NEW AMERICAN TRUTH: December 2007

by: Frank Borelli

As I stated in my Letter from the Editor, I have to apologize for not including this in last month’s issue dedicated to the veterans of our country. The following is what I can find about the history of the Coast Guard. To the Coasties: Thank you for your service!

Born January 28th, 1915 with the passage of Federal Statutory code, the Coast Guard is a branch of the military, a maritime law enforcement agency and a federal regulatory body. Talk about having a confusing set of orders! At different times, depending on the mission, the Coast Guardsmen (and women) may have to operate under Constitutional Law governing use of force, or Rules of Engagement controlling combat engagements.

Development of the Coast Guard can be traced back to the Department of the Treasury as far back as 1790 when it existed as the United States Revenue Cutter Service. Until the U.S. Navy was established in 1798 (even though ship construction was contracted as early as 1794), the Cutter Service was the only maritime operational service for the United States.

The Coast Guard, in some form or another, operated under the Department of the Treasury until 1967 when it was transferred into the umbrella of the newly formed Department of Transportation. There it remained until February of 2003 when it was once again moved to the Department of Homeland Security. In times of war, the Coast Guard may operate as a service in the Department of the Navy.

The United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Connecticut and each year it commissions about 225 new Ensigns. The Coast Guard also accepts new commissioned officers through its Officer Candidate School and in commissioning experienced senior enlisted personnel through a competitive process.

The Deployable Operations Group is a recently formed Coast Guard command. The DOG brings numerous existing deployable law enforcement, tactical and response units under a single command headed by a rear admiral. The planning for such a unit began after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and culminated with its formation on July 20th, 2007. The unit will contain several hundred highly trained Coast Guardsmen. Its missions will include maritime law enforcement, antiterrorism, port security, and pollution response. Full operational capability is planned by summer 2008. We at New American Truth would like to recognize those who have or do serve in the Coast Guard for their service.