CHOOSING A CAREER SHOULD BE AN interesting, eye-opening experience. You are entering a time when you will have to make big decisions about the future direction of your life. You owe it to yourself to get them right. The fact that you have chosen to read this report is a good sign that you are headed in the right direction. It is also an indication that you want a career defined by challenge, service and adventure. You will definitely find it with the United States Coast Guard, America's "fifth armed service" and the lead agency in the Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard is one of the hardest-working federal agencies, and one that is held in very high esteem by the American people it serves. Coasties get respect. The Coast Guard is the fifth largest federal armed service, after the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The Coast Guard is only about the same size as the New York City Police Department - both services have about 40,000 full-time personnel. In recent years, the NYPD has actually become smaller because crime in New York City has decreased. The Coast Guard has grown larger because the kind of crime it deals with has increased. The Coast Guard is a military organization, however it devotes most of its efforts to conducting law enforcement missions. The Coast Guard is unique in this regard because the other military services are prohibited by law from engaging in law enforcement. Operating under Title 10 of the United States Code, the Coast Guard can enforce laws, as well as conduct military operations for the Department of Defense or directly under the command of the President. The Coast Guard also maintains a robust search-and-rescue capability, protects the marine environment, and provides aids to navigation. It is also the lead agency in the Department of Homeland Security, the federal department created after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Coasties get respect because they work very hard and have many missions that are vital to the safety and security of the United States. If you like what you read in this report, your next stop should be the nearest Coast Guard recruiting station. The service's needs change constantly, and only a recruiter can give you the latest scoop on what kind of jobs are available and where. Remember, by just talking to a recruiter you incur no obligation. You are not committed to join the Coast Guard until you sign a contract. So visit a recruiting station, pick up a few brochures, and chat with the experts.