Tuesday, April 30, 2013

US Coast Guard Status and Missions

As of 2012,the US Coast Guard had 42,190 active duty personnel and 7,899 Reserve,supported by 8,722 civilian employees and 32,156 Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers.The Coast Guard operated 941 shore facilities and 24 air stations.It had 244 ships plus 1,776 boats less than 65 feet ,along with 198 aircraft.
In the course of 2012,there were 162 drug operations netting 70 seized vessels,352 detentions and about 361,000 pounds of illegal drugs.Migrants intercepted and repatriated numbered 2,995.
Patrol boats and personnel were deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of US Central Command,patrolling Iraqi oil platforms and securing ports,as well as monitoring the movement and shipment of hazardous materials.
A Maritime Safety and Security Team was sent to Guantanamo Bay,Cuba on port security and coastal patrol missions and a Redeployment Assistance Inspection Detachment was ordered to Afghanistan.The Coast Guard also participated in Operation Arctic Shield,exercises that increased readiness in the ever more active region.
Fisheries-enforcement operations were carried out,along with thousands of search and rescue missions.The Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup and Hurricane Sandy recovery were significant preoccupations of the Coast Guard in 2012.
In spite of all these responsibilities,the service was planning to cut around 1,000 personnel for budgetary reasons.

No comments: