Uniforms of the United States Coast Guard
| United States Coast Guard | |
|---|---|
The official seal of the United States Coast Guard, adopted in December 1966.
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| Active | 4 August 1790 – present (creation of the "Revenue Marine") (227 years) and 28 January 1915 – present (merger of the "Revenue Cutter Service" and the "U.S. Life-Saving Service" to officially form the "United States Coast Guard") (102 years, 6 months) |
| Country | United States of America |
| Type | Coast guard |
| Role | Coastal defense, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue |
| Size | Civilian employees: 7,064 Active duty personnel: 36,235 Selected reservists: 7,351 Auxiliarists: 29,620 238 cutters 1,523 boats 187 aircraft |
| Part of |
DHS (2003–present) USDOT (1967–2003) DoT (1946–1967) DoN (1941–1946) DoT (1919–1946) DoN (1917–1919) DoT (1915–1917) |
| Headquarters | Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building |
| Nickname(s) | "Coasties", "Shallow water sailors", "The Guard", |
| Motto(s) | Semper Paratus (English: Always ready) |
| Colors | White, CG Blue, CG Red |
| March | "Semper Paratus"  Play
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| Anniversaries | 4 August |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations | Presidential Unit Citation |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Donald Trump |
| Secretary of Homeland Security | Elaine Duke (Acting) |
| Commandant | ADM Paul F. Zukunft |
| Vice Commandant | ADM Charles D. Michel |
| Master Chief Petty Officer | MCPOCG Steven W. Cantrell |
| Insignia | |
| Racing Stripe |  |
| Ensign (1953–present) |  |
| Standard |  |
| Guidon |  |
| Aircraft roundel and fin flash |  |
| Pennant |  |
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's seven uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission (with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters) and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set. It operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the U.S. Department of the Navy by the U.S. President at any time, or by the U.S. Congress during times of war. This has happened twice, in 1917, during World War I, and in 1941, during World War II.
Created by Congress on 4 August 1790 at the request of Alexander Hamilton as the Revenue Marine, it is the oldest continuous seagoing service of the United States. As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton headed the Revenue Marine, whose original purpose was collecting customs duties in the nation's seaports. By the 1860s, the service was known as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the term Revenue Marine gradually fell into disuse.
The modern Coast Guard was formed by a merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915, under the U.S. Department of the Treasury. As one of the country's five armed services, the Coast Guard has been involved in every U.S. war from 1790 to the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. As of 2014[update] the Coast Guard had over 36,000 men and women on active duty, 7,350 reservists, 29,620 auxiliarists, and 7,064 full-time civilian employees. In terms of size, the U.S. Coast Guard by itself is the world's 12th largest naval force.
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