trying to decide where i'd like to be stationed

Some of you may have seen my post a while back about joining the Coast Guard. I leave April 12 for boot camp for 8 weeks in cape may new jersey.

towards the end of boot camp i get to fill out a "dream sheet" basically your top four choices of districts (areas) I would like to be stationed.

this is a link showing the different districts.

http://www.uscg.mil/top/units/

Im from central Illinois, and am tired of seeing flat ground. I'd love to see mountains!!!

Right now I'm thinking the top four districts that sound interesting to me would be 5,7,11, and 8. (in that order)

5 and 7 sound good because I'd get out of the corn belt of America, and be in a different type of landscape. however 7 is one of the most popular districts, and everybody tries to go there...

11 sounds exciting for the same reasons as well i guess.

8....well 8 is a toss up. I don't want to be around flat land with nothing but corn and beans, but at the same time all of district 8 isn't like that....

Another thing I'd like to avoid is harsh winters....but i can deal with that if i absolutely have to.

after you put down your top choices i believe you get to put down 3 particular stations you'd like to be put at as well (but thats just yahoo answers research, not sure if that part is completely true)

So basically I'm looking to see what you guys from these areas like/hate about where your living...

Take the three places you would least like to go. and put them on your dream sheet. SERIOUSLY. you will get the places you buddy asked for and your buddy will go where you had asked for. the dream sheet is a sick joke. Here is how it will actually go down. That piece of paper you put your shit on, for the system to work it would need to travel to a branch manager (they are the ones who cut orders) and they would have to review assess and consider every single soldiers wish list to see if there are available slots in those duty stations. then to be fair and impartial they would have to consider every ones home of record and preference choices and qualifications mos ect ect ect. each branch manager is in charge of up to thousands maybe one or two at least service members. what are the odds that they will read each one of their wish lists and place them where they want? not to discourage you or anything just informing you of the way the military works. they don't give a shit where you wanna go. you're going to go where they need a soldier with your rank and mos. the first people in that sub-group to fill slots will be the A's, followed by B's. The only way to get where you want to go is by re-enlisting and requesting the duty station as an incentive. and that's only if they have a slot for you. get used to being a number. [up]

Go to San Diego, I was stationed there for 5 years (Navy) USS Belleauwood and USS Ronald Reagan, Its definatly the best duty station in the states.

14[up]

Don't go to District 9, too many non-humans

District 13 (PNW) would be nice. Ocean, mountains and some rain mixed in.

What nuage said[up][up], unless the coastguard is different from the rest of the military.

Dude, if you can bring your Buell, San Juan or Ponce in Puerto Rico.
Great fishing, great beaches, great mountain roads. And the range from average high day time temp over the year is from 75 to 95.
My wife is from PR. Love visiting. And would love to retire there.

PR is District 7 which also include the Keys.

bump

anybody from any of the areas i've mentioned? what do you like/dislike about them?...

Oceanside Baby, OR San Diego Love that area.Good luck.

GO to 5, I used to live next to a boat commander from USCG, who basically patrolled around the waterways in DC and VA. The Potomac River was mainly where he worked. He said he love it, then he go sent to the Eastern Shore. My old roommate still talks to him and he loves every second of the Eastern Shore of MD and VA. Plus we don't have enough Buellers in VA area. Good Luck in boot camp, always remember it's all mentally and mind games, it will end soon enough, so keep ur head up and mind on the tasks at hand. I'm about to be returning from my 1st combat tour in Afghanistan. I'm Army, but I regret not going USCG or Air Force.

I've got the Academy right down the road.
See the cadets out running everyday.
Got some lookers in there thats for sure.

San DIego or Oceanside, Beach right there and the mountains less than an hour. You hit Palomar mountain and ride the twisties. Not to mention the mountain biking in that area is outstanding too.

I just wanted to say whichever one you choose good luck, God Bless and have fun