations. They

improve maritime distress and safety systems, and ensure

Coast Guard radio systems are protected from radio frequency interference. Additionally, telecommunications engineers are directly involved in the development of national

and international standards.

12

CDR Henry Hudson (Master of Science degree in Software Engineering,

Florida Institute of Technology), Commanding Officer, USCG Electronic

Systems Support Unit (ESU) New Orleans, reviews the ESU automated

network and server system monitoring and analysis tools. These tools

allow members of the ESU team to discover and correct CGSW server

and workstation problems before a customer even becomes aware of a

problem.
✓ Logistics

Logistics encompasses all the activities associated with acquiring,

sustaining, and retiring the components of capability: people, information and systems. Logistics in the Coast Guard is more broadly defined

to include all the elements of support including financial, management,

human resources, technical services, environmental concerns and

information technology, as well as the traditional supply and maintenance functions. Logistics encompasses the entire life cycle of people,

information and systems, from "cradle-to-grave." This expanded view

of logistics offers opportunities to deliver improved support at reduced

costs. The right stuff, at the right time, at the right place, and at the

right cost equates to readiness, and is the underlying goal of the Coast

Guard's logistics systems.

Logistics managers from Headquarters, the Headquarters' Centers-ofExcellence, and the many support elements contained within the

Maintenance and Logistics Commands, work closely with their front line

customers, ensuring that they are fully mission capable. (Industrial

Management is a sub-specialty of Logistics and is described further

below.)

✓ Industrial Management

This is a small, but important area of specialization within the Coast

Guard; with approximately 15 billets service-wide require postgraduatetrained Industrial Managers. Among these billets are; industrial managers at Bases Miami Beach, Detroit, Honolulu and Ketchikan; at

Support Centers Boston, New York, New Orleans, Alameda, San Pedro

and Portsmouth. Industrial manager billets also exist at the Coast

Guard Yard.

Industrial managers work closely with their many customers in support

of the total engineering plant. Responsibilities include the budgeting

and scheduling of industrial work, and the accounting of costs associated with the execution of work orders.

Following school, officers can expect two or three industrial management assignments during their careers. Rotational tours in or out of

engineering billets are encouraged to maintain awareness of the needs

of the operational units and may be provided up to 50 percent of the

time. Typical assignments might include executive officer of a Coast

Guard group or engineer officer afloat if qualified by previous experience.

13
LCDR Mark Lenassi is

the Deputy Project

Manager of the

Production Division,

Industrial Department,

Coast Guard YARD.

LCDR Lenassi holds an

Associate in Applied

Science degree in

Mechanical Technology

from Thomas Nelson

Community College and

an Associate of Arts

degree from St. Leo

University. LCDR

Lenassi inspects a communications rack on the

Coast Guard Cutter FARALLON undergoing

repairs at the YARD.

14

Typical Engineering Assignments

Following graduation from postgraduate school, an engineering specialist will probably be assigned to a billet

intended to provide the officer with an opportunity to apply

and further develop the recently acquired skills and education. At the same time, the officer will become familiar with

the operation and philosophy of the Coast Guard engineering organization while acquiring the expertise that can lead

to registration as a Professional Engineer (PE).

All Aeronautical Engineering officers can anticipate staff

duty support roles interspersed with operational tours at air

stations. Following postgraduate duty, officers may be

assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC;

the Aircraft Repair and Supply Center in Elizabeth City,

North Carolina; or to one of 27 air station as an engineer

officer.
Civil Engineers are usually assigned to one of the following: the two

Maintenance and Logistics Commands (MLCs) in Norfolk, Virginia and

Alameda, California; the two Facilities Design and Construction Centers

(FD&CCs) in Norfolk, Virginia and Seattle, Washington; six Civil

Engineering Units (CEUs) Providence, Rhode Island; Miami, Florida;

Cleveland, Ohio; Juneau, Alaska; Oakland, California; and Honolulu,

Hawaii; Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC; or to facilities

engineering duty at the 17 major shore commands. Typical duties for

the first civil engineering tour include: design and specification of small

construction projects; participation on the design teams for major shore

construction projects; performing civil engineering inspections of field

units or assisting with the operation and maintenance of the physical

plant at a large shore unit. Civil engineers are also involved in the

design of small construction projects that will be in environmental compliance during construction and upon startup and operation; and assist

in review and development of planning proposals to ensure they

address environmental requirements.

Naval Engineering specialists may be assigned to Coast Guard

Headquarters in Washington, DC, as project managers or support staff

for cutter and boat design, construction and maintenance. Fleet maintenance support billets are available at the Engineering Logistics

Center (ELC) in Curtis Bay, Maryland; Maintenance and Logistic

Commands (MLCs) in Portsmouth, Virginia and Alameda, California;

The bridge

on board the

U.S. Coast

Guard Cutter

WILLOW

(WLB 202).

The WILLOW

is a 225-foot

buoy tender

homeported

in Newport,

Rhode Island

and is the

second cutter

of the new

Juniper

class. 

15
and Naval Engineering Support Units (NESUs) in Boston,

Charleston, Portsmouth, Miami, New Orleans, Cleveland,

St. Louis, Alameda, Seattle and Honolulu. Project

Residence Office (PRO) and support staff engineers are

assigned to commercial shipyards or to the Coast Guard

YARD to perform the technical design reviews and inspection of ship and boat construction or major overhauls. The

CG YARD, ELC, NESU and PRO assignments offer command opportunities for mid-grade and senior naval engineers. Naval engineers also serve as engineer officers and

assistant engineer officers on larger cutters.

Ocean Engineers may be assigned to a tour at Coast

Guard Headquarters in connection with design, procurement and support of short range aids to navigation and

environmental protection response equipment. Officers at

Civil Engineering Units plan, design and manage projects in

support of the short range aids to navigation and marine

environmental protection programs. Other assignments

involving mostly research, testing and evaluation are available at the National Data Buoy Center. Tours of duty ashore

and afloat provide experience in related operational fields.

The primary gateway into Information Technology

Management and C4 Systems Engineering is postgraduLT Al Yelvington, under access floor, installs an upgraded power distribution system for the Loran-C timing and control equipment at the

Loran Support Unit, Wildwood, New Jersey. The LT is a 1992 graduate of Michigan Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in

Scientific and Technical Communications. 

