Happy Birthday, US Coast Guard!

Greetings!: 

In the name of the House of Old-School, I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to the United States Coast Guard on the occasion of its 216th
anniversary! 

I had heard of the Coast Guard during my childhood, and briefly knew a man who had served therein, but I got a bit closer when my interest in the Coast
Guard Band began in the mid-to-late 1960's.  Next to the Marine Band, my interest in which began in 1960 and about which you can read elsewhere in this
blog should you wish, I have had interest in the Coast Guard Band longer than in any of our other premiere service bands, though interest in the others
would eventually grow.
Yet today, as I wrote above, it is our happy care to salute the Coast Guard as a whole, and to thank the men and women thereof _VERY_ much for their contributions
to the saving of lives at sea, boating safety, homeland security and the global war on terror, etc.  When the Revenue Marine, later to become known as
the Revenue Cutter Service and, combining with the Life Saving Service in 1915, to become known as the Coast Guard, was established on this date in 1790,
it was part of the Department of the Treasury, meant to help enforce the new government's tarriffs.  It remained part of that department until it was moved
into the new Department of Transportation in the 1960's.  Then, in 2001, came 9-11 as we all know, and it was soon felt best to move the Coast Guard again,
this time to the newly-established Department of Homeland Security in 2003.  From what I gather, this was a somewhat-controversial move at that time, but,
in my personal opinion, it seemed, and seems, a good move since the Coast Guard is charged with guarding our ports, enforcing maritime law, interdicting
illegal drugs and preventing the entrance of illegal emigrants, etc.  Are not all these significant contributions to homeland security? 

I think I can here do no better than to share with you two documents which have been recently sent to me, the first a press release from the Commandant
of the Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, regarding this anniversary, and, hoping it will not be too boring, a list of impressive (again in my opinion) statistics
as to what this Service accomplished in 2005.  I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting Admiral Allen after the Band's annual concert at the Navy Memorial
here in Washington this past Tuesday, and he offered to have his Press Officer, Commander Brendan C. McPherson, send me some material to assist me with
preparing this post.  I am _MUCH_ indebted to them both, and to the Coast Guard's Chief of Media Relations, Commander Jeffrey Carter, for what appears
below.  First will come the press release for the birthday which will lead directly into the 2005 statistics page:

 

U.S. Coast Guard turns 216
WASHINGTON - Coast Guard members stationed around the globe will celebrate as America's oldest, continuous sea-going service observes its 216th birthday
Friday.
"I'm incredibly proud of our dedicated Coast Guard men and women," said Adm. Thad W. Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard. "As a multi-mission, maritime,
and military service, we continue to grow and evolve to help guarantee the maritime safety, security and stewardship of our oceans and waterways. Whether
it's saving lives, supporting the global war on terrorism, preserving our maritime environment and its resources, or protecting our vital waters for trade
and commerce, Coast Guard men and women perform their duties every day with relentless courage, commitment and ingenuity."
The Coast Guard is one of America's five armed forces and traces it roots to Aug. 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of a fleet
of "revenue marine" cutters to enforce the fledgling nation's tariff and trade laws and protect the collection of federal revenue. The service expanded
in size and responsibilities as the nation grew and today is responsible for many diverse missions, including maritime homeland security, national defense,
enforcing maritime law, aiding mariners in distress, maintaining maritime navigation aids, protecting the marine environment, licensing merchant mariners
and ensuring merchant vessel safety. The Coast Guard transferred into the newly created Department of Homeland Security in 2003.
The service received its present name in 1915 under an act of Congress when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the Life-Saving Service.
The Coast Guard is one of the oldest organizations of the federal government and, until the Navy Department was established in 1798, served as the nation's
only armed force afloat. The Coast Guard has continued to protect the nation throughout its long history - both at home and abroad - and Coast Guardsmen
have proudly served in every one of the nation's major conflicts, including Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Around the clock and around the globe, the Coast Guard protects America's interests and keeps its citizens and resources safe and secure. Each day the dedicated
men and women of the Coast Guard will:
- Save 15 lives
- Assist 114 people in distress
- Conduct 82 search-and-rescue cases
- Protect $4.9 million in property
- Enforce 103 security zones
- Interdict and rescue 26 illegal migrants at sea
- Board four high interest vessels
- Enforce 115 security zones
- Board 202 vessels of law enforcement interest
- Board 122 large vessels for port safety/security checks
- Seize 27 pounds of marijuana and 927 pounds of cocaine with a street value of $12.4 million
- Conduct 311 vessel safety checks and teach 57 boating safety courses
- Conduct 19 commercial fishing vessel safety exams and issue seven fishing vessel compliance decals
- Respond to 11 oil, chemical, or hazardous material environmental pollution incidents totaling 2,181 gallons
- Process 280 mariner licenses and documents
- Service 140 aids to navigation
- Monitor the transit of 2,557 commercial ships through U.S. ports
- Track 3,004 vessels in the Automated Merchant Vessel Reporting system
- Investigate 27 activities for marine violation of federal statutes
###
The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.

