Information on the Coast Guard Deployable Operation Groups (DOG)?

[iker]

As many people answering my questions (which is deeply appreciated) already know, I am joining the coast guard very soon and wanted to know a little more about the DOG groups of the coast guard like Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT), Maritime Safety & Security Teams (MSST), Tactical Law Enforcement Teams (TACLET), Port Security Units (PSU), the National Strike Force (NSF), and Regional Dive Lockers. What are the steps in being apart of one of these groups? Do you go to A school for a job like this? What is the likelihood of obtaining one or these coast guard jobs?

[akule76]

Well to start with, the new Commandant has announced that the MSRT is being decommissioned as has never been used and other agencies have better assets to do that job.

Other than that, there are a large number of Ratings that are assigned to DOG units.

--PSU's only have a couple of active duty folks assigned - usually a couple of officers, a YN and an MK though there may be one or two others.

--For the MSST's and TACLET's, they are primarily set up with BM's, MK's, ME's and then a support section of YN's and SK's. MSST's were set up originally to operate in the US, but have been used overseas as well. TACLET's are used primarily overseas though they are also used in counter-narcotics ops stateside as well.

The NSF is primarily MST's, BM's and MK's, but also have a support section as well. They are trained to respond to pollution and hazmat incidents worldwide, as well as significant salvage situations. They've done everything from the anthrax responses after 9/11, the huge oil slick that impacted the Galapagos Islands, the huge tunnel fire in Baltimore, and were on scene for months at ground zero in NYC, and those are the big ones that I can remember without really thinking about them.

To get on a DOG unit, you have to be rated, then wait for an open billet when it is time to transfer. The available billets for the next year are published every October. You can select any of the open billets for which you are qualified and you desire. That's when you cross your fingers and hope you get your choice.

There are a LOT of people that like thse jobs, so competition is pretty tight.