16
ate training involving up to two years of duty under instruction. If an

officer has a strong performance record, the officer will have an excellent chance of being selected to attend graduate school in one of the

ITM/C4 programs (i.e., information technology management, software

systems engineering, communication systems engineering, telecommunication systems management, computer systems design, computer

science, electrical/electronics engineering, digital signal processing and

guidance/control systems engineering). The first tour after postgraduate education develops practical application skills to adapt theoretical

knowledge to Coast Guard needs. Typical assignments are to the

Telecommunication and Information Systems Command, Command

and Control Engineering Center, Operations Systems Center, Research

and Development Center, Electronic Systems Support Units, Loran

Support Unit and Headquarters major project offices (e.g., Deepwater

Project, National Distress and Response System Modernization

Project, Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement Project).

Officers should quickly develop their technical skills during this tour.

Officers in the Information Technology Management and C4 Systems

Engineering field should plan for in-specialty and out-of-specialty rotational tours, building on previous assignments. Many officers in these

specialties have commanded ships of all classes and sizable operational groups. In-specialty command cadre leadership opportunities

include commanding officer and executive officer assignments at several Electronic Systems Support Units, Command and Control

Engineering Center, Telecommunication and Information Systems

Command, Operations Systems Center, Loran Support Unit and two

Communications Area Master Stations.

The Coast Guard Station at Atlantic City, New Jersey.

17
By the time an officer reaches the Commander level, all

ITM/C4 specialists become senior managers of the program. Their primary in-specialty contribution is expected to

be technical management in any or all of the disciplines of

the ITM/C4 community. They are the leaders throughout the

Coast Guard who guide the junior in-specialty officers, civilians and enlisted personnel. They direct virtually all projects

and system developments in support of Coast Guard missions. They must be well rounded in Coast Guard roles and

missions in addition to the ITM/C4 program.

Electronics Engineers are assigned throughout the Coast

Guard, but are concentrated especially at the Maintenance

and Logistics Commands (MLCs); Electronic Logistic

Centers (ELCs); Coast Guard YARD, Baltimore, Maryland;

Command and Control Engineering Center (C2CEN),

Portsmouth, Virginia; Loran Support Unit (LSU), Wildwood,

New Jersey; Telecommunication and Information Systems

Command, Alexandria, Virginia; Navigation Center (NAVCEN), Alexandria, Virginia; Research and Development

Center, Groton, Connecticut; and Coast Guard

LT Michael Degon, a

Port Engineer with the

Naval Engineering

Support Unit (NESU)

Miami, inspects the

hull of the Coast

Guard Cutter FARALLON that is positioned

on the shiplift at the

Coast Guard YARD. LT

Degon is a 1997 graduate of the Coast

Guard Academy where

he received a

Bachelor of Science

degree in Mechanical

Engineering. He also

holds a Master of

Business

Administration conferred by the Florida

International

University in 2002. The CGC FARALLON, homeported in Miami Beach,

Florida, is a first in a series of 110’ cutters receiving repairs for hull corrosion under the Coast Guard’s 110’ Hull Sustainment Project at the

YARD. The goal of the project is to extend the life of 110’ patrol boats for

an additional ten years.

18
Headquarters, Washington, DC. Depending on rank and billet requirements, electronics engineers can expect assignments in project management, engineering, contracting officers technical representatives

positions, command cadre of Electronic Systems Support Units and

staff positions in the electronics systems support program.

Telecommunications Engineers are assigned at locations similar to

those electronics engineers are assigned (except C2CEN and NAVCEN), and are additionally assigned to the Communications Area

Master Stations at Alameda, California and Chesapeake, Virginia.

Logistics offers an opportunity for a challenging career for persons,

especially engineers, with strong personnel and financial management

skills. A cadre of trained logistics professionals are involved in the

design and the delivery of equipment and supplies to Coast Guard

operational units. Logisticians serve at all levels in various logistics

assignments from supply officer afloat to the commanding officer of the

Engineering Logistics Center.

A graduate of Industrial Management training is generally assigned

as industrial manager at a base or support center. An industrial manager coordinates the activity’s industrial capabilities with unit commanding officers, group commanders, maintenance and logistics division chiefs, engineering unit commanding officers and District Office

branch chiefs for its services, and is responsible for managing all of the

activity’s industrial operations.

Engineering assignments in all of the engineering disciplines are available at the Research and Development (R&D) Center. Scientists

and engineers, serving at the Coast Guard Research and Development

Center in Groton, Connecticut, are responsible for the development

and evaluation of new technologies and performing research, testing

and evaluation of new systems, equipment and procedures to improve

Coast Guard mission performance and to close operational and support capability gaps.

Established in 1972, the R&D Center manages projects with a staff of

approximately 125 civilian and military personnel. Since its inception,

the center has used state-of-the-art technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Coast Guard in all of the missions that our

service performs. Work is organized by investment areas that focus on

the Coast Guard's highest priority capability needs. The following

investment areas describe the primary focus of the R&D Program:

Detect, Identify, and Classify Marine Targets; Future Communications

and Tactical Data Exchange; Intelligent Waterways Systems; Risk

19
LTJG Ken Shovlin,

Facilities Design and

Construction Center

Pacific, Seattle,

Washington, and LCDR

Engblom, Loran

Support Unit, Wildwood,

New Jersey, examine

the construction of a

new transmitter lab

facility at the Loran

Support Unit. The facility will house the next

generation of Loran

transmitting and timing

equipment currently in

development. The base

of the 625 foot tall

transmitting antenna can be seen in the background. LTJG Ken Shovlin

is a 1998 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy and holds a Master of

Science degree in Structural Geotechnology and a Bachelor of Science in

Civil Engineering. LCDR Engblom holds an A.A.S. Laser Electro-optic

Technology, a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology and a

Master of Science in Information Systems. The LCDR is prior U.S. Army

commissioned in 1990 through the Direct Commissioned Officer program.

20

Management, Decision Support, Resource Allocation;

Human Error Reduction/Fatigue; and Interdiction

Technologies.

