(Chuck*Gould)wrote
Some may recall last winter I posted an observation that 10 years had
passed since three USCG "surfmen" perished off the Washington Coast
during a major storm. (They were trying to rescue a USN sailor enroute
from San Francisco to Bremerton on his private sailboat).
A publication with which I am associated just received a manuscript from
a USCG officer outlining some of the changes that the Coast Guard
implemented as a result of
that tragedy.
Among the items mentioned is a new policy that would have made sense to
implement long ago. Formerly, USCG recruits who qualified for "surfman"
school would report for training, learn the required skills, but then be
required to serve a tour of duty aboard a cutter until they had achieved
sufficient rank and seniority for assignment to surfman duty.
In most cases, this process was lengthy enough that Guardsmen entering
active surfman duty had forgotten many of the skills they learned when
training.
Along with a new generation of surf rescue boats, new USCG policies
allow graduates of surfman school to be assigned to the appropriate duty
without having to "pay their dues" by serving on a cutter.
Makes rather obvious sense, IMO.

I believe what you are referring to was the requirement of "sea duty"
cutter assignment before advancment from E-6 PO1 to E-7 Chief Petty
Officer.
No such requirement was ever in force for those E-5 and below who
graduated from MLB school, and since most who attend are usually e-5 and
below its pretty much a moot point, I've rarely seen any BM1's that were
active as (duty coxwain's) and never a Chief, unless it was for a "photo
op" UD