United States Coast Guard
The
United States Coast Guard (
USCG) is a
military branch of the
United States involved in maritime law, mariner assistance, and search and rescue, among other duties of
coast guards elsewhere. One of the seven
uniformed services of the United States, and the smallest
armed service of the United States, its stated mission is to protect the public, the environment, and the United States economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and
America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways.
USCG has a broad and important role in homeland security, law enforcement,
search and rescue, marine environmental pollution response, and the maintenance of
river,
intracoastal and offshore aids to navigation (ATON). It also lays claim to being the United States' oldest continuous seagoing service. The United States Coast Guard has about 40,150 men and women on active duty.
The Coast Guard's motto is
Semper Paratus, meaning "Always Ready".
The legal basis for the Coast Guard is which states: "The Coast Guard as established
January 28,
1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." On
February 25,
2003, the Coast Guard was placed under the
Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security; there is no intervening bureaucratic organization. However, under , upon the declaration of war and when congress directs, or when the President directs, the Coast Guard operates under the authority of the
Department of the Navy.
As members of a military service, Coast Guardsmen on active and reserve service are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and receive the same pay and allowances as members of the same pay grades in the other four armed services.
The roots of the Coast Guard lie in the
United States Revenue Cutter Service established under the
Department of the Treasury in 1790. Until the establishment of the
United States Navy a decade later, the Cutter Service was the only naval force of the early U.S.
The modern Coast Guard can be said to date to 1915, when the Cutter Service merged with the
United States Life-Saving Service, and Congress formalized the existence of the new organization. In 1937 the U.S. Lighthouse Service was brought under its purview. It was not until 1967 that the Coast Guard became part of the
Department of Transportation, an arrangement that lasted until it was placed under the
Department of Homeland Security in 2003.
In times of war, the
Department of the Navy may supervise the Coast Guard. This arrangement has a broad historical basis, as the Guard has been involved in wars as diverse as the
War of 1812, the
Mexican War, and the
U.S. Civil War, in which the cutter Harriet Lane fired the first naval shots, at
Fort Sumter. The last time the Coast Guard operated as a whole under the Navy was World War II.
The headquarters of the Coast Guard is on 2100 Second Street, SW, in
Washington, D.C.. In 2005, the Coast Guard announced tentative plans to relocate to the grounds of the former
St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington. That project is currently on hold due to environmental, historical, and congressional concerns. As of July 2006, there are several possible locations being considered, including the current headquarters location.
Officer corps
Commissioned officers join the Coast Guard by several means:
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
The
United States Coast Guard Academy is located on the
Thames River in
New London, Connecticut. It is the only military academy, apart from the specialized
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, to which no Congressional or Presidential appointments are made. All
cadets enter by open competition utilizing SAT scores, high school grades, activities, etc. About 175 cadets are commissioned
ensigns each year. Graduates of the Academy must serve 5 years' active duty.
Officer Candidate School
In addition to the
Coast Guard Academy, officers may enter the Coast Guard through a 17-week
Officer Candidate School (OCS) at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Graduates of OCS must serve 3 years' active duty. OCS is a rigorous seventeen-week course of instruction which prepares candidates to serve effectively as officers in the United States Coast Guard. In addition to indoctrinating students into a military life-style, OCS also provides a wide range of highly technical information necessary for performing the duties of a Coast Guard officer.
Graduates of the program receive a commission in the Coast Guard at the rank of Ensign and are required to serve a minimum of three years of active duty. Graduates may be assigned to a ship, flight training, to a staff job, or to an operations ashore billet. However, first assignments are based on the needs of the US Coast Guard. Personal desires and performance at OCS are considered. All graduates must be available for world wide assignment.
Chief Warrant Officer
Highly qualified enlisted personnel from E-6 through E-9 compete every year for appointment as a Chief Warrant Officer. Successful candidates are chosen by a board and then commissioned as Chief Warrant Officers (W-2).
In addition to United States citizens, foreign cadets and candidates also attend Coast Guard officer training.
Enlisted
Newly enlisted personnel are sent to eight weeks of
Basic Training at
Coast Guard Training Center Cape May in
Cape May, NJ.The training schedule includes:
*Physical fitness
*Water survival and swimming qualifications
*Wellness and nutrition
*Self discipline
*Military skills
*Military bearingFollowing graduation, most members are sent to their first unit while they await orders to attend advanced training, in
Class "A" Schools, in their chosen
rating, the naval term for
military occupational specialty (MOS). Some members go directly to "A" School upon graduation from
Basic training.
