Applying for photographer jobs?

[Juga]

The Armed Forces employ thousands of staff photographers and pay very well too.

I actually looked at that... but I don't think that's for me.

Don't know 'til you try, right?

Well a lot of the positions I looked at are combat photographers, and I have no desire to be in that sort of situation.

I am in the Coast Guard and it is very much not a combat photographer situation. Additionally, unlike many other branches if you desire to go the Public Affairs Specialist route then it is just a matter of waiting for your name to go through the list.

What do you do in the Coast Guard?

I am an Operations Specialist. Usually I do Search and Rescue planning and communications. If I had a do-over I would definitely have gone Public Affairs Specialist which is mostly photography but includes videography and writing articles which isn't a huge deal to me. I have been in for 12 years and have appreciated every moment of it. Even being an Operations Specialist I have done PA things at my unit and have had some of my photos published in a couple of articles.

Trump is cutting the Coast Guard budget by 14%.

It is a purposed budget cut and isn't the first time I have seen purposed cuts like this to the Coast Guard. I doubt it will be that steep if at all. Plus the President doesn't just wave a wand and things happen.