Research and Development Center billet assignments

include aviation, electrical, industrial, communications, computer science, human factors, ocean, naval and marine

engineers. Officers are usually assigned to the Research

and Development Center, after they have achieved the rank

of lieutenant which allows time to gain valuable field engineering experience and possible obtain a postgraduate

degree. These assignments provide an excellent opportunity to apply the technical skills obtained through education.

Future Prospects

Each of the the engineering disciplines is faced with exciting

challenges and prospects in the years ahead.

Aeronautical Engineering is involved in several aircraft

and system procurements as part of the Deepwater project

and the Coast Guard shift to a more pronounced homeland

security role.
Civil Engineering has embarked on a new cycle of shore construction

to replace or rehabilitate aging facilities throughout the Coast Guard.

Current facility designs must meet ever-changing operational needs like

Deepwater and homeland security, maximize energy conservation, and

comply with stringent environmental requirements without impairing the

comfort and performances of the occupants. For the rapidly expanding

concerns of environmental compliance and restoration, this includes

participation in decisions involving environmentally preferable construction materials and practices, participation in environmentally sound site

planning while providing for mission requirements; and ensuring sustainability concerns of construction program are addressed, including

environmental concerns for renovation and demolition projects. 

Naval Engineering is proceeding with the Integrated Deepwater

System Team to make modifications to legacy cutters that are intended

to keep the cutters operating, providing upgraded capabilities and interconnectivity until new assets replace them. Other projects in progress

under naval engineering management are the mid-life Reliability

Improvement and Science

Upgrade projects on the two 400-

foot Polar Icebreakers and

fleetwide engineering improvements in support of Coast Guard

missions. Naval engineering is

also involved in several major

vessel acquisition programs to

Coast Guard engineer’s are responsible

for the electronics and

communications systems aboard Coast

Guard boats.

Petty Officer 2nd class

Chandra Hartsfield and

Petty Officer 3rd class

Matthew Minda from

Electronic Systems

Support Detachment

Cleveland, work on the

communications and

electronic systems

aboard a 47-foot motor

lifeboat at Station

Marblehead, Ohio.

21
maintain the necessary mix of afloat resources in support of

five primary Coast Guard mission areas: Defense

Preparedness, Maritime Law Enforcement, Marine

Environmental Protection, Marine Safety and Homeland

Security. The programs include: new patrol boats, new standardized rescue boats, new oceangoing buoy tenders and a

new great lakes icebreaker.

Ocean Engineering is continuing with the improvement and

maintenance of pollution cleanup hardware and the construction of offshore range towers. These projects directly

relate to environmental protection and maritime navigational

safety, two areas of significant national concern.

Information Technology Management and C4 Systems

Engineering affects every mission of the Coast Guard, with

the vision of delivering the right information to the right people at the right time to support these missions. Adapting the

rapidly changing advances in technology within the Coast

Guard will be a continuing challenge for these engineers.

Major initiatives and projects, including all e-Coast Guard

applications, Deepwater project, National Distress and

LT Jim Betz

consulting with

Mr. Bill Sage of

WRS Systems

on GUI design

of the Loran

Consolidated

Control System

(LCCS). LCCS

is a Unix Based

systems used

to display, control and record

operations at

Loran-C transmitting and

monitor sites

through North

America. LT Jim Betz is a prior Chief Electronics Technician and commissioned through the Direct Commissioned Officer program. He holds

an A.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology.

22
Response System Modernization project, Marine Information for Safety

and Law Enforcement project, Ports and Waterways Safety System

project, and the Readiness Management System project are critical

towards our organizational success. As the Coast Guard continues to

strengthen homeland security efforts, the demand for fast access to

reliable information will only continue to grow.

Electronics Engineering is continuing with major enhancements in

integrated shipboard systems including the command and control and

navigation functions, development of highly versatile and interoperable

command and control systems (land/sea/air with the Department of

Defense and other government agencies), the expansion of vessel traffic services, augmented GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation

systems, and development of new/enhanced capabilities for our new

cutters and aircraft. With the greatly increased Maritime Domain

Awareness requirements, Coast Guard electronics engineers are at the

forefront in designing, developing and implementing new and technologically advanced systems to meet these needs.

Telecommunications Engineering is updating data networks to

accommodate rapidly expanding bandwidth and wireless needs of the

Coast Guard, implementing the National Distress and Response

The Coast Guard Cutter HEALY

(WAGB 20) breaking ice for the

first time. Our newest WAGB is

used for Polar Icebreaker and

as a Research Vessel.

23
System modernization project, enabling public safety interoperability among other federal and local safety and law

enforcement agencies and the maritime community, and

improving distress and safety services to the maritime public. With the greatly increased Maritime Domain Awareness

requirements, the Coast Guard telecommunications engineers are at the forefront in designing, developing and

implementing new and technologically advanced systems

to meet these needs.

The Industrial Management program is being studied with

the goal to identify the Coast Guard’s industrial requirements of the future and utilize the industrial resources most

efficiently.

The Research and Development Center prospects for the

future are predicated on a vision that articulates the expectations we share with our customers as to how we can best

meet their needs today and on into the 21st century. That

Vision is "to be the Coast Guard's pathfinder, anticipating

and meeting future technological challenges, while partner24

LT Greg Mason (BS, Management Information Systems; MS, Computer

and Information Systems, Hood College), Operations Systems Center

(OSC), Networks Branch Chief, overseeing TC1 Mark Orechovsky,

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, and Ms. Jada Nichols, contractor,

in the OSC console room where all of the OSC computer servers are

monitored and backed up.
ing with others to shepherd the best ideas into implementable solutions."

In order to increase the Coast Guard's return on its R&D investment,

the R&D Program's portfolio directly supports the Commandant's priority performance goals. These performance goals have been developed

as a guide for planners to move the organization toward the

Commandant's vision of "Coast Guard 2020." As the Commandant's

scientific advisor, R&D will increase the number of high potential science and technology ideas, while striving to increase the number of

products and services implemented in the operational fleet.

Achieving our vision will also require changes to the Coast Guard's

policies, culture, operations and business practices. The Director of

Information and Technology, acting as the Science Advisor to the

Commandant (SAC), will collaborate with Program Managers and senior Coast Guard leaders to lead efforts to effect these changes. The

R&D program will focus on the most important technological gaps in

operational capabilities and collaborate extensively with partners to

ensure that all aspects of the life cycle of a product are addressed.

