U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band

United States Coast Guard Pipe Band
The U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band pictured in 2010.
Active	2002 to Present
Allegiance	United States
Branch	U.S. Coast Guard
Type	Military Band/Pipe Band
Role	Public Duties
Principal Address	Miami, Florida
Nickname(s)	"The Commandant's Own"
Colors	Coast Guard Blue      Red
Decorations	Meritorious Team Commendation
Website	http://www.uscgpipeband.org/
Commanders
Pipe Major	ML Loudermik
Drum Major	Kevin Conquest

The United States Coast Guard Pipe Band is a pipe band and private military unit composed of current and former United States Coast Guard personnel. Though a privately maintained entity, it is formally recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard and provides support to official Coast Guard ceremonies including changes-of-command, funerals, and ship commissioning. The unit was established in 2001 and formally recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard as a Coast Guard-affiliated organization the following year.

The idea for a Coast Guard pipe band originated with U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Gilheany who organized the group in 2001. The following year it received special authorization from the Commandant of the Coast Guard recognizing it as an affiliate organization and permitting it to incorporate "United States Coast Guard" into its name.

The U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band is organized into local detachments and its performances typically consist of a single piper and drummer performing for U.S. Coast Guard change-of-command ceremonies, military funerals, and Coast Guard ship commissioning events, however, large ensembles have occasionally been raised for parades and other major occasions including the Grand Haven, Michigan Coast Guard Festival and the New York St. Patrick's Day parade. Membership is restricted to personnel of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, as well as honorably discharged "wartime veterans" of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. According to the organization, the restriction to "wartime veterans" is due to Coast Guard uniform regulations which only permit non-serving persons to wear the Coast Guard uniform if they previously served during a declared war or national emergency.

As of 2016, the U.S. Coast Guard Pipe Band was a 501(c)3 organization incorporated in Florida.