I realize it's been a while since I've posted a Coast Guard update, and people are starting to ask, so here's the skinny.
About a month ago Jude finished all of the testing and paperwork required to join the CG. The security clearance forms he had to fill out were particularly time consuming, mostly because of our previous time spent abroad. It took him weeks to get everything filled out and for his recruiter to give him the thumbs up, but eventually, he got the "go ahead" to choose a boot camp date. We choose July 24th. Because Jude will be going straight from boot came to his A-school (essentially cooking school for Coasties), he had to be cleared for A-school before he could get a reservation for boot. That went through smoothly, but just before his recruiter sent in his paperwork for his reservation, we hit a snag. We were told that the Coast Guard has filled up all of the slots for new enlistees for this fiscal year (which runs October to September), so they aren't taking anymore reservations until the new FY begins. Essentially, this means that Jude will have to wait until Oct. or Nov. before he can ship out. This is a big bummer for us.
Jude's recruiter did some digging, and managed to talk to a director in the main recruiting office. He told her to go ahead and submit Jude's reservation anyway, and if they had any extra spots after they tallied everything up, then they would push him through. So, she submitted his paperwork just over a week ago. We should know by Thursday if he will get a spot for this FY or if he needs to wait a few more months for a spot in the beginning of the next FY.
Now, even if everything goes through, and Jude gets approved for his spot in July, we have another little problem to consider. Apparently, right around the time when the CG put a stop on all new reservations for this FY, they also put a hold on the enlistment bonus for all enlistees going into the FS (food service) rate (job). This bonus was a BIG incentive for Jude when he decided to join, as it was going to help us eliminate some remaining debt, and balance out the small pay cut Jude will have to take until he advances to the next rank (E-5). They suspended the bonus because essentially- the CG ran out of incentive funds, so nothing can happen until they meet and push the incentive program through again. It's unlikely they will cancel the bonus altogether since FS is still a critical rate (meaning they are desperate for people who will work in this job area), but it is possible they will wait until the next FY to reinstate the bonus. So, even if Jude is approved for July 24th, we will need to decide if we want to push out his date to ensure he will get the bonus or if we want to wait, and take the chance that it will be approved at some point before he goes.
Either way, he can always cancel his boot date up until the day before, and just keep pushing it out until the bonus is approved.... but that just leaves so much in the air. Personally, I'd rather he just go in July if he is approved to go, because all this back and forth is messing with my head. Also, it's impossible to plan ANYTHING when we don't know if he is going to be here or not in two months from now. I feel like our life is kind of on hold, and I'd rather have a date when I know things are going to move forward. But, Jude is thinking about what is the most financially responsible decision for our family, so it sounds like he isn't planning to go unless the bonus is approved. I completely understand his point, and when we discussed it, both sides made sense to me, so I told him that I would be okay with whatever he decides.
So, you can see why I haven't posted an update. Things have been very up and down. This experience has been a total roller coaster, and I am really having to stretch my "trust muscles" big time. I just keep reminding myself that God is in control, and at the end of the day, He is the one who will establish our timeline.
I'll try to remember to post once we find out if Jude's date in July was approved or not. If it is, he will be sworn in to the Coast Guard the following week, on May 29th. A good friend of ours is an officer in the CG, and he is planning to be the one to swear Jude in. I'll make sure to take pics. In the mean time, we wait... and wait... and wait...... and wait...................
