Co-Authored by: David Del Corso, Jim Kline, and Tomer Chen
Today marks the 230th anniversary of the establishment of the Revenue Cutter Service. Established in 1790, under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, their mission was to enforce the tariff laws at U.S. seaports enacted by Congress under the newly signed U.S. Constitution. In 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the Life-Saving Service, forming the organization that we now know as the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The USCG grew again in 1939, when the Lighthouse Service joined the branch, and again in 1942, when the USCG absorbed the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation. The USCG is the oldest continuous seagoing service of the United States, operating six primary missions, including Maritime Law Enforcement, Maritime Response, Maritime Prevention, Marine Transportation System Management, Maritime Security Operations, and Defense Operations.
A Day in the Life of the USCG
- – conducts 45 search and rescue operations;
- – saves 10 lives;
- – saves over $1.2M in property;
- – seizes over 500 pounds of illicit drugs;
- – conducts 57 waterborne patrols of critical maritime infrastructure;
- – interdicts 17 illegal migrants;
- – escorts 5 high-capacity passenger vessels;
- – conducts 24 security boardings in and around U.S. ports;
- – screens 360 merchant vessels for potential security threats prior to arrival in U.S. ports;
- – conducts 14 fisheries conservation boardings;
- – services 82 buoys and fixed aids to navigation;
- – investigates 35 pollution incidents;
- – completes 26 safety examinations on foreign vessels;
- – conducts 105 marine inspections;
- – investigates 14 marine casualties involving commercial vessels;
- – facilitates movement of $8.7 billion worth of goods and commodities through the Nation’s Maritime Transportation System.
To all the men and women in the United States Coast Guard, the Reserves, and the Auxiliary: thank you for your service and for making the maritime world a safer place.
Semper Paratus!
