The United States Coast Guard (USCG)

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and part of the Department of Homeland Security, which is led by the Secretary of Homeland Security. It is the only military branch outside the Department of Defense, but can be transferred to the civilian-led Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy, in the case that congress stipulates that when declaring war or the president directs. The military head of the U.S. Coast Guard is the commandant of the Coast Guard, who is assisted by the vice commandant of the Coast Guard and master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard was founded as a military service branch on 4 August 1790 as the United States Revenue-Marine, before being renamed on 31 July 1894 as the United States Revenue Cutter Service. On 28 January 1915 it was merged with the civilian United States Life-Saving Service to form the United States Coast Guard. In 1939, the civilian United States Lighthouse Service was merged into the Coast Guard. The Revenue-Marine, and later the Coast Guard, were organized under the Department of the Treasury, transferring to the Department of the Navy during World War I and World War II. In 1967 it was transferred to the Department of Transportation, where it would reside until 2003 when it was permanently transferred to the Department of Homeland Security.

The U.S. Coast Guard is composed of the Regular Coast Guard and United States Coast Guard Reserve. The U.S. Coast Guard is organized into two area commands that cover the entire globe.

·       Coast Guard Atlantic Area: Conducts Coast Guard operations in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf.

o   1st Coast Guard District: Northeastern United States

o   5th Coast Guard District: Mid-Atlantic States

o   7th Coast Guard District: Southeastern United States and the Caribbean Sea

o   8th Coast Guard District: Gulf of Mexico and Inland River System

o   9th Coast Guard District: Great Lakes

·       Coast Guard Pacific Area: Conducts Coast Guard operations in the Pacific Ocean, including the Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean.

o   11th Coast Guard District: California

o   13th Coast Guard District: Pacific Northwest

o   14th Coast Guard District: Hawaii and West Pacific

o   17th Coast Guard District: Alaska and Arctic Ocean