United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is an armed service and federal law-enforcement agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental protection. It operates within the Department of Homeland Security in peacetime and can serve under the Navy during wartime.

Search and rescue: The coordinated locating and recovery of people in distress, followed by their delivery to safety. Coast Guard rescue coordination centers direct responses to maritime emergencies.
Revenue Cutter Service: A U.S. federal maritime service founded in 1790 to enforce customs laws and protect national revenue. It was one of the two services merged to create the Coast Guard.
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary: A volunteer civilian organization that supports Coast Guard recreational boating safety and other authorized missions. Its volunteers extend boating education and safety support without becoming active-duty Coast Guard members.
Alexander Hamilton: An American statesman who served as the first secretary of the treasury. Hamilton proposed the federal revenue cutters that became the service’s institutional predecessor.
Department of Homeland Security: A U.S. federal department responsible for domestic security and related agencies. The Coast Guard has been part of this department since its creation in 2003.
United States Coast Guard Cutter: A commissioned Coast Guard vessel designed for extended operations at sea. Cutters carry out patrol, interdiction, rescue, and enforcement missions offshore.
United States Life-Saving Service: A federal service established in the nineteenth century to rescue shipwreck survivors along U.S. coasts. Its lifesaving stations and personnel became part of the Coast Guard in 1915.
United States Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team: A specialized Coast Guard unit trained for high-risk maritime security operations. It provides tactical capability for threats such as terrorism and hostile vessel boarding.
Leonard G. Shepard: The first commandant of the United States Coast Guard, serving from 1889 to 1895. His command helped establish a unified leadership for the Revenue Cutter Service, later renamed the Coast Guard.
Title 14 of the United States Code: The section of federal law that establishes the Coast Guard’s organization, duties, and authorities. It provides the statutory basis for the service’s missions and status as an armed force.

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