U.S. Coast Guard Description, Responsibilities, United States Protection

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of seven uniformed services. It is unique among the military branches in that it has a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction both domestically and in international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It operates under the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the President or Congress during a time of war.

The overall mission of the Coast Guard 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 United States coasts, ports, and inland waterways.
The Coast Guard motto is “Semper Paratus”, Latin for “Always Ready” or “Always Prepared”.

The Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.

While most military services are either at war or training for war, the Coast Guard is deployed every day. With a decentralized organization and much responsibility placed on even the most junior personnel, the Coast Guard is frequently lauded for its quick responsiveness and adaptability in a broad range of emergencies. In a 2005 article in TIME Magazine following Hurricane Katrina, the author wrote, “the Coast Guard’s most valuable contribution to [a military effort when catastrophe hits] may be as a model of flexibility, and most of all, spirit.” Wil Milam, a rescue swimmer from Alaska told the magazine, “In the Navy, it was all about the mission. Practicing for war, training for war. In the Coast Guard, it was, take care of our people and the mission will take care of itself.”

The Coast Guard’s motto is Semper Paratus, meaning “Always Ready”. The service has participated in every U.S. conflict from 1790 through today, including landing US troops on D-Day and on the Pacific Islands in World War II, in extensive patrols and shore bombardment during the Vietnam War, and multiple roles in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Maritime interception operations, coastal security, transportation security, and law enforcement detachments are its major roles in Iraq.

The formal name for a member of the Coast Guard is “Coast Guardsman”, irrespective of gender. An informal name is “Coastie” or more recently, “Guardian”. “Team Coast Guard” refers to the four components of the Coast Guard as a whole: Active Duty, Reserve, Auxiliary and Coast Guard civilian employees.

The U.S. Coast Guard has separate legal authority than the other four armed services. The Coast Guard operates under Title 10 of the United States Code and its other organic authorities, e.g., Titles 6, 14, 19, 33, 46, etc., simultaneously. Because of its legal authority, the Coast Guard can conduct military operations under the Department of Defense or directly for the President in accordance with Title 14 USC 1-3.

The United States Coast Guard has roles in maritime homeland security, maritime law enforcement (MLE), search and rescue (SAR), marine environmental protection (MEP), and the maintenance of river, intracoastal and offshore aids to navigation (ATON). Founded by Alexander Hamilton as the Revenue Cutter Service on 4 August 1790, it lays claim to being the United States oldest continuous seagoing service. As of October 2006, the Coast Guard had approximately 46,000 men and women on active duty, 8,100 reservists, 7,000 full time civilian employees and 30,000 Auxiliarists.