The U.S. Coast Guard was established by the Treasury Department as the Revenue Cutter Service on 4 August,1790.This armed 10-ship force policed maritime trade,collecting tariffs and arresting smugglers.In 1915,the RCS absorbed the U.S. Lifesaving Service and assumed the Coast Guard name.The U.S. Lighthouse Service was added in 1939,as was the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation in 1942.
The Coast Guard's homeland security responsibilities grew markedly in the wake of the 9-11 attacks,and it has always served alongside,or even within,the U.S. Navy in our nation's wars.Since 2003,six Coast Guard cutters and more than 400 personnel have been detailed to the Persian Gulf for various security and training assignments related to the Iraq War.
All told,the Coast Guard has 11 core missions,from icebreaking to fisheries enforcement and national defense.Special attention is paid to defending Washington,D.C. from terrorist attack,whether by patrols with the 25-foot Response Boat-Smalls on the Potomac River,or by Dolphin helicopters armed with machine guns and .50-caliber Precision Fire Weapons.
Strong efforts are underway to prevent the Coast Guard's budget from being cut,given the multitude of vital tasks the service performs today as in the past.
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