I) The motto of the Coast Guard is: Semper Paratus, Latin for "Always Ready."
A) Always Ready for all hazards and Always Ready for all threats.
B) To: * Protect the maritime economy and the environment * Defend our maritime borders and * Save those in peril.
(Connective) Let’s break these three broad mission categories into the 11 missions that the Coast Guard by law,Title 14 of the US Code, is tasked with and see how they are related in out daily lives.
II) The 11 Missions are:
A) Ports, Waterways and Costal Security (PWCS) 1) The PWCS mission entails the protection of the U.S. Maritime Domain and the U.S. Marine Transportation System (MTS) and those who live, work or recreate near them.
2) The July 2005 terrorist bombings in London highlighted the need to protect U.S. Mass Transit Systems (MTS), including ferries. Later, the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita highlighted the criticality of preparedness for recovery of the MTS following a large-scale disaster and in 2008 the terrorist attack via the maritime domain against Mumbai, India, highlighted the tie between border security and PWCS.
3) How many of you know what you were doing during the 9/11 attack? I was on a cruise ship going to Alaska and was quite relieved when I saw that a U.S Coast Guard Cutter was providing us with a protection escort.
B) Drug Interdiction 1) The Coast Guard 's mission is to reduce the supply of drugs by denying smugglers the use of air and maritime routes in the Transit Zone, a six million square mile area, including the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Eastern Pacific. In 2002 the Coast Guard’s cocaine seizures alone estimated a value of approximately $3.9 billion (CG website) and in
Cited: * "REP. DUNCAN HUNTER HOLDS A HEARING ON COAST GUARD MISSION BALANCE." Political/Congressional Transcript Wire 27 Feb. 2013 "Seaman Nicholas Pearson." Coast Guard Magazine Jan.-Mar. 2012 “SAFETY, SECURITY AND STEWARDSHIP” 2011 DHS WHITE PAPER on THE COAST GUARD * “ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES” TITLE 14 - COAST GUARD, PART I - REGULAR COAST GUARD, CHAPTER 1 03 Jan. 2012 Lovett, Ian. "Land Routes Blocked, Smuggling Rises Sharply on California Coast." New York Times: A.26. Dec 09 2012. http://www.uscg.mil/top/missions/ http://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=146 *