This will result in a portfolio of efforts that while smaller in number, may

be greater in scope and will be more focused on the significant gaps in

Coast Guard performance.

25

A Coast

Guard HH-65a

"Dolphin" helicopter from

Coast Guard

Air Station

Miami flies

over a Coast

Guard 41-foot

utility boat off

Fort

Lauderdale,

Florida.

Career Development

Selection Requirements

To qualify for a career as a Coast Guard Engineer, you should have a

baccalaureate degree in engineering or the sciences from an accredited college or university, or have experience in an enlisted engineering

rating. If you are interested in aeronautical engineering, you must qualify as a Coast Guard aviator before entering that specialty. Specific

engineering billet requirements vary depending on specialty and grade.

Approximately 60 percent of the billets, primarily those of junior officers, do not require previous engineering experience. Other billets

require a Bachelor’s of Science or Master’s of Science in an engineering specialty, and some billets require a previous tour as student engineer or engineer officer. The majority of middle and senior level billets

require engineering experience, and most require an advanced degree.

General Career Development Flows

An engineering career begins with the basic phase during which you

obtain your fundamental skills as a Coast Guard officer and as an engineer. In this phase of your career you may be assigned sea duty and

obtain your shipboard engineering qualification. You will also complete

your graduate education in the engineering specialty of your choice.

After you choose a particular technical specialty, you will spend the

majority of your engineering career in the professional phase. Your

assignments will require you to apply your abilities in ways that will

develop and fully utilize your potential as a Professional Engineer, while

obtaining the requisite experience for assignments to key senior officer

billets. Senior level assignments may be within or outside specialty, will

involve significant management and leadership responsibilities, and

may include opportunities for command.

The basic cornerstone of your military career development is the experience which you derive from job rotation. Every officer is expected to

possess professional competence in one occupational field with experience in other fields through assignment diversity. This diversity can be

achieved by varying the types of jobs and responsibilities within specialty or getting out-of-specialty (rotational) tours. Geographic diversity

is also important. Officers are also expected to be familiar with the

Opposite Page: Upper portion - Coast Guard Cutter GALLATIN. Lower portion - Line

drawing of 378-foot high endurance cutter.

27
general administration of the Coast Guard and a tour at

Coast Guard Headquarters.

Career patterns will vary between engineering specialties,

depending on such factors as the number of specialty billets, the number of available specialists for these billets,

and the background and experience of the officer requesting the out-of-specialty assignment.

Sea Duty Requirements

Junior officers interested in a career in naval engineering

often perform their first tour of duty afloat. For Coast

Guard Academy graduates, this entails an assignment as

student engineer afloat for one year followed by a year on

the same cutter as an assistant engineer. All Academy

engineering majors are encouraged to enter the student

engineering afloat program to obtain a good overall field

engineering indoctrination. Officer Candidate School

ENS Craig

Lawrence, a

graduate of OCS

class 3-01,

inspect the base

of a 300-foot

Differential

Global

Positioning

System antenna.

ENS Lawrence is

stationed at the

Navigation

Center in

Alexandria,

Virginia.

28
(OCS) graduates normally perform their first tour ashore, however,

those with prior service experience may go afloat for their first tour.

Once the student engineering program has been successfully completed, officers are normally qualified to assume the duties of engineer officer once other educational or experience requirements are met.

Assignments

Assignment officers, also known as detailers, have a dual responsibility

-- to satisfy the needs of the service and to represent you in the officer

placement process. Three basic considerations enter into determining

duty assignments: 1) the needs of the service; 2) the qualifications,

career needs and performance of the individual; and 3) the desires of

the individual. The mechanics of the placement/assignment process

begin with the requirement to fill billets and the availability of officers

during a specific time period. The detailers work with the program

managers to determine assignments which take into account that: 

1. The officer being nominated for the billet possesses the requisite

background, training, education, experience and potential to accomplish the billet’s requirements;

2. The assignment assists the officer to grow professionally within a

given specialty; and

The Coast Guard's HU-25 “Falcon” aircraft undergoes maintenance. 

29
3. The assignment satisfies the officer’s personal desires.

While the needs of the service are the paramount consideration, the Coast Guard recognizes that, where needs and

desires coincide, professional success and personal satisfaction are most likely to follow. To maximize your satisfaction, you must maintain effective communication with your

assignment officer. He or she will discuss any subject relating to your performance and assignments, but it is up to you

to call for this service and list your preferences. It is also

very important that you maintain a current Assignment Data

Card (CG-3698A) on file with the Office of Personnel. If the

card is not current, your interests will not be adequately represented. Refer to Table 1 for typical engineering career

patterns.

Mentoring: Engineers taking care of Engineers

The word "mentor" has its roots in Greek mythology and is

the name of the character in the "Odyssey," who was a

friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of

Odysseus' son Telemachus. Today, mentor is defined as a

trusted counselor or guide. As our young Coast Guard

LT Jeffrey

Potensky

advanced to

Lieutenant

from Chief

Warrant

Officer

under the

Direct

Commission

Engineering

Program in

2001. LT

Potensky is

a graduate

of Penn

State

University, where he earned an Associates degree in Electrical Engineering

Technology, and of Charter Oak State College where he attained a

Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical Technology and Management.

Today, he is Project Manager of the Electronics and Ordnance Project

Management Branch in the Industrial Department of the Coast Guard YARD

in Baltimore, Maryland.

30
engineers attempt to navigate the myriad of demands placed upon

them, it is important for senior engineers to take an interest and provide mentoring. This must go beyond the occasional "advice sessions"

or "passing conversation." It begins by taking an active interest in the

junior engineer and assisting him or her with career choices and postgraduate programs. In a recent precept for a promotion board, the

members were asked to evaluate whether officers showed "a propensity for developing and mentoring others, and be demonstrably committed to the welfare of subordinates." If you are not a mentor to a fellow

engineer... be one. If you're a junior engineer...seek one. The future of

Coast Guard engineering depends on how well we prepare our junior

engineers. Mentoring is one of the easiest and most gratifying ways

available to build esprit de corps and prepare for the future.

