us coast guard forgotten

mgm12!: good luck with your enlistment! And AST's have my utmost respect.

Re-reading some of the older posts, and something dawned on me:

mgm12! said:
they are under the command of homeland security but they are still one of the 5 armed forces
Click to expand...

the_13th_redneck said:
Which is odd considering the role they play.
Click to expand...

Yo 13 -- you mean as opposed to being under DoD?

There's some history to this -- the USCG started off as the US Revenue Cutter Service under DOT with the mission of "to collect taxes from a brand new nation of patriot smugglers. When the officers were out at sea, they were told to crack down on piracy; while they were at it, they might as well rescue anyone in distress." Basically, the idea was to enforce tariff laws and prevent smuggling -- and oh yeah, save sailors in distress.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Coast_Guard

So it doesn't seem to make sense to put them under DoD since they (1) had historical roots under DOT (and now DHS) and (2) their primary historical mission wasn't defense of a country, but tariff collection and rescue missions (even though they provided coastal protection while the US Navy was in mothballs from 1790 to 1798).
 
The USCG is a service that serves a useful and valuable service to America and other countries where they are stationed. They patrol the "green/brown water" areas of the world, while the Navy patrols the "blue" water oceans of the world. Both services use the same rank designations and many times, Coast Guard personnel will get their training from Navy schools.

Many times their responsibilities overlap and the "Coasties" end up on Navy ships for joint operations (drug interdiction operations). When this happens, the Coast Guard ships puts to sea, and works in conjunction with Navy ships and the Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDET) that are embarked. These detachments are the people who board ships at sea and conduct ship searches and personnel identification .. looking for wanted people and drugs.

If I would have had time for a third service to serve in, I would have transferred from the Navy to the Coast Guard. Since I didn't have the required time (and I was too old by then), I retired.
 
Just saying, in most countries in the world, the Coast Guard would actually be a maritime police force run very much like their national police department.
The fact that the Coast Guard runs some missions that are very much Navy is rather odd.
Not saying those in harms way are any less or anything. Just pointing out how it is very different from the norms of the rest of the world.
 
well no matter what people think i believe the coast guard is worthy of being an armed force and I'm believe the have a great purpose in this country!!!!
 
I don't think anyone said they're worthless or less important than the military. Just that their mission profile tends to fit that of a martime police force rather than a military branch and when the Coast Guard does engage in overseas operations, it seems like it's doing what the Navy ought to be doing.
Obviously just an opinion but many systems around the world tend to agree with this view as well. Coast Guard? In a foreign country? Seems like a huge definition stretch. Some might say the job of defending America's coast doesn't end in America's waters, but then you might call the Marines the Coast Guard as well because they're defending America's shores and they do it from an offensive standpoint.
 
I think it's because they don't run around dressed up ready to storm the beach. People like seeing the heavy equipment and "gung-hoism" of the other four branches. I agree the Coast Guard is usually left out when it does have some pretty serious responsiblities.
 
Well..as a foreigner born, 1st I saw Coast Guard was in Boston 15 years ago by the Aquarium and I though they were Navy men..beforethat I did not know CG were military also (when watched movies was my 1st meeting with US CG) until I start to see military Veterans days etc I watch everybody together etc. Now I do know of course.

In my original country the Navy does the CG job, Brasil has no CG (yet).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top