America’s Overlooked Armed Force
By Justin Matejka
October 26, 2024
America’s Overlooked Armed Force: Why the Coast Guard Deserves Better Oversight and Support
For over 234 years, the United States Coast Guard has been always ready, serving as a federal law enforcement agency, regulatory body, first responder, and one of the six armed forces. The Coast Guard has participated in every war and conflict, fighting alongside their Navy, Marine, Army and Air Force comrades, from the Quasi War to the D-Day landings at Normandy to fighting the war against terrorism in the Middle East.
In an average year, the Coast Guard responds to 16,000 search and rescue cases, issues 50,000 merchant mariner credentials, inspects 18,000 commercial vessels and conducts 5,000 maritime facility inspections. It is responsible for securing a $5.4 trillion U.S. maritime transportation system that directly impacts our critical supply chains. Its personnel and ships deploy globally in support of Defense, State and Homeland Security missions, from the Arctic to Antarctica, and across regions including the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific, Europe, South America, and Africa. However, its ability to accomplish missions is being undercut by mismanagement and underfunding.
Fragmented Congressional oversight, and lack of a Service Secretary within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have hindered the Coast Guard’s ability to modernize and respond effectively to today’s threats.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/10/26/americas_overlooked_armed_force_1067847.html
