Most people know off-hand that the US Military Academy, the US Naval Academy, and the US Air Force Academy are all military-related institutions. But you would be surprised by the percentage of Americans who do not know the category or role of the US Coast Guard Academy or the US Merchant Marine Academy. One out of five people thinks that the Coast Guard is an extension of the state police that patrols the beaches, while hardly anyone even knows what the merchant marine is.

Although lesser known, the Coast Guard Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy are just as important to our nation’s defense and well-being. Accordingly, the duties of Coast Guard and Merchant Marine officers are on the same level of prestige as those in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. So, after reading the information below, consider applying to either of these schools as a back-up if one is not already your number one choice.

Coast Guard Academy at New London, CT

The USCGA is a military-affiliated service academy, but the Academy has two faces: civilian and military.

On the civilian side, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security, unlike the Army or Navy which are part of the Department of Defense. During this time, the Coast Guard performs the following duties:

• Maritime law enforcement
• Mariner assistance
• Search and rescue operations

Then, on the military side, the Coast Guard falls under the authority of the Navy during war-time and participates in international military operations when needed.

Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY

First of all, what is the “merchant marine”? The US Merchant Marine is the collective body of every commercial ship and vessel operating under the flag of the United States of America. But don’t get confused by the title, because more than a third of USMMA graduates enter the military as active-duty commissioned officers.

USMMA graduates have the most diverse future options upon graduation out of all the service academies. First, the USMMA is a military-affiliated service academy because a graduate can receive a commission to any branch in the military: Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Army, or Air Force. Obviously, with the water-based nature of the Academy, most graduates choose to become commissioned officers in the US Navy.

Next, USMMA graduates also have the choice of serving on board civilian merchant vessels. This includes a wide variety of operations such as commercial shipping, maritime law, overseas trade, coastal and inland transportation, and marine research. Choosing the merchant marine route is especially attractive because a USMMA graduate can command at least an annual salary $70,000 the first year out of school.

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