The U.S. Coast Guard has, in one manner or another, served as the first line of defense for American coastal defense for more than 230 years. The Coast Guard was there to keep the country’s waterways safe, help sailors in trouble, and make sure maritime law was followed.
The Coast Guard continues to silently juggle its dual role as a law enforcement agency at home and a military force abroad, while other branches of the Armed Forces have a wonderful time making fun of their “Coastie” comrades (they are a branch of the military).
Without knowing a few important details and fascinating tales about the history of this branch of the military, it would be difficult to comprehend how it is able to do all of that. Here are only a handful of those minor facts, with the Coast Guard’s 232nd birthday on August 4, 2022.
1. The Coast Guard Is Older than the Navy
It got its start when President Washington formed the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790 to enforce American tariffs. Until the Department of the Navy was established in 1798, it was the only maritime defense force in the United States. The Continental Navy was established in 1775 and is officially credited with giving birth to the Navy; however, the Continental Navy was abolished following the Revolutionary War.
After a few mergers, the U.S. Coast Guard became what we know it to be today. The U.S. Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Services combined in 1915, leading to the official renaming of the Coast Guard. The Lighthouse Service was merged into the USCG in 1939, and the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation of the Commerce Department was added to the USCG in 1946.
2. The Coast Guard Is Also a Blue-Water Naval Force
The USCG’s state-of-the-art Legend-class National Security Cutters are advanced ships that can sail in the ocean, even though the Coast Guard is known as “Puddle Pirates,” which can be cute or annoying, depending on your point of view.
The newest cutters are equipped with the same electronic warfare and 57-millimeter cannons found on Littoral Combat Ships, as well as the same Phalanx close-in weapons systems seen on navy ships, despite the fact that their tasks differ from those of the Navy. Nine of the eleven are currently operational and have been completed in the Bering Sea, Pacific Ocean, and Arctic Ocean.