United States Coast Guard
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The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense, among other duties of coast guards elsewhere. As 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, 8,000 reservists, and 35,000 auxiliarists.
The Coast Guard's motto is Semper Paratus, meaning "Always Ready". USCG has participated in every U.S. conflict from landing troops on D-Day and on the Pacific Islands in World War II, extensive patrols and shore bombardment during the Vietnam War, to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Maritime interception operations, coastal security patrols, and law enforcement detachments are the major roles in Iraq.
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. However, under as amended by section 211 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006, upon the declaration of war and when Congress so directs in the declaration, or when the President directs, the Coast Guard operates as a service in 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.
[edit] History
Image:MarinesUSCG.jpg 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.
"First Fleet" is a term occasionally used as an informal reference to the US Coast Guard, although as far as one can detect the United States has never in fact officially used this designation with reference either to the Coast Guard or any element of the US Navy. The informal appelation honors the fact that between 1790 and 1798, there was no United States Navy and the cutters which were the predecessor of the US Coast Guard were the only warships protecting the coast, trade, and maritime interests of the new republic. <ref> http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/unit/fleet_n.htm </ref>
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. In 1967, 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 Coast Guard may operate as a service in the Department of the Navy. This arrangement has a broad historical basis, as the Guard has been involved in wars as diverse as the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the American 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 in World War II.
[edit] Organization
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 because of environmental, historical, and congressional concerns. As of July 2006, there are several possible locations being considered, including the current headquarters location.
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Commissioned Officer Corps
There are many routes by which individuals can become commissioned officers in the US Coast Guard. The two most common are:
[edit] United States Coast Guard Academy
- See also: United States 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, extra-curricular activities, and other criteria. About 175 cadets are commissioned ensigns each year. Graduates of the Academy must serve five years' active duty.
[edit] Officer Candidate School
In addition to the 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 three 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.
In addition to United States citizens, foreign cadets and candidates also attend Coast Guard officer training.
[edit] Commissioned Warrant Officers
Highly qualified enlisted personnel from E-6 through E-9 compete every year for appointment as a Warrant Officer. Successful candidates are chosen by a board and then commissioned as Chief Warrant Officers (CWO-2).
[edit] Enlisted Corps
Newly enlisted personnel are sent to eight weeks of Basic Training at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May in Cape May, New Jersey.
The training schedule includes:
- Physical fitness
- Water survival and swimming qualifications
- Wellness and nutrition
- Self discipline
- Military skills
- Military bearing
- Seamanship
Following 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 Navy petty officers.
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 advanced 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 Academy. The basic themes of this school are:
- Professionalism
- Leadership
- Communications
- Systems Thinking and Lifelong Learning
[edit] Equipment
[edit] Symbols
[edit] Core values
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 to do—all the time. </li>
- 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. </li>
- 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. </li></ul>
[edit] 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).
The purpose of the flag is to allow ship captains to easily recognize those vessels having legal authority to stop and board them. This flag is flown only as a symbol of law enforcement authority and is never carried as a parade standard. See [1]
[edit] Coast Guard Standard
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."
[edit] Racing Stripe
The Racing Stripe was designed in 1964 to give the Coast Guard a distinctive, modern image and was 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, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Australian Customs Service. Auxiliary vessels maintained by the Coast Guard also carry the Stripe in inverted colors.
[edit] 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].
[edit] Missions
The Coast Guard carries out five basic missions:
- maritime safety
- maritime mobility
- maritime security
- national defense
- protection of natural resources.
[edit] Uniforms
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 Chief Petty Officers and enlisted personnel is worn when in shirt-sleeve order (known as "Tropical Blue Long"). It is similar to the World War II-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 seaman, 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 wear gold. See USCG Uniform Regulations [3] for current regulations.
The Coast Guard uses a white uniform, but it is worn only by officers during the summer for formal parade and change-of-command ceremonies— Chief Petty Officers, 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 members for formal (black tie) 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 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 company commanders (the Coast Guard equivalent of Marine Corps 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.
[edit] Issues
Image:New Orleans Survivor Flyover.jpgThe 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. One 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 (33.5 m) Island Class Cutters to 123-foot (37.5 m) cutters because of warping and distortion of the hulls. Of the 40 largest navies in the world, the Coast Guard's is the 38th oldest.
