USCG Connect

Since 1790, the Coast Guard has safeguarded the American people and promoted national security, border security, and economic prosperity in a complex and evolving maritime environment. The Coast Guard saves those in peril and protects the Nation from all maritime threats.

As a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, a law enforcement organization, a regulatory agency, a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community, and a first responder, the Coast Guard employs a unique mix of authorities, broad jurisdiction, flexible operational capabilities, and a network of partnerships. The Coast Guard is the principal Federal agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship in U.S. ports and inland waterways, along more than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline, throughout the 4.5 million square miles of U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and on the high seas.

The over 50,000 members of the Coast Guard operate a multi-mission, interoperable fleet of 259 Cutters, 200 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, and over 1,600 boats. Operational control of surface and air assets is vested in two Coast Guard geographical Areas (Pacific and Atlantic), nine Coast Guard Districts, and 37 Sectors located at strategic ports throughout the country. Five Mission Support Logistics and Service Centers provide services for operational assets and shore facilities. Coast Guard program oversight, policy development, and personnel administration are carried out at Coast Guard Headquarters located on the St. Elizabeths campus in Washington, DC.

On an average day, the Coast Guard:

• Conducts 42 search and rescue cases;
• Saves 12 lives;
• Saves over $114,000 in property;
• Seizes 1,253 pounds of cocaine and 172 pounds of marijuana;
• Conducts 133 waterborne patrols of critical maritime infrastructure;
• Interdicts 18 illegal migrants;
• Escorts 9 high-capacity passenger vessels;
• Conducts 13 security boardings in and around U.S. ports;
• Screens 313 merchant vessels for potential security threats prior to arrival in U.S. ports;
• Conducts 19 fisheries conservation boardings;
• Services 45 buoys and fixed aids to navigation;
• Investigates 26 pollution incidents;
• Completes 24 safety examinations on foreign vessels;
• Conducts 162 marine inspections of U.S. vessels and facilities;
• Investigates 17 marine casualties involving commercial vessels;
• Facilitates movement of $15.6B worth of goods and commodities through the Nation’s Maritime Transportation System.

Agency Overview

Established by Congress in 1939 under title 14, §§ 23 of the U.S. Code, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is Semper Paratus (Always Ready). We invite you to explore our site and learn more about who we are and what we do to be "Semper Paratus."

The Auxiliary operates in

• Safety and Security Patrols
• Search and Rescue
• Mass Casualty or Disasters
• Pollution Response & Patrols
• Homeland Security
• Recreational Boating Safety
• Commercial Fishing and Vessel Exams
• Platforms for Boarding Parties
• Recruit for all service in the Coast Guard

In addition to the above, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary operates in any mission as directed by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard or Secretary of Homeland Security.

Our Mission

• To promote and improve Recreational Boating Safety
• To provide trained crews and facilities to augment the Coast Guard and enhance safety and security of our ports, waterways, and coastal regions
• To support Coast Guard operational, administrative, and logistical Requirements

Organization

The Auxiliary has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

Under the direct authority of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security via the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Auxiliary's internally operating levels are broken down into four organizational levels: Flotilla, Division, District and National.

• National - The national staff officers are responsible, along with the Commandant, for the administration and policy-making for the entire Auxiliary.
• District -The District provides administrative and supervisory support to Divisions, promotes policies of both the District Commander and National Committee.
• Division - Flotillas in the same general geographic area are grouped into Divisions. The Division provides administrative, training and supervisory support to Flotillas and promotes District & National policy.
• Flotilla - The Flotilla is the basic organizational unit of the Auxiliary and is comprised of at least 15 qualified members who carry out the day-to-day missions of "Team Coast Guard". Every Auxiliary member is part of a Flotilla.

Auxiliary History

When the Coast Guard "Reserve" was authorized by act of Congress on June 23,1939, the Coast Guard was given a legislative mandate to use civilian to promote safety on and over the high seas and the nation's navigable waters.

Two years later, on Feb. 19, Congress amended the 1939 act with passage of the Auxiliary and Reserve Act of 1941. Passage of this act designated the Reserve as a military branch of the active service, while the civilian section, formerly referred to as the Coast Guard Reserve, became the Auxiliary under title 14, chapter 23 of the USC.

