Public Affairs Specialist (Coast Guard)

“You'll tell the Coast Guard story across journalism, photography, video production, and media relations — the smallest branch with one of the most compelling mission portfolios.”

Coast Guard Public Affairs is the branch's media operation, and the mission portfolio — helicopter rescues, drug submarine seizures, icebreaker operations, hurricane response — is genuinely compelling content that writes itself. The challenge is that the Coast Guard is the smallest branch and the PA community is correspondingly tiny, which means you will do everything: write press releases, shoot video, manage social media, escort media to cutters, and pitch stories to journalists who need to be reminded that the Coast Guard exists. The journalistic access to real operations is remarkable. The civilian journalism, communications, and government PR pathways from this background are solid. The portfolio you build will be diverse because there are not enough personnel to specialize. 'I have no idea which branch you're in' at every family reunion is a permanent feature of Coast Guard service and PA makes it worse because you're the one who's supposed to fix the awareness problem. The missions are real. The audience for them, outside of maritime communities, requires constant cultivation.