Live fire exercises by Coast Guard boat and cutter crews in the U.S. waters of the Great Lakes have attracted attention in the U.S. and Canada. The Coast Guard has proposed the establishment of 34 locations around the Great Lakes where live fire training using vessel-mounted machine guns would be conducted periodically throughout the year. The Coast Guard has said that these exercises are a critical part of proper crew training in support of the service's multiple missions on the Great Lakes. Those raising concerns about the firing exercises have commented about safety concerns and that the impact on commercial shipping, tourism, recreational boating and the environment may be greater than what the Coast Guard has stated. The Coast Guard has extended the comment period for the proposal and is conducting a series of public meetings to allow more input and discussion. <ref>http://www.uscgd9safetyzones.com Ninth Coast Guard District – U.S. Great Lakes proposed permanent safety zones information site</ref> <ref>http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/p86/413031.pdf United States Federal Register – August 1, 2006 – Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</ref> <ref>http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2006/10/16/coast-guard-guns.html?ref=rss CBC News – October 16, 2006 – U.S. machine-gun fire suspended on Great Lakes</ref> <ref>http://www.dispatch.com/outdoors/outdoors.php?story=dispatch/2006/09/10/20060910-E17-02.html Columbus Dispatch - September 10, 2006 - Some up in arms over fire zones</ref>
[edit] Notable alumni and others associated with the USCG
- Source: U.S. Coast Guard
- Derroll Adams, folk musician
- Nick Adams, actor
- Beau Bridges, actor
- Lloyd Bridges, actor
- Sid Caesar, comedian
- Howard Coble, U.S. Congressman, North Carolina
- Chris Cooper, actor
- Richard Cromwell, actor
- Walter Cronkite, newscaster
- William D. Delahunt, U.S. Congressman, Massachusetts
- 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, Pennsylvania
- Arthur Fiedler, conductor
- Arthur A. Fontaine, captain, college sailing national champion, ISCA Hall of Fame
- Charles Gibson, newscaster
- Arthur Godfrey, entertainer
- Otto Graham, professional football player and coach
- Alex Haley, author of Roots and chief journalist
- William Hopper, actor
- Tab Hunter, actor
- Harvey E. Johnson, Jr., Vice Admiral, Deputy Director FEMA
- Steve Knight, Vocalist for Flipsyde
- Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, athlete, actor
- Jack Kramer, tennis professional
- Jacob Lawrence, artist
- Victor Mature, actor
- Douglas Munro, Congressional Medal of Honor
- Frank Murkowski, governor and former U.S. Senator, Alaska
- Sam Nunn, former U.S. Senator, Georgia
- Arnold Palmer, professional golfer
- Ed Parker, martial artist
- Claiborne Pell, former U.S. Senator, Rhode Island
- Cesar Romero, actor
- Sloan Wilson, writer
- Dorothy C. Stratton first director of the SPARS
- Gene Taylor, U.S. Congressman, Mississippi
- Ted Turner, businessman
- Rudy Vallee, entertainer
- Thornton Wilder, writer
- Gig Young, actor
[edit] Coast Guard Auxiliary
In 1997, however, new legislation authorized the Auxiliary to participate in any and all Coast Guard missions except military combat and law enforcement. 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 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 watchstanding to assist the Coast Guard. When appropriately trained and qualified, they may serve upon Coast Guard vessels.
Auxiliarists undergo one of several levels of background check. For most duties, including those related to recreational boating safety, a simple identity check is sufficient. For some duties in which an Auxiliarist provides direct augmentation of Coast Guard forces, such as tasks related to port security, a more in-depth background check is required. Occasionally an Auxiliarist will need to obtain a security clearance through the Coast Guard in order to have access to classified information in the course of assigned tasking.
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 Auxiliary has a structure of elected officers, including Flotilla Commanders, District Commodores, Atlantic and Pacific Area Commodores, and a national Commodore. However, legally, each Auxiliarist has the same 'rank', Auxiliarist.
In 2005, the Coast Guard transitioned to a geographical Sector organization. Correspondingly, a position of 'Sector Auxiliary Coordinator' was established. The Sector Auxiliary Coordinator is responsible for service by Auxiliarists directly to a Sector, including augmentation of Coast Guard Active Duty and Reserve forces when requested. Such augmentation is also referred to as force multiplication.
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.
[edit] Coast Guard Reserve
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 the force was instead reoriented into force augmentation.
Since September 11, 2001, over 8,500 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.
[edit] Medals and honors
One Coast Guardsman, Douglas Albert Munro, has earned the Medal of Honor, the highest military award of the United States.<ref>United States Coast Guard. Douglas Albert Munro, USCG. Accessed November 6, 2006.</ref>
Six Coast Guardsmen have earned the Navy Cross and numerous men and women have earned 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 separate Coast Guard version of the Medal of Honor.
In May 2006, at the Change of Command ceremony when Admiral Thad Allen took over as Commandant, President George W. Bush awarded the entire Coast Guard, including the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Presidential Unit Citation for its efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
[edit] Alumni organizations
[edit] Ancient Order of the Pterodactyl
Those who have piloted or flown in U.S. Coast Guard aircraft under official flight orders may join the Ancient Order of the Pterodactyl ("Flying Since the World was Flat").
[edit] USCGA Alumni Association
The United States Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association is devoted to providing service to and promoting fellowship among all U.S. Coast Guard Academy alumni and members of the Association.
Membership Types: Academy graduates and those who have attended the Academy are eligible for Regular membership; all others interested in the Academy and its Corps of Cadets are eligible for Associate membership. (Website)
[edit] The Coast Guard in Popular Culture
The Coast Guard has been featured in several television series, such as Baywatch and CSI: Miami, and in film. A comedy, Onionhead, portrayed Andy Griffith as a Coast Guard recruit. The film The Perfect Storm depicted the rescue operations of the USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC 166) as one of its subplots. The 2006 film The Guardian was based on the training and operation of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers.
[edit] See also
</div>- U. S. Coast Guard Cutters
- National Data Buoy Center
- United States Maritime Administration
- United States Maritime Service
- USCGC Mackinaw (WAGB-83)
- USCGC Bramble (WLB-392)
- USCGC Sequoia (WLB-215) Bouy Tender
- USCGC Triton (WPC-116) Patrol Boat
- List of United States Coast Guard air stations
- US Coast Guard in popular culture
[edit] Notes
<references/>
[edit] External links
- U.S. Coast Guard Website
- How to join the U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Website
- USCGAUX Public Affairs — Your Source for News & Media
- 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
- CGinformation.org
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