When we entered World War II, 50,000 Auxiliary members joined the war effort as military teams. Many of their private vessels were placed into service in an effort to protect the U.S

The United States Coast Guard, one of the country's five armed services, is a unique agency of the federal government.  We trace our history to 4 August 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of ten vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling.  Known variously through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as the Revenue Marine and the Revenue Cutter Service, we expanded in size and responsibilities as the nation grew.    

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 nation then had a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.  The Coast Guard began to maintain the country's aids to maritime navigation, including operating the nation's lighthouses, when President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the transfer of the Lighthouse Service to the Coast Guard in 1939.  In 1946 Congress permanently transferred the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation to the Coast Guard, thereby placing merchant marine licensing and merchant vessel safety under our purview. The Coast Guard took over the administration of bridges over navigable waterways in 1967.

The Coast Guard is one of the oldest organizations of the federal government and, until the Navy Department was established in 1798, we served as the nation's only armed force afloat.  We continued to protect the nation throughout our long history and have served proudly in our nation's conflicts.  Our national defense responsibilities remain one of our most important functions even today.  In times of peace we operate as part of the Department of Homeland Security, serving as the nation's front-line agency for enforcing our laws at sea, protecting the marine environment and our vast coastline and ports, and saving life.  In times of war, or at the direction of the President, we serve under the Navy Department. 

The Coast Guard History Program is charged with collecting, preserving and promoting the history and heritage of the national government's oldest continuously-serving sea service.

The U. S. Coast Guard is simultaneously and at all times a military force and federal law enforcement agency dedicated to maritime safety, security, and stewardship missions. We save lives. We protect the environment. We defend the homeland. We enforce Federal laws on the high seas, the nation's coastal waters and its inland waterways.  We are unique in the Nation and the world.

The Coast Guard's official history began on 4 August 1790 when President George Washington signed the Tariff Act that authorized the construction of ten vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling.  Known variously through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as the "revenue cutters," the "system of cutters," the Revenue Marine and finally the Revenue Cutter Service, it expanded in size and responsibilities as the nation grew.  

The service received its present name in 1915 under an act of Congress that merged the Revenue Cutter Service with the U. S. Life-Saving Service.  The latter consisted of dozens of stations placed around the nation’s coastlines that were manned by dedicated crews willing to risk their lives to save those in peril on the sea, a role that meshed well with the Revenue Cutter Service’s core missions.  Also, the legislation creating this “new” Coast Guard expressly stated that it "shall constitute a part of the military forces of the United States," thereby codifying the service’s long history of defending the country along side the nation's other armed services.  The Coast Guard began maintaining the country's aids to maritime navigation, including lighthouses, when President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the transfer of the Lighthouse Service to the Coast Guard in 1939.  In 1946 Congress permanently transferred the Commerce Department's Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation to the Coast Guard, which placed merchant marine licensing and merchant vessel safety under its purview.  The nation now had a single maritime federal agency dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws. 

The Coast Guard is one of the oldest organizations of the federal government and until Congress established the Navy Department in 1798 it served as the nation's only armed force afloat.  The Coast Guard protected the nation throughout its long history and served proudly in the majority of the nation's conflicts.  The Coast Guard's national defense responsibilities remain one of its most important functions even today.  In times of peace it operates as part of the Department of Homeland Security, serving as the nation's front-line agency for enforcing the nation's laws at sea, protecting the marine environment and the nation's vast coastline and ports, and saving life.  In times of war, or at the direction of the President, the Coast Guard serves as part of the Navy Department. 

The mission of the United States Coast Guard is to ensure our Nation's maritime safety, security and stewardship.

Vision

Service to Nation
We will serve our Nation through the selfless performance of our missions.

Duty to People
We will honor our duty to protect those we serve and those who serve with us.

Commitment to Excellence
We will commit ourselves to excellence by supporting and excellence by supporting and executing our operations in a proficient and professional manner.

The Coast Guard manages six major operational mission programs: The operational mission programs oversee 11 Missions codified in the Homeland Security Act of 2002. That act delineates the 11 missions as “homeland security” or “non-homeland security” missions.      

Homeland Security Missions: Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security; Drug Interdiction; Migrant Interdiction; Defense Readiness; and Other Law Enforcement.  

Non-Homeland Security Missions: Marine Safety; Search and Rescue; Aids to Navigation; Living Marine Resources; Marine Environmental Protection; and Ice Operations. 

