Several enlisted ratings serve on the surface. Three serve well above the horizon. Only one serves underwater. Coast Guard divers provide diving capabilities to support all subsurface needs of the Service in support of all 11 statutory Coast Guard missions. If being a Coast Guard diver is in your future, mark your calendar for September 8-13 for Diver Candidate Screener (DCS) in Training Center Cape May.
You must submit your application to attend the DCS by May 31. To be eligible to apply, you must:
- Be an E5, or an E4 with the E5 Enlisted Personnel Qualifications done,
- Be eligible for a Secret clearance,
- *Meet or exceed the ASVAB scores of both AR+WK=104 and MC=50,
- *Not reach 10 years’ time in service upon graduating Diver (DV) “A” school, and
- *Not reach 35 years of age before you would attend DV A School if selected (spring or summer of 2025).
*May be waived upon request
Build your application following the checklist and information on the How to become a Coast Guard Diver SharePoint site and ALCGENL 079/24 DV Rating Solicitation for assignment year 2025. You will need to complete a request memo, physical screening test (PST), report of medical history and questionnaire, and attach your member information report from Direct Access.
Don’t settle for okay. On your physical screening test, put forth your best effort to increase your competitiveness in the selection process. The minimum, gender neutral strict form standards are:
- Swim 500 yards using breaststroke or sidestroke within 14 minutes,
- 42 pushups within 2 minutes,
- 50 sit-ups within 2 minutes,
- 6 dead-hang pull-ups, no time limit, and
- 1.5 mile run within 12:45 minutes.
The DV A School Chief, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Hansen, and the DV Rating Force Master Chief, Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Hill, will rank applications based on members’ PST performance and service records and select the most competitive to attend DCS. If you are selected for DCS, you will be notified around August 1.
But don’t wait until then to prepare yourself! The mental and physical rigors of DCS mirrors that of DV A school. Check out the DCS SharePoint site for more of what to expect.
The rank order upon completion of DCS will determine who is selected to go to DV A school held at Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida. If selected, you will receive orders to attend DV A school for courses starting in the spring or summer of 2025.
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Resources:
ALCGENL 079/24 DV Rating Solicitation
How to become a Coast Guard Diver SharePoint sit
DCS SharePoint site