Learn About the
United States
Coast Guard
Missions, People and Equipment
I AM A COAST GUARDSMAN.
I SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
I WILL PROTECT THEM.
I WILL DEFEND THEM.
I WILL SAVE THEM.
I AM THEIR SHIELD.
FOR THEM I AM SEMPER PARATUS.
I LIVE THE COAST GUARD CORE VALUES.
I AM PROUD TO BE A COAST GUARDSMAN.
WE ARE THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD.
Learn About the
United States
Coast Guard
Produced by U.S. Coast Guard Community Relations
Concept and illustrations by Rob Green, former Coast Guard officer (robgreendesign.com)
Cover art courtesy of Bryan Snuffer (bryansnuffer.com)
We’ve guarded our coasts
for a long time...
The Revenue Cutter HARRIET LANE
fired the first naval shot of the
American Civil War, in Charleston
Harbor, South Carolina (1861)
The Revenue Cutter Service was founded in 1790 and joined with the
U.S. Lifesaving Service in 1915 to become today’s U.S. Coast Guard.
2
...and we protect America
every day!
USCGC CHINOOK ON PATROL IN NEW YORK HARBOR
3
We rescue people in danger.
The Coast Guard has been
rescuing people at sea for
almost two centuries, first
with rowboats and now
with motor lifeboats and
helicopters.
4
On the water, it’s important to be prepared! Here’s some equipment
boats and ships carry to help them get rescued in an emergency:
Rescue Whistle
Air Horn
Lifejacket
Flares
EPIRB*
Life Ring
Life Raft
*Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon
5
We make sure people obey
our laws on the water.
FISHING BOAT
SMALLBOAT
Coast Guardsmen conduct
boardings of boats and
ships to ensure they’re
obeying Federal law.
We make sure fishermen are
catching only the kinds of
fish they’re supposed to!
BOARDING
OFFICER
6
We keep drugs off America’s
streets…
...and safeguard our borders.
7
We mark waterways so ships
can travel
safely.
BUOY TENDER
BUOY
CHART
LIGHTHOUSE
The Coast Guard keeps the DAYBOARD
nation’s Aids to Navigation
(ATON) working properly. These
include buoys, dayboards, and
lighthouses. Aids are shown
on charts to help mariners know
where they are!
8
We break ice to keep shipping
lanes open in the winter.
USCGC HEALY is one
of the largest cutters;
it has laboratories
onboard so scientists
can conduct Arctic
and Antarctic research.
ICE SHELF
The Coast Guard’s polar
icebreakers travel to
Antarctica each year to
break ice so large ships
can reach McMurdo
Research Station
with supplies!
ANTARCTIC SEALS
9
We inspect ships
DUCKS
for safety and
license mariners...
CONTAINER SHIP
TUGBOAT
...and we also
fight pollution!
Marine Safety Qualification Badge
MARINE SCIENCE TECHNICIAN TAKING A WATER QUALITY SAMPLE
10
We defend the country in
times of war.
U.S. COAST GUARD
NATIONAL SECURITY
CUTTER
U.S. NAVAL WARSHIP
FIVE BRANCHES OF THE U.S. MILITARY:
U.S. ARMY • U.S. NAVY • U.S. MARINE CORPS
U.S. AIR FORCE • U.S. COAST GUARD
11
Our cutter fleet helps us
carry out our missions.
All Coast Guard ships are called cutters. NAVIGATION LIGHTS
Chief Martin is showing Ensign Brown a
model of a new Coast Guard fast response
cutter. Follow along with Ensign Brown to RADAR
learn the parts of this cutter!
STERN LAUNCH
MAST
FLAG (FOR THE SMALLBOAT)
PILOTHOUSE
STAFF
FANTAIL
SUPERSTRUCTURE
EXHAUST PORTS
DECK
U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER
BERNARD C. WEBBER
(WPC 1101)
PORT
USEFUL CUTTER WORDS!
STERN BOW
LADDER = STAIRS (AFT) (FORE)
PORT = LEFT STARBOARD
STARBOARD = RIGHT
HEAD = RESTROOM
RACK = BED
BULKHEAD = WALL
DECK = FLOOR
OVERHEAD = CEILING
PORTHOLE = WINDOW
Cutterman’s Pin
12
Chief Martin is showing
Ensign Brown a model of
a new Coast Guard fast
response cutter. Follow
along with Ensign Brown
to learn the parts of this
cutter!
