While the decision to stay in our get out of the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines is never an easy one for some, there is another route that offers a change of scenery with the same kind of organizational structure.

With an estimated 35 to 40 percent of its nearly 42,000 strong active duty force having prior served with another branch of the Armed Forces, the U.S. Coast Guard offers servicemembers a chance to continue serving their country, albeit donning a different uniform.

"(The many different backgrounds) adds a lot of diversity and a lot of new ideas into our service," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Cory Gunkel, the recruiter in charge of the Coast Guard's Tacoma Recruiting Office.

While transferring directly into the Coast Guard while in the midst of a commitment to another service isn't permitted, if a servicemember has served less than six years, enlisting after finishing one's obligated time is an option. Servicemembers must also have a re-enlistment code of 1 (those with codes of 3 are granted waivers in a case by case basis) and cannot be receiving any VA benefits for a disability.

Gunkel, who served for nearly four years in the Army as a heavy wheel vehicle mechanic, enlisted in the Coast Guard and was off to boot camp within three weeks of separating. Though a change in career fields from mechanic in the Army to a telecommunications specialist in the Coast Guard cost him a level of rank, he hasn't looked back since.

"Of all of the services, the Coast Guard takes care of its people the best," said Gunkel, whose father also served in the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard provides unique benefits to the nation because of its distinctive blend of military, humanitarian and civilian law-enforcement capabilities. Several jobs transfer well from other services into the Coast Guard, including security forces and military police positions, as well as aviation mechanics for propeller driven airplanes.

"For job transfers, with a resume and letters of reference, they can come in as an E-4," Gunkel said.

Information technology jobs also have the ability to take on new life in the Coast Guard.

"Those are harder, but they do translate over," he said.

While the more prestigious and sought after positions such as divers (there's an 18-24 month waiting list for dive school) are harder to break into, military cooks are in high demand. Those entering a new career field start out as an E-3.

Through it all, those that really excel in the Coast Guard are those who enjoy doing their job daily, Gunkel said.

"They are people that want to help other people," he said. "They have a strong desire to serve their country, do something good, and help people."