Welcome to MyCG

MyCG is the official news hub for U.S. Coast Guard members, civilians and families. MyCG provides news, support and inspiration for everyone:

• Officers: You now have a single hub for career-specific news, resources, plus ALCGPSC and ALCGOFF messages.  
• Enlisted: Your hub has news for enlisted members, along with key links to help you with assignments, the Servicewide Exam, A-schools, career planning and more. Your section also shares the latest ALCGPSC and ALCGENL messages.  
• Civilians: Visit your section to read civilian news, apply for a detail, download your Earning and Leave Statements or get leadership training. Want to book a lighthouse vacation rental? If a military resource is available to civilians, you’ll find it here. 
• Reserves: Your hub page offers key links, resources, and news to support you and your family – before, during and after activation. 
• Spouses: The family hub shares news and resources to help you make the most of Coast Guard life, connect with your ombudsmen, and advance your career. 

No common access card (CAC)? No problem. You can access MyCG anytime, anywhere – from the mess deck to your living room.

Get the app! The MyCG app is available on iOS or Google Play.

Prefer a weekly email? Sign up for the All Hands Briefer, and get a news roundup every Friday. 

Why does MyCG exist?

MyCG is part of the Coast Guard’s broader effort to centralize, streamline, and personalize internal communications. It started as a grassroots effort that gradually drew leadership interest. A working group of enlisted, officers, civilians and spouses spent a year honing the idea into a pilot program.

We believe announcements should be easy to access, understand and act on.  Our content is produced by communicators in the Office of Public Affairs (CG-0922), working in close coordination with Coast Guard districts, areas and headquarters program offices. As we move forward, expect to see even more integration between MyCG, General Messages, Portal, Teams, and the Coast Guard website. 

We want to hear from you! 

For article submissions, event listings, questions, suggestions or feedback, please use the following link: Feedback

Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

Admiral Admiral Linda L. Fagan

Admiral Linda L. Fagan assumed the duties as the 27th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on June 1st, 2022. As Commandant, she oversees all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 active-duty, 7,000 reserve, and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as the support of 21,000 Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers.

She previously served as the 32nd Vice Commandant. Prior flag assignments include Commander, Pacific Area, and Commander, Coast Guard Defense Force West; Deputy Commandant for Operations, Policy, and Capability; Commander, First Coast Guard District; and a joint assignment as Deputy Director of Operations for Headquarters, United States Northern Command.   

Admiral Fagan has served on all seven continents, from the snows of Ross Island, Antarctica to the heart of Africa, from Tokyo to Geneva, and in many ports along the way. Operational tours include Commander, Sector New York, more than 15 years as a Marine Inspector, and sea duty in USCGC POLAR STAR, a 399 ft heavy polar icebreaker.  Staff assignments include Executive Assistant to the Commandant and Vice Commandant, and Division Chief of the Foreign and Offshore Compliance Office.

Possessing extensive interagency as well as intergovernmental experience, Admiral Fagan has worked with both the International Maritime Organization and International Labor Organization on flag state and port state issues. This work includes the development of the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS), and the Consolidated Maritime Labor Convention.

Admiral Fagan holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Science in Marine Affairs degree from the University of Washington, and a Master in National Resource Strategy degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She has earned numerous personal and team awards during her 37 years of Coast Guard service.  Admiral Fagan is the longest serving active duty Marine Safety Officer and holds the distinction of being the Coast Guard’s first-ever Gold Ancient Trident.

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Master Chief Heath B. Jones

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard 

Master Chief Heath B. Jones assumed the duties of the 14th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard on May 19, 2022. Master Chief Jones is the senior enlisted member of the Coast Guard and the principal advisor to the Commandant on all personnel matters.

MCPOCG Jones is a native of Covington, La. He enlisted in the Coast Guard in August of 1995. Master Chief Jones’ previous assignments include Command Master Chief, Deputy Commandant for Mission Support; Command Master Chief, Pacific Area; Command Master Chief, 8th Coast Guard District; Command Master Chief, Sector Hampton Roads; Officer in Charge, USCGC SEA HORSE; Officer in Charge, Station Pensacola; Officer in Charge, USCGC Bollard; Officer in Charge, Station Cape Charles; Executive Petty Officer, Station Little Creek; Executive Petty Officer, USCGC SEAHAWK; Station New Orleans; USCGC KANAWHA.

