GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The U.S. Coast Guard Fest is in full swing in Grand Haven, attracting tens of thousands of people to the lakeshore community.
People from across the country come to the multi-day event to partake in carnival like activities, see parades and fireworks, and tour the vessels of the Coast Guard. With so many visiting Grand Haven, the U.S. Coast Guard is hopeful that will help them with recruitment efforts.
Commander Stephen Brickey of the U.S. Coast Guard says allowing people a firsthand experience to see what they do is their number one recruiting tool this year.
"Just the opportunity to interact with the public, to be able to get so many people on board the cutters," said Brickey. "[It's] just a tremendous benefit to our recruiting efforts."
A recent study shows the U.S. Coast Guard is trying to fill 4,000 positions, but they estimate they would only fill 3,000 of those jobs.
According to Military.com, the Coast Guard has not met its recruiting goals since 2018 despite opportunities for Coast Guard personnel to expand within the service.
For more information on how to join the Coast Guard, click here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.