United States Coast Guard
From Themarshallwiki
Revision as of 00:58, 13 April 2009
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of seven uniformed services. In addition to being a military branch at all times, it is unique among the armed forces in that it is also a maritime law enforcement agency (with jurisdiction both domestically and in international waters) and a federal regulatory agency. It is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security during peacetime, and can be transferred to the Department of the Navy by the President during a time of war. The Coast Guard motto is "Semper Paratus", Latin for "Always Ready" or "Always Prepared".
As one of the five armed forces and the smallest armed service of the United States, its stated mission is to protect the public, the environment, and the United States economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways.
