I did Coast Guard as an enlisted type, recommend it highly. If you want "action", you can get involved in law enforcement/homeland security missions, which is the primary focus and a change from the traditional search and rescue missions. There's also aids to navigation, ice breaking, marine science, and other stuff. The coast guard does NOT have specialist officer corps - we get our docs from the public health service, our chaplains from the navy, and the full time lawyers are usually navy or civilian types.
There is a lot of opportunity for cross training. I went through AF Pararescue Jumper training, did a tour with the DEA down south (which led to my becoming a DEAer later in life), ang got to go through a basic EOD course with some Navy and Marine types - the marines were going to embassies and the sailors were going to minesweepers.
If I had a child wanting to go into the service today I'd point him towards the CG or the Air Force. If he wanted to be a shooter I'd point him towards the marines or the army, with a well planned path to go into special ops.