 

In 2005, the Coast Guard:

 

Prevented more than 338,000 pounds of cocaine (new record) and over 10,000 pounds of marijuana from reaching the United States;

 

Interdicted nearly 9,500 undocumented migrants attempting to enter the country illegally;

 

Responded to more than 32,000 calls for assistance and saved the lives of over 5,600 mariners in distress;

 

Conducted more than 115,800 recreational vessel safety checks, more than 10,000 foreign commercial vessel boardings and more than 20,000 inspections on
commercial vessels;

 

Rescued more than 33,500 people during hurricanes Katrina and Rita;

 

Boarded more than 6,000 fishing vessels to enforce safety and fisheries management regulations, a 30 percent increase over 2004;

 

Conducted more than 3,000 inspections aboard mobile offshore drilling units, outer continental shelf facilities, and offshore supply vessels;

 

Responded to 23,904 reports of water pollution or hazardous material release from the National Response Center, resulting in 4,015 response cases;

 

Partnered with federal and state agencies to ensure that Marine Protected Species populations recover to healthy, sustainable levels;

 

Kept shipping channels and harbors open to navigation during the Great Lakes and New England winter shipping season;

 

Ensured more than 1 million safe passages of commercial vessels through congested harbors, with Vessel Traffic Services;

 

Maintained more than 50,000 federal aids to navigation along 25,000 miles of maritime transportation routes;

 

Conducted International Ice Patrol sorties to facilitate 1,128,235 tons of cargo shipped daily during the North Atlantic ice season;

 

Conducted more than 268,000 port security patrols, 5,800 air patrols, and 26,000 security boardings;

 

Refined and greatly enhanced recent initiatives, such as security and control boardings and deployable Maritime Safety and Security Teams;

 

Escorted over 10,000 vessels;

 

Maintained more than 115 security zones.  (This concludes the interpolated material.)

 

One of the Coast Guard's current projects is called Deepwater, and focuses on the repair and/or replacement of equipment, etc., due to wear, tear, and presumably obsolescence as well.  This is eminently commendable, and may the Congress please provide all the funding required for this project if they have yet to do so! 

 

Of course, when one thinks of the Coast Guard, I expect one usually thinks of their contributions to boating safety and to the saving of lives at sea or
on other waterways, but, as you have seen above, they do so much more!  At least some of you may know that they serve under the Navy in wartime, and there
are some particularly-moving stories of Coast-Guard heroism from World War I in particular which I feel are eminently worth seeking out!  And I cannot
conclude this post without a quotation which has always struck me since I first heard it, "The rules say you have to go out.  They do not say you have
to come back."

 

Once again many congratulations and best wishes come from this house to the United States Coast Guard on this, their 216th anniversary!

 

Gratefully, respectfully and joyfully submitted,

 

J. V.