Professional Engineering Societies

Most junior engineers will be approached during their first assignment

at an engineering billet to join a professional society. If you're like most

Coast Guard officers who have found themselves in this situation,

you're first reaction will be to politely decline. This is understandable,

considering most junior officers are uncertain about the applicability of

a society to their current position, but in the long-term it would be a

mistake. Professional societies provide an excellent opportunity to stay

connected with your engineering discipline and to follow new developments. Societies may be affiliated with the military or be strictly civilian. Some of the more prominent societies include: the American

Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE), the Society of Naval Architect and

Marine Engineers (SNAME), the Society of American Military

Engineers (SAME), Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers

A Coast

Guard officer plots a

course for

the Coast

Guard Cutter

HEALY on

the cutter's

automated

course plotting system.

31
32

(APPA), Armed Forces Communications and Electronics

Association (AFCEA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Women Engineers

(SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).

Professional Activities

During the professional phase of your career, you will be

expected to remain current in your chosen technical specialty through continuing education and training.

One means of accomplishing this is through membership

in your specialty's professional society and registration as

a Professional Engineer. More than that, participation in

you professional society’s activities marks you as a “complete engineer.” This is particularly true when dealing with

engineers in the private sector during the course of Coast

Guard business.

Professional engineering societies include the following

(this is not an all inclusive list):

- AIAA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

- ASCE: American Society of Civil Engineers

- ASNE: American Society of Naval Engineers

- SNAME: Society of Naval Architects and Marine

Engineers

- AIIE: American Institute of Industrial Engineers

- SOLE: Society of Logistics Engineers

- SAME: Society of American Military Engineers

- AFCEA: Armed Forces Communications and Electronics

Association

- ASEE: American Society of Electrical Engineers

- ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers

- IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

The professional journals of these societies contain articles

of relevant and current interest. Preparation and criticism

of these papers is one excellent way to maintain experience in your field. In addition to annual national meetings,

local chapters of many societies sponsor periodic seminars

and presentations.
TABLE 1 - Typical Engineering Career Patterns

ENSIGN

ACADEMY Sea Duty upon commissioning

Naval and Ocean Engineering: Qualify as Engineer Afloat

OCS Operations ashore or specialty tour at Headquarters,

Maintenance and Logistics Command or Engineering Unit

Staff, or HQ Unit; (Centers of Excellence); Student Engineer - sea

duty is possible

LTJG

ACADEMY Assistant Engineer Afloat, Engineering billet ashore, LORAN Station

CO, Patrol Boat (WPB) CO

OCS Sea Duty (Sea duty is determined by the needs of the service)

Speciality tour at HQ, Maintenance and Logistics Command, field

support unit, or Engineering Unit staff, or HQ Unit (Centers of

Excellence)

BOTH Postgraduate training in speciality

Flight Training for Aviators

Supply Officer Afloat, Academy Instructor

LT

BOTH Postgraduate training in specialty, then

Specialty tour at HQ, Maintenance and Logistics Command, field

support unit, or Engineering Unit staff, or HQ Unit (Centers of

Excellence)

Supply Officer Afloat, Academy Instructor

Naval and Ocean Engineering: Engineer Officer afloat

Aeronautical Engineering: Assistant AIRSTA Engineer Officer

Civil Engineering: Facilities Engineer

Electronics Engineering: Project Manager or Engineer at C2CEN,

TISCOM, or LSU; MLC of ESU staff.

LCDR

BOTH Rotational tour out of specialty, then

Specialty tour at HQ, Maintenance and Logistics Command or

Engineering Support Unit, or HQ Unit

Aeronautical Engineering: AIRSTA Engineer Officer

Information Technology Management: XO CAMS/ESU, or CO at CS

Kodiak

Electronics Engineering: XO at ESU or LSU; Project Manager,

Engineer, or Division Chief at C2CEN, TISCOM, or LSU; MLC staff

CDR/CAPT

BOTH Management position in specialty, then

General Management Assignments

Commanding Officer (i.e., ESU, C2CEN, ELC, OSC)

Electronics Engineering: CO at ESU; division chief or office chief at

MLC or HQ

33

Education

Postgraduate

Graduate education is an integral part of a career in the Coast Guard’s

engineering program because it expands your base of expertise in your

chosen field. Increasingly, many mid- and upper-level engineering billets require the occupant to possess a master’s degree. The Coast

Guard postgraduate school program is designed to provide the service’s specialty requirements while matching your capabilities, interests

and personal goals for achievement.

The postgraduate program offers instruction at various colleges and

universities in specific program areas for designated periods of time.

As the first step in the process of specialization, postgraduate education opens some assignment avenues and closes others. The chosen

field of specialization will influence the extent to which various assignment options are affected. The more scientific/technical the curriculum,

the greater the degree of specialization. The management oriented

curricula qualify the graduate for a wide variety of billets in many program areas.

Descriptions

The following is a representative list of approved postgraduate programs which were extracted from the various university bulletins.

Additional information concerning these course of studies may be

obtained by contacting CGPC-opm-1 (cgweb.comdt.uscg.mil/cgpcopm/Opm/OpmMain.html) (Advanced Education); or the sponsoring

program manager at Coast Guard Headquarters.

- Aeronautical Engineering

Program Manager: Office of Aeronautical Engineering (G-SEA)

Two-year graduate programs lead to a Master of Science degree in

Aeronautics and Astronautics. Students have attended programs at

schools such as Purdue University, Michigan University and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The programs are designed to

provide a fundamental knowledge of scientific principles and techniques and their application to the solution of engineering problems. A

Opposite Page: Upper portion - ENS Craig Lawrence checks the front panel settings on

the Ashtech Z-12-R Differential Global Position System reference station. Lower portion -

Simple circuit diagram.

35
student may pursue a program in any of the following

areas of emphasis: dynamics and control, propulsion,

structures and materials. A minimum of 30 semester hours

must be completed for a Master of Science degree.

- Aviation Engineering Administration

Program Manager: Office of Aeronautical Engineering 

(G-SEA)

This graduate program is normally provided at the Krannert

School of Management, Purdue University. The school

offers an 11-month program that introduces students with

engineering or science backgrounds to the major functional

areas of management (accounting, financial management,

problem solving techniques, labor relations, operations

management and strategic planning) and leads to a Master

of Science degree in Industrial Administration.

