Fair, I should've phrased that better. What I mean is that it's not unique to the ship's chef posting, but a general benefit for any enlisted member of the armed forces.
It's also not something that most people place enough value on to serve in bad conditions for three years to get, judging by the US military's difficulty in recruiting.
That's on top of a fully qualified CG Culinary Specialist potentially being able to get a high enough salary in the private sector to match the GI Bill's tuition cost, without needing to spend time away from home or dealing with austere service living conditions.
Of course this doesn't mean that the only option is to increase salaries. The Coast Guard could also try to substantially improve the quality of life in the post and make it more attractive in that sense. It's a post that's been taken for granted for far too long.
The current approach clearly isn't working, despite the GI Bill.
It's also not something that most people place enough value on to serve in bad conditions for three years to get, judging by the US military's difficulty in recruiting.
That's on top of a fully qualified CG Culinary Specialist potentially being able to get a high enough salary in the private sector to match the GI Bill's tuition cost, without needing to spend time away from home or dealing with austere service living conditions.
Of course this doesn't mean that the only option is to increase salaries. The Coast Guard could also try to substantially improve the quality of life in the post and make it more attractive in that sense. It's a post that's been taken for granted for far too long.
The current approach clearly isn't working, despite the GI Bill.