CGA First Assignments to graduates.
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Each year the list of available billets is sent out to all the 1/c. This is important, because you could be first in your class, but if there is not an opening where you want to go during that year, then you still have to pick something else. All 1/c will then submit their wish list. They don't just submit a top 3, I believe they order the entire list or at least submit a huge number of ordered choices. Selections are then made based on your overall class rank. Each cadet should know their class rank, so they should have a good idea of whether they might get their top selection. There are usually about 20-25 slots for flight school, another ~5-10% go to a land-based position (some in Cyber), and the rest will go to cutters as either an Engineer in Training or a Deck Watch Officer. However, there are a lot of different locations and different types of cutters, so hopefully most cadets get a billet they are happy with.
I just did a quick search on these forums. From 2021, @Haveaniceday wrote the following after they tallied the numbers from billet night:
Aviation = 22 - More are interested, but many chose to work a cutter as a first assignment and put in for aviation for a future assignment.
Cyber = 7 - Looks like all going to USCG HQ. Class of 2021 did not have opportunity for a cyber major yet as it is a new major, probably mostly ORCA degrees (guess).
Ashore = 9 - Prevention billets.
Afloat = 210 - The vast majority as in years past go afloat for a first assignment either as a Deck Watch Officer (DWO) or Engineer in Training (EOIT).
I just did a quick search on these forums. From 2021, @Haveaniceday wrote the following after they tallied the numbers from billet night:
Aviation = 22 - More are interested, but many chose to work a cutter as a first assignment and put in for aviation for a future assignment.
Cyber = 7 - Looks like all going to USCG HQ. Class of 2021 did not have opportunity for a cyber major yet as it is a new major, probably mostly ORCA degrees (guess).
Ashore = 9 - Prevention billets.
Afloat = 210 - The vast majority as in years past go afloat for a first assignment either as a Deck Watch Officer (DWO) or Engineer in Training (EOIT).
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In recent years there have been other unusual opportunities as well. Occasionally an assignment to Eagle is made, or to an icebreaker that really travels the world, but beyond that bigger doors are sometimes opened. Back in 2021 a couple of the top athletes were allowed to use their extra year of eligibility to go straight to grad school and run in Division 1. The class of 2019 has two members of the pistol team get special assignments to allow them to train for the Olympic trials. A similiar opportunity was given to a 2017 sailor.
Most grads are not world-class at anything in particular and will fall into the usual careers, the ones they signed up for and worked towards for four years, but for the few elite there can be other paths.
www.theday.com
Most grads are not world-class at anything in particular and will fall into the usual careers, the ones they signed up for and worked towards for four years, but for the few elite there can be other paths.
Coast Guard All-Americans Mooney, Davis, will get a crack at the Division I life
New London — Kaitlyn Mooney and Josiah Davis figure they met about the third day of training the summer before their prep year at Marion (Alabama) Military Institute, both on their way to run track at...
Haveaniceday
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For the class of 2023 it's looking similar so far with Ashore and Afloat. This year one change is they have not announced how many flight or cyber billets, so that is a new unknown this year. In past years, they let cadets know exactly how many flight and cyber slots are available to put in for, this is the first year I know of where they have not released those numbers in advance. Also, I heard lots of ice breaker slots this year, both DWO and EOIT. There are also a few cutters under construction that are on the billet list this year, so if a cadet gets that assignment they will be part of the commissioning crew and a plank holder on a new cutter.
Thanks to @ProudMom7 for the reference on one of my older posts.
March 2, 2023 is Billet night this year, so we will know for sure then.
Class rank is the primary factor in Billets with Flight and Cyber having additional qualifications needed including an interview for flight. The OPM assigners task the cadets to rank preferences down to their class rank so they don't have to randomly assign. For example if you graduate ranked 134 then you are encouraged to list your 134 choices in rank order.
In past years, the hot picks have been ice breakers, Hawaii, land based jobs, and flight with a few NSC cutters also drawing well out of the top half of the class. But, each graduate is unique and there are always some very interesting and unexpected top choice duty stations for reasons known only to the cadet.
ekb1398
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Also worth noting that for my class (and maybe since, but I'm not sure) request colocation with anyone they wanted, something traditionally reserved for engaged couples. The stipulations were that if you requested it, it was considered your top priority, and that both requesters were treated as though they were the rank of the lower ranked requestor - so if two friends wanted to be together and one was ranked 150 and the other 50, the higher ranked cadet essentially had to agree to be reranked to 150 (for the purposes of billet assignment only). Consequently, a lot of people who really only cared about being with their friends put in for some places with a high density of CG presence such as Norfolk, VA as their top choices and were subsequently thrilled to get it.
Haveaniceday
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I think Billet Night for the USCGA class of 2024 is scheduled for March 7, 2024 the Thursday night before spring break as usual. This appears to be one of the larger classes in USCGA history so it will be interesting to see. The only change from previous years I heard about is now Cyber applicants require an interview similar to flight school.