- Avionics/Project Management

Program Manager: Office of Aeronautical Engineering 

(G-SEA)

This program leads to a Master of Science degree in

Avionics or Project Management disciplines related to the

36

LTJG Alex Dodd, a 1998 graduate of the Coast Guard

Academy, monitors power output gauges in the boiler plant at

the Coast Guard YARD in Baltimore, Maryland. LTJG Dodd

holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
Aeronautical Engineering field. Students have attended programs at

William and Mary, the University of Texas, the Naval Postgraduate

School and the Air Force Institute of Technology. Working with program managers at Coast Guard Headquarters, students develop curricula that meet aeronautical engineering management requirements

upon their graduation. Minimum master's degree requirements are 40

credit hours of approved graduate level study.

- Civil Engineering

Program Manager: Office of Civil Engineering (G-SEC)

University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Virginia Tech, Texas A and

M, University of Washington, Oregon State University, Arizona State

University, Georgia Tech, University of Stanford. This 17-month program leads to a Bachelor or Master of Science degree in Civil

Engineering, depending on previous education. The program offers

courses in the fields of asset management, planning, construction

management, structural

analysis and design, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, business, finance and a number

of other fields. The program

is designed to provide techniAn HH-60

“Jayhawk” helicopter from Air

Station Cape

Cod and a 41-

foot utility boat

from Station

New London

perform hoist

operation exercise. 

37
cal competence and business acumen to enable participants to deal with all aspects of shore facility asset management. 

- Civil Engineering and Business Administration

Program Manager: Office of Civil Engineering (G-SEC)

The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. This 24-

month program leads to a Master of Science degree in Civil

Engineering and a Master of Business Administration

degree. The program has limited technical but an advanced

managerial focus to provide a strong business faculty for the

shore facility asset manager. 

- Naval Engineering

Program Manager: Office of Naval Engineering (G-SEN)

This is one of the largest postgraduate training programs in

the Coast Guard. Ten selectees annually attend a 24 month

program at a University that meets the students and the

Naval Engineering Program goals. Past students have

attended the University of Michigan, Massachusetts Institute

LT Frank Khucznik (left) a 1998 graduate of OCS Class 3-98 and

LT Greg Wood (CWO - to LT Program June 1999) review operation

of the Dual Eye operations client, a part of the Nationwide Control

Station (NCS). The NCS incorporates a client-server architecture

to control and monitor up to 200 Differential Global Positioning

System (DGPS) sites simultaneously. DGPS service is controlled

using NCS from the Navigation Center in Alexandria, Virginia, and

the Navigation Center Detachment in Petaluma, California.

38
of Technology, the Naval Postgraduate School, University of Rhode

Island, University of New Orleans, Old Dominion University, University

of Maryland, University of Washington, George Washington University

and other institutions which grant a Master of Science degree in

Engineering. Building on undergraduate engineering and other quantitative backgrounds, the basic curriculum includes course work in structures, power plants, systems automation and controls, computer applications as well as engineering management topics. The program provides the student an opportunity to complete education in either Naval

Architecture and Marine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or

Engineering Management. Officers assigned to Naval Engineering can

follow-on billets to Coast Guard Headquarters, Engineering Logistic

Center, Maintenance and Logistics Commands, Naval Engineering

Support Units, Engineer Officer afloat or assignment to the Coast

Guard YARD. Daily work is wide ranging and challenging involving

planning, design, construction, outfitting, maintenance, repair and alteration of all cutters and boats. Officers work closely with commercial

naval architects and shipyard personnel. In-specialty tour rotations

(e.g., between Marine Inspection and Naval) and out-of-specialty tours

(e.g., XO-afloat) are possible. Primary selection emphasis is in the

LTJG and LT grades. A Bachelor of Science degree in Marine

Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or similar engineering specialty is

highly desirable.

- Naval Engineering Technology

Program Manager: Office of Naval Engineering (G-SEN)

This 24-month program offers Chief Warrant Officers and Junior

Officers without an undergraduate degree in engineering the unique

opportunity to pursue Associate or Bachelor of Science degrees in a

variety of naval engineering related disciplines. Most community colleges with Mechanical Technology degree programs and four-year colleges with Mechanical Engineering degree programs are acceptable.

This program is an outstanding opportunity for personal growth and will

prepare graduates for the rapid changes in technology occurring as the

Coast Guard replaces aging labor intensive equipment with more modern labor saving equipment. Officers assigned to Naval Engineering

can follow-on billets to Coast Guard Headquarters, Engineering

Logistic Center, Maintenance and Logistics Commands, Naval

Engineering Support Units, Engineer Officer afloat or assignment to the

Coast Guard YARD. Daily work is wide ranging and challenging involving planning, design, construction, outfitting, maintenance, repair and

39
40

alteration of all cutters and boats. Officers work closely

with commercial naval architects and shipyard personnel.

In-specialty tour rotations (e.g., between Marine Inspection

and Naval) and out-of-specialty tours (e.g., XO-afloat) are

possible.

- Ocean Engineering

Program Manager: Office of Civil Engineering (G-SEC)

Oregon State University and Texas A&M University. These

schools offer 24 months of postgraduate study leading to a

Master’s degree in Ocean Engineering.

- Information Technology Management and C4 Systems

Engineering

Program Manager: Office of Force Management (G-SRF)

Multiple colleges and universities, including but not limited

to: U.S. Navy Postgraduate School, University of Maryland,

George Washington University, George Mason University,

Old Dominion University and University of Rhode Island.

The ITM/C4 program force manager will work with

prospective student selectees in consideration of all educational institutions and curriculums to meet service needs.

ITM/C4 program selectees will be required to take a core

curriculum of IT and C4 subjects, depending on the specific PG program of selection ("Information Technology

Management" or "Communications, Computers, and

Electrical Engineering"). 

- Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering

Program Manager: Office of Force Management (G-SRF)

U.S. Navy Postgraduate School, University of Rhode

Island, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These

schools offer 24 months of postgraduate study leading to a

Master of Science degree in Electrical or Electronics

Engineering, or Electronics Engineering with a specialty in

Telecommunications.