STANCHION
LIFE RAFT
DECK GUN
LIFE RAFTS
FOC’S’LE
(“FOAK-sull”)
JACK STAFF
DECK GUN
BOWTHRUSTER
ANCHOR
Coast Guard cutter sailors are called
Cuttermen. They trust each other and work closely together as a team to carry
out the Coast Guard’s many missions. They can be out at sea for weeks or months!
13
Aircraft get us quickly
to the scene.
ROTOR BLADES
HOIST
MH-65C
Dolphin
COCKPIT
TAIL ROTOR
HORIZONTAL
(‘FENESTRON’)
STABILIZER
RESCUE
SWIMMER RADAR
SEARCHLIGHT
Pilots fly the aircraft, and the
aircrew operate the hoist,
PILOT make repairs, and monitor
the equipment. Rescue
swimmers deploy from
helicopters to pull people
out of the water.
Naval Aviator Wings
Aircrew Wings
14
Our rescue boats launch from
stations on shore.
Crewman
47’ Motor Lifeboat
Boat drivers are called coxswains. They have lots of experience
and training, and normally start out as a crewman -- watching,
learning, and helping the coxswain.
Surfmen are trained to take boats into very dangerous waves to
rescue people. These rescue boats, called Motor Lifeboats, can
completely roll over in the waves, and still come back upright!
Surfman’s Pin
15
It takes lots of special training
to be a Coast Guardsman!
Coast Guardsmen train throughout
their careers to be really good at their jobs.
New enlisted Coast Guardsmen go to the
Recruit Training Center in Cape May, New
Jersey. New commissioned officers graduate
from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and
Officer Candidate School in New London,
Connecticut.
16
The Coast Guard is made up of
different kinds of people.
People with lots of different Everyone works together as a
backgrounds, skills and interests are team to make sure the Coast
part of the Coast Guard. Guard can complete its missions.
ACTIVE DUTY OFFICERS & ENLISTED • USCG RESERVE
CIVILIANS • COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
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RUSSIA
GREENLAND
ARCTIC
BERING SEA OCEAN
ALASKA
GULF OF
ALASKA Coast Guardsmen
serve around
The Coast Guard is
split into two Areas,
and nine Districts.
the world!
Each District has
several Sectors, which CANADA
handle most of the Pacific Area
actual missions. Atlantic Area
PACIFIC
OCEAN
HAWAII
Each District has an office ATLANTIC
OCEAN
in a major city. Can you match
each District with its city?
1st Alameda, CA
5th Boston, MA GULF OF MEXICO
7th Cleveland, OH
8th Honolulu, HI
9th Juneau, AK CUBA
MEXICO
11th Miami, FL
13th New Orleans, LA
14th Portsmouth, VA The Coast Guard also has offices and units all over the
world, and we send our cutters to every continent for
17th Seattle, WA
training, disaster relief, and other Coast Guard missions.
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Do you have what
it takes to be a
Coast Guardsman?
As you can see, the U.S. Coast Guard has a big
job to do! And we need exceptional people
to carry out our missions. You might make
an excellent Coast Guardsman if you’re:
• Respectful of Others
• Disciplined
• Physically Active and Fit
• A Creative Problem-Solver
• An Enthusiastic Learner
• Highly Trustworthy
• A Great Team Member
Learn more about joining the
U.S. Coast Guard by contacting a
Recruiting Office, or by visiting
www.GoCoastGuard.com!
COAST GUARD DOG HANDLER AND GERMAN SHEPHERD
20
COAST GUARD MISSIONS
• Ports, Waterways & Coastal Security (page 3)
• Search and Rescue (page 4 & 5)
• Living Marine Resources (page 6)
• Drug Interdiction (page 7)
• Migrant Interdiction (page 7)
• Other Law Enforcement (page 7)
• Aids to Navigation (page 8)
• Ice Operations (page 9)
• Marine Safety (page 10)
• Marine Environmental Protection (page 10)
• Defense Operations (page 11)
Our service motto is
Semper Paratus...
in Latin it means
Always Ready!
The Coast Guard’s core values are
Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty!
• Honor: Honesty, fairness, and integrity in your beliefs and actions.
• Respect: Showing that you care about others’ feelings and well-being.
• Devotion to Duty: Being willing to carry out the work or tasks you
know you have to do, even when they’re really hard.
Learn About the United States Coast Guard!
On an average day, the United States Coast Guard saves 12 lives, responds to 64
search and rescue cases, interdicts over 800 lbs of cocaine, and services 116 buoys.
This book describes the equipment, people, and missions that make this possible.
For additional copies, visit:
www.uscg.mil/community
