The Truth about the U.S. Coast Guard
By Brendan Mitchell
When Americans hear the word “military”, they often think of gritty army or marine drill sergeants, looming Naval aircraft carriers, or sleek Air Force jets booming through the sky. While the entire U.S. military is successful and inspiring, I’d like to discuss a branch which is often forgotten.
The U.S. Coast Guard has about 36,000 active duty members – the least of all five U.S. military branches. Often considered “the other seafaring service”, many see the Coast Guard as the younger brother of the Navy. This article is here to shatter myths such as this, replacing them with the truth about the Coast Guard.
How It All Began
The Coast Guard is unlike any other U.S. service in the way it was formed. The roots of the Coast Guard go back to the Revenue Cutter Service, signed in by George Washington in 1790. At the time, the government was struggling to establish financial stability, and smuggling of goods from merchant ships commonly prevented tariffs from being taken. The Revenue Cutter Service solved this problem by having cutters (light coastal ships) ensure merchant ships went to their correct ports.
While the Coast Guard wasn’t the first military branch created by the government, it’s considered the longest running service. The official Coast Guard formed in 1950 by the fusion of the Revenue Cutter Service with the U.S. Life-Saving Service, which explains why the Coast Guard specializes in search and rescue missions. Because the Revenue Cutter Service was the only militaristic service lasting the entire period of 1790 to 1950, the Coast Guard is considered the oldest U.S. military branch.
The Anatomy of the CG
A common myth about the Coast Guard is that it’s only responsible for search and rescue. However, various other organizations such as the Lighthouse Service have been pooled into the Coast Guard along with the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service. To compensate for this, the Coast Guard has a wide spectrum of missions, such as: port and waterway security, drug smuggling prevention, marine life and environment safety, ice operations, and many more!
Just like any other military organization, the Coast Guard organizes its members into a ranking hierarchy. Enlistees in the Coast Guard begin at the rank of Seaman recruit, which is E-1. This progression occurs with time and effort, and the highest enlisted rank is Master Chief Petty Officer. There is only one Master Chief Petty Officer at any time, and he/she is the delegate of enlisted men and women in the Coast Guard.
Officers (the leaders of enlistees) are subject to a separate hierarchy. To be an officer, you must have a bachelor’s degree, and go through either Officer Candidate School or the Coast Guard Academy. Officers start off as ensigns (O-1). Just as enlistees, officers can move up their respective chain of command to reach the top position: Commandant of the Coast Guard (O-10). The person in this role is currently Paul F. Zukunft, and he acts as the spokesperson for the entire Coast Guard.
The one rank above this, Fleet Admiral, is reserved for war time to designate a leader of the Naval and Coast Guard fleets. Yep, you heard that right. During war time, the Coast Guard becomes an auxiliary of the Navy, and its fleet is used to support war efforts such as transportation and even battle.
What Makes Coasties Unique
From its history to its missions, the Coast Guard is something special. In fact, traces of the Coast Guard’s uniqueness never seem to end. As the only U.S. military branch in the Department of Homeland Security, and the branch which employs the largest percentage of women in its ranks, it makes sense why the Coast Guard is considered uncanny. Remember that whether you love the Coast Guard like me, or you’d rather join the Navy (some people gotta do it), it’s always positive to learn about our fantastic military.
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I thought that your blog post was very interesting. You are right because when I hear military, I do not think of the Coast Guard. I think more of the Army and Navy. I like how you chose the Coast Guard because I feel that a lot of people don’t know about branch of the military that helps keep them safe, but they should be informed as a citizen. I never knew how old the Coast Guard was either. It is really interesting how it started out as the Revenue Cutter Service, making sure that ships went to their correct ports to pay tariffs. I did know that the Coast Guard is the smallest military branch and that they do search and rescue, waterway security, drug prevention, and many other things. I also have a cousin who was in the Coast Guard for a little while. Also, the picture of the different ranks was really helpful when I read about that, and it makes your blog post look really nice. Overall, great job with your article I really enjoyed reading it.
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I’m glad you enjoyed this, Drew! The Coast Guard is a personal passion of mine, and I have always been amazed by how little people are about it. It’s great that you already had a knowledge of the CG, and I’m glad I was able to teach you even more. Interestingly enough, the ranking system is basically across our military. Even though the names for each rank vary from branch to branch, they all have the same E1-E10 and O1-O10/11 system. Because the ranking system is universal for each branch, they’re all on the same pay scale. An E-6 in the Army has the same pay and prestige relative to his branch as a E-6 in the Air Force or any other branch.
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I hate to admit it, but I was one of those individuals that saw the Navy loom over the Coast Guard. When I think of the U.S’s sea army, I usually think of the Coast Guard only after the Navy. After reading your post Brendan, I was convinced that I underestimated the Coast Guard’s efforts! When I read that the Coast Guard was considered the oldest U.S. military branch, I was instantly intrigued. Your discussion of the ranks of the Coast Guard left me with a powerful impression of the Coast Guard individuals. I particularly like your explanations of the functions of the various people such as Master Chief Petty Officer and Commandant of the Coast Guard. One idea I would recommend is to expand on the functions of some individuals. You gave examples of some, but I would be fascinated to learn more about others. To top it off, I love your conclusion that points out many unique traits of the Coast Guard; that part really sold it to me. Keep writing great articles like these!
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