An Overview of the U.S. Coast Guard's Many Responsibilities

The 42,000-plus active duty members of today’s United States Coast Guard (USCG) operate under the motto of Semper Paratus, or, “always ready.” The USCG, which now falls under the direction of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been protecting federal waters for more than 200 years.

This includes overseeing and protecting maritime interests in:

• public waterways;
• ports;
• open water;
• inland waters;
• rivers; and
• international waters.

The USCG also is charged with protecting and defending the nation’s maritime borders. Title 14 of the United States Code serves as the legal basis for the establishment of the USCG.

The USCG’s Stated Top Priorities

The USCG operates in accordance with the following legally mandated missions:

• aiding in safe navigation -- for instance, establishing and enforcing navigational standards, such as lookouts, collision avoidance, traffic separation and more;
• search-and-rescue operations -- one of the USCG’s longest-standing missions calls for the organization to minimize the loss of human life, injury and property damage. Search and rescue may be conducted via air or water, and the USCG provides this service in all federal waters, including open sea and inland waterways;
• providing and ensuring the security of ports, waterways and coastal waters --this includes overseeing certain anti-terrorism measures and the prevention of criminal and terrorist acts;
• drug interdiction -- the USCG is charged with preventing the influx of illegal narcotics into the United States by water and shares partial duty for the prevention of drug smuggling conducted via air;
• protection and preservation of living marine resources -- this includes protection of federal fisheries via enforcement of national and international fisheries law to support a sustainable and healthy underwater ecosystem;
• marine safety -- a broad directive in which the USCG seeks to protect public and commercial maritime interests;
• national defense -- the USCG serves as one of the nation’s five armed forces and enjoys close ties to the Navy;
• immigration -- the USCG enforces federal immigration law as it applies at sea, including safe intervention of vessels carrying migrants
• marine environmental protection -- primary directives include reducing the infiltration of invasive aquatic species, ceasing unauthorized maritime dumping and preventing oil and chemical spills;
• ice breaking operations -- this includes emergency icebreaking services to assist vessels and coastal communities in the Great Lakes and Northeast. USCG-flagged vessels also provide year-round access to polar regions; and
• other law enforcement operations -- this includes the prevention of illegal fishing by foreign-flagged ships, as well as the suppression of unregulated fishing activity on the high seas.

A significant aspect of the U.S. Coast Guard's responsibilities is ensuring vessels, such as yours, remain in compliance with federal and international protocol. This is done to protect people, the environment and property.

As such, a USCG representative occasionally may review your required vessel logbooks as necessary. Learn what documents you require to remain in compliance by downloading this free guide. Place your orders online or call 888-468-3757 to place your order today.