U.S. Coast Guard

The modern-day U.S. Coast Guard, created by an act of Congress in 1915, represents the combination of the Revenue Marine Service (later the Rescue Cutter Service), the Lifesaving Service, and the Lighthouse Service, which was added in 1939. The coast guard, which until 2003 was within the Department of Transportation, is both a law enforcement agency and one of the nation's five military services. In 2003, the coast guard was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. In time of war, the coast guard reports to the Department of the Navy. Its members have served in every war since ratification of the Constitution.

The mission of the coast guard was altered dramatically by the events of September 11, 2001. In the immediate wake of the attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C., the service, which traditionally expended about 1% of its budget on port security, increased that expenditure 50-fold. Operation Noble Eagle redeployed active duty personnel and about 3,000 reserve personnel to secure the nation's ports as the service struggled to adapt to the new challenges of sophisticated foreign terrorists operating within the United States.

The coast guard is currently undertaking a major examination of its capabilities to secure American seaborne commerce. Approximately 95% of all trade is conducted by ship, and almost $1 trillion worth of goods is shipped into the United States. annually. It has been estimated that only about 2% of shipping containers entering the United States[Page 864] each year is inspected. The coast guard has created a sea marshal program so that armed personnel are on board larger ships, or vessels transporting hazardous materials, and can deter potential terrorist actions. The bombing in 2000 of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen heightened awareness about the vulnerability of marine traffic to terrorist sabotage.

In addition to its signature search and rescue services, the coast guard performs an ever-expanding list of missions, including maritime safety and security, protection of fisheries and natural resources, pollution detection and response, aids to navigation, vessel traffic control, polar ice breaking, and national defense. As a military service, the coast guard must maintain an adequate level of military readiness.