Petty officers follow career development paths similar to those of the Navy.
Enlisted Coast Guard members who have reached the pay grade of E-7, or Chief Petty Officer, must attend the U.S. Coast Guard
Chief Petty Officer Academy at
Petaluma, California, or an equivalent
Department of Defense school, to be promoted to
pay grade E-8.
United States Air Force master sergeants, as well as international students representing their respective maritime services, are also eligible to attend the
CPO Academy. The basic themes of this school are:
*Professionalism
*Leadership
*Communications
*Systems Thinking and Lifelong Learning
Core values of the Coast Guard
The Coast Guard, like the other armed services of the United States, has a set of
core values which serve as basic ethical guidelines to Coast Guard members. As listed in the recruit pamphlet,
The Helmsman, they are:
- Honor: Absolute integrity is our standard. A Coast Guardsman demonstrates honor in all things: never lying, cheating, or stealing. We do the right thing because it is the right thing--all the time.
- Respect: We value the dignity and worth of people: whether a stranded boater, an immigrant, or a fellow Coast Guardsman; we honor, protect, and assist.
- Devotion to Duty: A Coast Guardsman is dedicated to the accomplishment of our missions: Lifesaving, Law Enforcement, Environmental Protection, National Defense. We are loyal and accountable to the public trust. We welcome responsibility.
Coast Guard Ensign
The Coast Guard Ensign (flag) was first flown by the
Revenue Cutter Service in 1799 to distinguish revenue cutters from merchant ships. The order stated the Ensign would be "16 perpendicular stripes, alternate red and white, the union of the ensign to be the arms of the United States in a dark blue on a white field." (There were 16 states in the United States at the time). This flag is flown only as a symbol of law enforcement authority and is never carried as a parade standard. See [
1]
Coast Guard Standard
 |
Parade Standard of the U.S. Coast Guard |
The Coast Guard Standard is used in parades and carries the battle honors of the U.S. Coast Guard. It was derived from the
jack of the Coast Guard ensign which used to fly from the stern of revenue cutters. The emblem is a blue eagle from the coat of arms of the United States on a white field. Above the eagle are the words "UNITED STATES COAST GUARD;" below the eagle is the motto, "SEMPER PARATUS" and the inscription "1790."
The Racing Stripe
The Racing Stripe was designed in 1964 to give the Coast Guard a distinctive, modern image and first used in 1967. The symbol is a narrow blue bar, a narrow white stripe between, and a broad red bar with the Coast Guard shield centered. The stripes are canted at a 64 degree angle, coincidentally the year the "Racing Stripe" was designed. The "Stripe" has been adopted for the use of other coast guards, such as the
Canadian Coast Guard, the Italian
Guardia Costiera, and the
Australian Customs Service. Auxiliary vessels maintained by the Coast Guard also carry the "Stripe" in inverted colors.
Semper Paratus
The official march of the Coast Guard is "
Semper Paratus (march)" (
Latin for "Always Ready"). An audio clip can be found at [
2].
The Coast Guard carries out five basic missions:
* maritime safety
* maritime mobility
*
maritime security* national defense
* protection of natural resources.
In 1972, the current Coast Guard dress blue uniform was introduced for wear by both officers and enlisted personnel (Prior to 1972, they wore U.S. Navy-style uniforms with Coast Guard insignia). Relatively similar in appearance to the old-style U.S. Air Force uniforms, the uniform consists of a blue four-pocket single breasted jacket and trousers in a slightly darker shade. A light-blue button-up
shirt with a pointed collar, two front button-flap pockets, "enhanced" shoulder boards for officers, and pin-on collar insignia for CPOs and enlisted personnel is worn when in shirt-sleeve order (known as "Tropical Blue Long"). It is similar to the WWII-era uniforms worn by Coast Guard Surfmen. Officer rank insignia parallels that of the U.S. Navy, but with the gold Navy "line" star being replaced with the gold Coast Guard Shield and with the Navy blue background color replaced by Coast Guard blue. Enlisted rank insignia is also similar to the Navy with the Coast Guard shield replacing the eagle on collar and cap devices. Group Rate marks (stripes) for junior enlisted members (E-3 and below) also follow U. S. Navy convention with white for Seamen, red for Fireman, and Green for Airman. In a departure from the U. S. Navy conventions, all petty Officers E-6 and below wear red chevrons and All Chief Petty Officers (CPO) wear gold. See USCG Uniform Regulations [
3] for current regulations.
Unlike the U.S. Navy, which has a winter blue and a summer white uniform for both enlisted personnel and officer, the Coast Guard has whites, but is worn only by officers during the summer for formal parade and change-of-command ceremonies--CPOs, Petty Officers, and enlisted rates wear the blue uniform year round. When worn as a dress uniform, a white shirt replaces the light-blue shirt and a white belt may be worn for honor guards. A mess dress uniform is worn by officers and CPOs for formal evening ceremonies.
The current working uniform of the Coast Guard is the Operational Dress Uniform (ODU), which is similar to the Battle Dress Uniform worn by the other U.S. armed services, but is in dark blue with no camouflage patterns and does not have lower pockets on the blouse. Rather, the blouse is tucked into the trousers. The ODU is worn with steel-toed boots in most circumstances, but low-cut black or brown boat shoes may be prescribed for certain situations. The former dark blue working uniform has been withdrawn from use by the Coast Guard, but may be worn by Auxiliarists until no longer serviceable.
Enlisted Coast Guardsmen do not wear "Dixie cup" covers as do U.S. Navy Sailors; they wear the combination covers for full dress, a garrison cover for Class "B," wear, and a baseball-style cover either embroidered with "U.S. Coast Guard" in gold block lettering or the name of their ship, unit or station in gold, for the ODU uniform. Male and female drill instructors at Training Center Cape May wear the traditional "Smokey the Bear" campaign hat.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary wears uniforms identical to Coast Guard officers, but with silver stripes denoting office held by the Auxiliarist (rather than rank). Insignia are marked with an "A" in the center.
|
A Coast Guard helicopter crewmember looks out over post-Katrina New Orleans |
The Coast Guard faces several issues in the near future.
Lack of coverage affects many areas with high maritime traffic. For example, local officials in
Scituate, Massachusetts, have complained that there is no permanent Coast Guard station, and the presence of the Coast Guard in winter is vital. Some of the reason for this lack of coverage is the relatively high cost of building storm-proof buildings on coastal property; the
Cape Hatteras station was abandoned in 2005 after winter storms wiped out the 12-foot sand dune serving as its protection from the ocean.
Lack of strength to meet its assigned missions is being met by a legislated increase in authorized strength from 39,000 to 45,000. In addition, the volunteer Auxiliary is being called to take up more non-combatant missions. However, volunteer coverage does have limits.
Aging vessels are another problem. In 2005, the Coast Guard terminated contracts to upgrade the 110-foot
Island Class cutters to 123-foot cutters due to warping and distortion of the hulls. Of the 40 largest navies in the world, the Coast Guard's is the 38th oldest.
Source: U.S. Coast Guard*
Derroll Adams, folk musician
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Nick Adams, actor
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Beau Bridges, actor
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Lloyd Bridges, actor
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Sid Caesar, comedian
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Howard Coble, U.S. Congressman (NC)
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Chris Cooper, actor
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Walter Cronkite, newscaster
*
William D. Delahunt, U.S. Congressman (MA)
*
Jack Dempsey, professional boxer
*
Buddy Ebsen (1908–2003), actor, comedian, dancer
*
Blake Edwards, writer, director, producer
*
Edwin D. Eshleman, (1920-1985) Former U.S. Congressman (PA)
*
Arthur Fiedler, conductor
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Charles Gibson, newscaster
*
Arthur Godfrey, entertainer
*
Otto Graham, professional
American football player and coach
*
Alex Haley, the author of
Roots, was Chief Journalist
*
Tab Hunter, actor
*
Steve Knight, Vocalist for
Flipsyde*
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, athlete, actor
*
Jack Kramer, tennis professional
*
Jacob Lawrence, artist
*
Victor Mature, actor
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Frank Murkowski,
Governor of Alaska & former U.S. Senator (AK)
*
Sam Nunn, former U.S. Senator (GA)
*
Arnold Palmer, professional golfer
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Ed Parker, martial artist
*
Claiborne Pell, former U.S. Senator (RI)
*
Cesar Romero, actor
*
Sloan Wilson, writer
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Dorothy C. Stratton first director of the
SPARS*
Gene Taylor, U.S. Congressman (MS)
*
Ted Turner, businessman
*
Rudy Vallee, entertainer
*
Thornton Wilder, writer
*
Gig Young, actor
The
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is a volunteer civilian (i.e. non-military) service, established in 1939 as the
Coast Guard Reserve, that works within the Coast Guard in carrying out its noncombatant and non-law enforcement missions. As of July 3, 2006 there were 31,670 active Auxiliarists. The Auxiliary is seen as the third component of "Team Coast Guard", but as civilians, there are differences in the functions they may perform. 33 CFR 5.31 states that: Members of the Auxiliary, when assigned to specific duties shall, unless otherwise limited by the Commandant, be vested with the same power and authority, in execution of such duties, as members of the regular Coast Guard assigned to similar duties.