For future applicants, the stats will come out a few weeks later and it always interesting to see the assignment trends.
Good luck to the class of 2024!
For future applicants, the stats will come out a few weeks later and it always interesting to see the assignment trends.
Good luck to the class of 2024!
Offshore
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Class of 2024 is smaller than the past few CGA classes. We have 230 in our class. The past few classes have had around 240-250.
Actually, the class of 2024 is quite small. They were down to 225 at one point. I think they ended up with ~8 added into their class from the class of 2023 so they are a bit larger than they were last year, but they are still small.
Although I knew that both flight and cyber required interviews (and flight also requires additional medical checks), one thing I learned this year is that flight assignments (and possibly cyber) don't follow the class rank like other assignments. A cadet could be lower in class rank, but if they ace their flight interview, they could still get one of the available flight billets. Usually about 10% of the class receives flight school billets.
Otherwise, it is all based on class rank. The "shopping list" of available billets that will be available at graduation is released around Thanksgiving. Cadets had to submit their wish list by mid-January. I believe they had to submit a list at least as long as their class rank position.
Haveaniceday
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My mistake on 2024 class size, I forgot it was affected by covid to some degree when they reported 4 years ago. I do think the following classes have been trending larger.
So, since it is a small class, combined with USCG stating a few months ago they were understaffed as a service branch and closed some boat stations, etc., I wonder what impact that will have on assignments, if any. I understand cutter forces are understaffed with new hulls coming online at regular intervals my guess is they will take all the Ensigns they can get.
Flight has required an interview and passing scores on the ASTB for some time, and thus has marched to their own tune on selection as opposed to using strictly class rank.
Cyber appears to have started down the interview path as well beginning with the class of 2024. I wonder if there will be more carve outs in the future for other assignments like for example Inspections, etc. I see both sides of the argument concerning conducting interviews, but when it was only class rank for aviation and cyber you could make an understandable merit argument that class rank matters (class rank is based on a mix of GPA, OERS and PFT scores). Now that other elements, namely the interview are part of the assessment, it will inherently become more subjective. Again, I see how this could be both good and bad. It will come down to the process they use and how robustly it has been thought out.
As an aside, I am still frankly shocked that USCGA does not interview 100% of applicants before admission to the academy. I know they are understaffed, etc. but to essentially hire someone for 4 years of academy/college and a 5 year job after and not interview them before is difficult to understand.
We will know for sure on March 7th.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
So, since it is a small class, combined with USCG stating a few months ago they were understaffed as a service branch and closed some boat stations, etc., I wonder what impact that will have on assignments, if any. I understand cutter forces are understaffed with new hulls coming online at regular intervals my guess is they will take all the Ensigns they can get.
Flight has required an interview and passing scores on the ASTB for some time, and thus has marched to their own tune on selection as opposed to using strictly class rank.
Cyber appears to have started down the interview path as well beginning with the class of 2024. I wonder if there will be more carve outs in the future for other assignments like for example Inspections, etc. I see both sides of the argument concerning conducting interviews, but when it was only class rank for aviation and cyber you could make an understandable merit argument that class rank matters (class rank is based on a mix of GPA, OERS and PFT scores). Now that other elements, namely the interview are part of the assessment, it will inherently become more subjective. Again, I see how this could be both good and bad. It will come down to the process they use and how robustly it has been thought out.
As an aside, I am still frankly shocked that USCGA does not interview 100% of applicants before admission to the academy. I know they are understaffed, etc. but to essentially hire someone for 4 years of academy/college and a 5 year job after and not interview them before is difficult to understand.
We will know for sure on March 7th.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
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27BearDad
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I was sort of thinking the same thing. 2027 by comparison seems to be on the larger side starting with 300 and I 'think' currently sitting at the 275-280 mark. I know there will be some additional attrition due to academics, etc, (I heard that after the fall semester, there's something like 20-25 2027 cadets on academic probation) but a chance this class could be a bit larger than recent years.
Curious if 2028 will be on the high side as well.
The problem is that as they shut down the 210 fleet there physically is not enough rack space for graduating ensigns to go to ships. And the OPC release is anything but regular. Probably won’t see an operation OPC for another year at least, much less a commissioned one.
I know they can just put more ensigns on WMSLs and FRCs, but WMSLs are already over staffed with ensigns and FRCs don’t prepare officers for major cutter jobs afterwards. I am definetly interested to see how they will get enough DWOs for the OPC if it is ever made.
Between that and the streamlined flight school allowing even more to flight, I would expect this years academy class to have the lowest ever afloat percentage. The reason I expect they haven’t released numbers for flight/ashore billets is because they don’t know.
Northwoods
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Fascinating insights! Thanks for that @Haveaniceday.
Eaglehurst
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According to DS offer letter 2028 class size is expected to be around 285.
Haveaniceday
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I like your point of view on this.
27BearDad
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Interesting! For fun, I looked at my daughter's EA appointment letter from last year. Said they anticipated tendering fewer than 350 appointments to yield a class of 275.
They began swab summer with 301.
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