- Industrial Management

Program Manager: Logistics directorate (G-SLP)

Purdue University. The Krannert School of Management
offers a Master of Science in Industrial Administration, a program which

requires a minimum of 49 credit hours. The program is designed to

provide a broad scope of competence in industrial organization management, and offers courses in accounting, finance, marketing, information processing, production, human resources, applied statistics,

operations research and general management.

Procedures 

Selection for participation in the postgraduate education program is on

a best-qualified basis. The selection board is comprised of the appropriate Assignment Officer (AO) (CGPC-opm), the responsible Program

Manager (PM - i.e., Office of Aeronautical Engineering, etc.), and one

or more additional members. The selection board is guided by the

panel precept and consider the individual’s application and PDR.

Professional performance, as reflected in your Officer Evaluation

Report record, is the key factor in the selection process. Other criteria

are the applicant’s undergraduate academic record, Graduate Record

Examination scores, commanding officer’s recommendation and the

contents of the letter of application. Officers who apply, but are not

selected, are encouraged to make subsequent applications for postgraduate study.

41

Tools of the

trade for the

Vessel Traffic

Service system - Camera

control board

and real time

camera

image.
42

Service Obligation

All officers who participate in the postgraduate education

program, will incur a minimum active duty obligation of

three months for each month of education for the first year

and one for one thereafter, to commence upon completion

of the advanced training. 

Other Formalized Resident Training and Education

Programs

In addition to postgraduate education leading to an

advanced degree, three types of formal resident education

and training programs are offered in the Coast Guard.

- Short term training (less than 20 weeks).

- Specialized training (20 or more weeks).

- Service Colleges (intermediate and senior).

Attendance at a service college, such as the Naval War

College or the National Defense University, offers select

officers, in the grades of Lieutenant Commander through

Captain, a professionally broadening education to prepare

them for greater responsibilities. The courses vary at the

CDR Philip Sullivan is a

1981 graduate of the Coast

Guard Academy where he

received a Bachelor of

Science degree in Marine

Engineering. Today, he is

the Chief, Industrial Staff at

the Coast Guard YARD. The

Commander directly supervises the Engineering and

Planning, Estimating and

Marketing Divisions of the

shipyard and is the

Assistant to the YARD’s

Industrial Manager.

Attained in 1988, CDR

Sullivan holds Master of

Science Engineering

degrees in Naval

Architecture and Marine

Engineering and Mechanical

Engineering from the University of Michigan. The Commander is a

Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan.
different grade levels in content, course level and course

objectives. Service school policy specifies that the best performing officers are selected for attendance. Normally, an officer will be selected to attend only one service college at a

given level. Lieutenant Commanders may apply to attend one

of the intermediate schools. Attendance at an intermediate

service college is not a prerequisite for selection to attend a

senior service college.

Tuition Assistance

The Coast Guard Tuition Assistance (TA) program is designed

to assist military personnel to broaden their academic or technical background by funding their off-duty independent education. This program will cover up to $4,500 annually toward

continuing education. The TA program also covers 100 percent up to a cap of $250 per semester hour; quarterly hours at

$166.67; and clock hours at $16.67. Maximum tuition assistance allowed can change each fiscal year and is dependent

on budget constraints. Off-duty education is viewed with favor

by promotion boards and postgraduate education selection

boards. See Personnel Manual (COMDTINST M1000.6

(series)) and Coast Guard Tuition Assistance Program

(COMDTINST 1500.24) for further information.

Coast Guard Station Muskegon's 49-

foot Aids to Navigation boat is

underway working on buoys in the

Great Lakes.

43
44
45

Useful Information

Officer Evaluation Reports (OERs), 

Selection Boards, Promotions

As you plan your Coast Guard career, it is important that you develop

an understanding of selection boards, promotions and the Officer

Evaluation System. Promotions and duty assignments are based on

your demonstrated performance as indicated by the OERs in your

record.

Copies of your OER(s) can be obtained from CGPC-opm-3, Officer

Evaluations Branch, and you are encouraged to review your records

periodically. Your OER represents a comparison of your performance

with that of your contemporaries, regardless of billet. If you do not

understand an evaluation on an OER, you should seek an explanation.

While superiors are not expected to have to defend their judgements,

they are usually prepared to

explain them, and assist you in

your self-evaluation and selfimprovement. Although each

individual OER is important in

itself, it can only be fairly evaluated in relation to your overall

record. Each evaluation gains

weight as the same weaknesses

or strengths are noted by other

Opposite Page: Upper portion - A VOSS (Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System) floats

alongside the Coast Guard Rivertender OSAGE in the Kanawha River in Charleston, West

Virginia. Lower portion - A line drawing of the Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System.

Shown here is a FLIR

(Forward Looking

Infrared) sensor, one of

the Coast Guards many

technologies used for

search and rescue and

law enforcement. 

47
reporting officers in later evaluations. Trends within the

overall record are important, particularly those developed

over a number of reporting periods. Of primary importance in your review of your record is the identification of

the patterns, good or bad.

The commissioned officer strength of the Coast Guard

(maximum of 6,200), and the number of officers within

the various grades (by percentage) are fixed by title 14,

U.S. Code. Promotion zones are derived from the vacancies expected within the respective grade after the count,

retirements, resignations, etc., and stated opportunity for

selection are determined by CGPC-opm, Officer

Personnel Management Division. Officers on the Active

Duty Promotion List above the rank of Lieutenant (junior

grade) are selected on a best-qualified basis. In general,

promotions occur as follows: LTJG-1 year; LT-4 years;

LCDR-11 years; CDR-16 to 17 years; CAPT-22 to 23

years - times listed are cumulative service.

Selection boards are composed of senior officers with

varying backgrounds and experience. They are aware

that personality conflicts can bias an evaluation and that

some marking officials are “hard” while others are “easy.”