Auxiliarists may support the law enforcement mission of the Coast Guard but do not directly participate in it. Auxiliarists and their vessels are not allowed to carry any weapons while serving in any Auxiliary capacity; however, they may serve as scouts, alerting regular Coast Guard units. Auxiliarists may use their own vessels (i.e. boats) and aircraft, in carrying out Coast Guard missions, or apply specialized skills such as Web page design or radio operating to assist the Coast Guard.
For many operational duties, such as boat crew or radio operator, an Auxiliarist will need to obtain a security clearance through the Coast Guard; others do not require a clearance.
The basic unit of the Auxiliary is the flotilla, which has at least 10 members and may have as many as 100. Several flotillas form a division. There are several divisions in each Coast Guard District. The Atlantic and Pacific areas select a Commodore, and there is a national Commodore. However, legally, each Auxiliarist has the same 'rank', Auxilarist. (As a courtesy, Auxiliarists may be addressed as 'Mr.' or 'Mrs.', but they are not to be confused with warrant officers).
Auxiliarists wear the same uniform as Coast Guard officers with modified officers' insignia based on their office: the stripes on uniforms are silver, and metal insignia bear a red or blue "A" in the center. Unlike their counterparts in the
Civil Air Patrol, Auxiliarists come under direct orders of the Coast Guard.
The United States
Coast Guard Reserve is the military reserve of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard Reserve was founded on February 19, 1941.Although Reservists normally train on a schedule of one weekend a month and for 15 days every year, many Reservists are integrated directly with Coast Guard units.
During the Vietnam War period and shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard considered abandoning the Reserve program, but instead the force was reoriented into force augmentation.
Since September 11, 2001, over 8500 Reservists have been activated and 400 Reservists are currently on active duty. All the Coast Guard's
Port Security Units and most of its
Naval Coastal Warfare units are Reserve units.
The Reserve is managed by the Director of Reserve and Training, RADM Sally Brice-O'Hara.
One Coast Guardsman,
Douglas Munro, has earned the
Medal of Honor, the highest military award of the United States.
Six Coast Guardsmen have earned the
Navy Cross and 12 the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
Prior to the transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security, the highest peacetime decoration was the
Department of Transportation Distinguished Service Medal. The highest unit award was the
Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Unit Award.
In wartime, members of the Coast Guard are eligible to receive the
U.S. Navy version of the
Medal of Honor. There is no Coast Guard version of the Medal of Honor, rather the Coast Guard along with the US Marine Corps is proud to use the Navy version of the Medal of Honor. Further information about this medal can be found in The Medals and Awards Manual
M1650.25.
Those who have piloted or flown in U.S. Coast Guard aircraft under official flight orders may join the
Ancient Order of the Pterodactyls ("Flying Since the World was Flat").
*
National Data Buoy Center*
United States Maritime ServiceUSCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83)USCGC Bramble (WLB-392)*
U.S. Coast Guard Website*
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Website*
Coast Guard Magazine* Coast Guard
manuals online*
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Ninth District Eastern Region Website*
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Ninth District Eastern Region, Division 04 Website*
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Ninth District Eastern Region, Flotilla 45 Website*
U.S. Coast Guard Semper Paratus*
Military.com*
Fred's Place: Dedicated to all Coasties*
Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding the U.S. Coast Guard*
U.S. Coast Guard Fact File