48

LT Brian

Nutter, a 1994

graduate of

the Coast

Guard

Academy, currently serves

a s Chief of

the

Scheduling

Branch at the

Coast Guard

YARD in

Baltimore,

Maryland. LT

Nutter makes

use of the latest in scheduling software

and is responsible for planning the work for the shipyard’s waterfront worth $60 million

annually. LT Nutter holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical

Engineering. He served in engineering positions on the Coast Guard Cutter

CHASE and for the Naval Engineering SUpport Unit (NESU) Alameda before

reporting to the YARD.
Board members are sworn to consider all cases impartially and each

board works logically and fairly to select the “best qualified.” Within the

board, each member votes a personal and independent vote. The

influence of a single member, even if one is tempted to be swayed by

emotion, is minimal.

Each officer eligible for promotional consideration has the legal right to

send a communication to the selection board, through the chain of

command, to clarify any gray areas or matters of concern in his/her

record. The communication may not criticize any officer or reflect on

any officer’s character, conduct or motives.

Command

Engineering specialists who are qualified may succeed to command

afloat or ashore. As a result of the changing missions of the Coast

Guard and the limited number of billets afloat, many officers may have

difficulty in obtaining assignments to ships. Consequently, those officers will not have sufficient seagoing experience to qualify for a command afloat. Engineering specialists with suitable qualifications may

be assigned to command major shore units, such as the Coast Guard

YARD, the Aircraft Repair and Supply Center (ARSC), the Engineering

Logistics Center, bases/support centers, engineering and field support

units, group offices and air stations, in today’s Coast Guard, the senior

officer in a command position is viewed as a senior manager.

Increasingly, command assignments are being opened to officers with

demonstrated management potential, regardless of specialty. As a

Coast Guard engineer, you will have ample opportunity to compete for

positions of significant responsibility at the senior management level.

An Inside view of

an HH-65A

“Dolphin.” An air

crewman from U.S.

Coast Guard Air

Station Cape May,

New Jersey, practices lowering a

basket from his

HH-65A “Dolphin”

helicopter to a waiting 41-foot utility

boat from Coast

Guard Station

Annapolis,

Maryland. 

49

Conclusion: Your Career Planning

During your 20- to 30-year career as a Coast Guard Officer you will

serve in a progression of assignments. Through intelligent career planning, you can maximize both your personal career satisfaction and your

usefulness to the Coast Guard.

The career planning process is a cooperative endeavor between you

and the Coast Guard; together you will design a flexible career path of

potential assignments, training and education, which will provide you

with the necessary experience and qualifications to attain positions of

significant responsibility.

The promotional path is competitive and there is no single criterion of

achievement. You should strive to make your career an end in itself so

that, regardless of your level of attainment, you can reflect upon your

years of service as productive and enjoyable. If you can succeed in

that, you will not only have had a highly successful and extremely

rewarding career, but will also have education, training and experience

that is relevant, marketable commodity. Good luck in your Coast Guard

future and beyond.

Opposite Page: Upper portion - view of the HH-60J (Jayhawk) cockpit. Lower portion -

Line drawing of the HH-60J (Jayhawk).

The Coast Guard Cutter CHASE (WHEC 718).

51
TABLE 3. ENGINEERING SPECIALISTS SAMPLE CAREER PLAN

GRADE YRS SPECIALTY PG EDUCATION OUT OF SPECIALTY

30- Chief, Eng. Div.l HQ CO, AIRSTA

29- Chief, Eng. Div. MLC CO, Afloat

28- G-A Project Officer CO, HQ Unit

CAPT 27- CO, ICAF/ CO, Large Unit

26- CO, FD&CC; CO, ISC War College Chief District Division

25- CO, Yard; CO, ONSC Group Commander (large)

24- CO, PRO; CO, OCC; HQ Div. Ch.

R&D Center

23- CO, ELC

22- HQ, Asst. Div. Ch.

21- Facilities Engr. Major Unit Headquarters

CDR HQ Branch Ch. War College Dist Office/CO/XO AIRSTA

20- MLC/FD&CC Br. Ch. HQ Unit

19- HQ Unit, Div. Ch./CO/XO Group Commander (small)

18- CO, Engineering Unit CO/XO Base

Eng. Off., AIRSTA XO, SUPTCEN (large)

17-

16- Facilities Eng./AIRSTA Eng. CO/XO Afloat

MLC/Engineering Unit FD&CC HQ/AIRSTA Duty Off.

15- Engr. Off. Afloat (WHEC) District Office

LCDR 14- Duty R&D Center, PRO P.G. School HQ Unit

G-A Proj. Staff Deputy Group Commander

13- Headquarters Eng. XO Base (medium)

Industrial Off., 

Lrg Base/SUPRTCEN XO SUPRTCEN (small)

12- Academy Instructor

E.O. Afloat (WMEC)

11- Duty, R&D Center, PRO, Second Tour Afloat

G-A Project Staff Headquarters

10- Engr, MLC/Engr Unit/FD&CC District Office

LT 9- Industrial Off., Small Base P.G. School HQ Unit

8- Facilities Engineering CO/XO Base (small)

7- Headquarters Engineering CO/XO Afloat

6- AIRSTA Engineering Group Staff

Base/SUPRTCEN

5- Supply Officer Afloat

4.5- Academy Instructor

4- LORAN CO

LTJG 3- First Tour Ashore

2-

1.5-

1- Afloat tour as ES 

ENS or DWO

Some EO Tour

Afloat

Ashore Tour
Deepwater is the U.S. Coast

Guard’s future and our engineers

will play an important role in making this future a reality. Join

the engineering team and be a part of the future. 

Useful Coast Guard Web Sites

Internet:

United States Coast Guard - www.uscg.mil

Systems Directorate - www.uscg.mil/systems

U.S. Coast Guard Academy - www.cga.edu

Engineering Department - www.cga.edu/

academics/academicdepartments/engineeringdepartment

www.uscg.mil/jobs

Office of Military Personnel - www.uscg.mil/hq/g-w/g-wp/g-wpm/wpm

The Coast Guard Officer Career Development Guidebook -

www.uscg.mil/hq/g-w/g-wt/g-wtl/ocgb/index

Intranet:

Officer Personnel Management Division (CGPC - opm) -

http://cgweb.comdt.uscg.mil/cgpc-opm/Opm/OpmMain.html

Systems Directorate - http://cgweb.comdt.uscg.mil/g-s/gs.htm
U.S. Department of Transportation

U.S. Coast Guard

Commandant (G-S)

2100 Second Street, S.W.

Washington, DC 20593-0001