CMC Jones’s personal awards include five Meritorious Service Medals, five Coast Guard Commendation Medals, two Coast Guard Achievement Medals, the Command Afloat and Ashore Devices, and the permanent Cutterman, Coxswain, and Advance Boat Forces insignia. He is the recipient of the 2012 Signalman First Class Douglas Munro Inspirational Leadership Award and the 2006 Master Chief Petty Officer Angela McShan Inspirational Leadership Award.

CMC Jones is a proud graduate of the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Academy Class 124, the Coast Guard Senior Enlisted Leadership Course class 48, and he is a Keystone 18-1 Fellow. He holds both a Bachelor and a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Management with a specialty in Human Resource Management. He also holds a Certificate of Apprenticeship as a Master Homeland Security Specialist from USMAP. In addition, he serves as a member of the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Board of Directors.

He has been married to the former Carol Ann Clarke of Folsom, La since 1996. They are the very proud parents of son Christian, attending Graduate School at The University of New Orleans, and daughter Sidney, attending Louisiana State University Medical School in New Orleans.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve

U.S. Coast Guard Reserve

Master Chief Petty Officer Adams assumed the duties as the 9th Master Chief Petty Officer-Coast Guard Reserve on the 1st of October 2024, where his priorities include enhancing professional partnerships with senior leaders, improving the day-to-day operations for the Reserve workforce, and helping align Reserve capabilities to ensure our teams continue to have meaning impact.  

His prior assignment was as Sector Charleston Reserve Command Master Chief from May 1st, 2023, until September 30th, 2024, and as the Region 1 Supervisor for Coast Guard Recruiting Command from November 1st, 2023, until September 30th, 2024. 

Master Chief Adams first enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in March of 1994 where he attended basic and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Upon graduation, he reported to his first unit in Lewisburg P.A, the 3rd/103rd Armor division. While in the Army, he deployed in support of operation "Enduring Freedom" in 2002, operation "Iraqi Freedom" in 2005 and was activated to assist during two State of Emergencies in 1996 and then in 2000. 

Master Chief Adams began his Coast Guard career in the Shoreside Security department with Port Security Unit 307, serving from 2006 to 2012. During this time at PSU 307, he deployed in support of operation "Enduring Freedom" in 2008, operation "Unified Response" in 2010, and operation "New Dawn" in 2011. From there, his next duty assignment was at Coast Guard Reserve Unit Southern Command, where he supported joint exercises “Tradewinds” and “Integrated Advance”. Then his journey would take him to Special Missions Training Center, in Camp Lejeune, NC prior to reporting to Coast Guard Recruiting Command in DC. 

MCPO Adams is a graduate of the Chief Petty Officer Academy Reserve class XXXVI, and the Senior Enlisted Leadership Course 99 in New London, Conn. In addition, he's graduated from the Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education (SEJPME) courses I and II, a certified Master Training Specialist, firearms instructor, and completed Chiefs Call to Initiation in the spring of 2013. He is a certified Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training member and the former Chief of the Mess at Special Missions Training Center. 

Some of MCPO Adams awards during his distinguished career include the Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Coast Guard Achievement Medal with “O” device, Navy/Marine corps Achievement Medal, and Army Achievement Medal.  

Admiral Kevin E. Lunday

Admiral Kevin E. Lunday assumed the duties as the 34th Vice Commandant on June 13, 2024.  As the Vice Service Chief, Admiral Lunday advances and executes the Commandant’s Intent and U.S. Coast Guard Strategy, directs internal organizational governance, and serves as the Component Acquisition Executive. 

He previously served as Commander, Atlantic Area where he directed operations from the Navigable Inland Waterways east of the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, and East Coast of the U.S. throughout the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent parts of the Arctic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf.  He also served under Presidential appointment as Director, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Joint Task Force East, responsible for unifying operations to secure the U.S. Southeast Border and maritime approaches.   

In that role, he led successful efforts to deter and prevent a maritime mass migration from Haiti and Cuba in response to the largest surge of attempted irregular migration to the U.S. in thirty years. Admiral Lunday has extensive experience in the Indo-Pacific where he served as Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District, directing operations throughout Oceania, including Hawai’i, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Japan, and Singapore.  He led efforts within the U.S. government and with allies to strengthen partnerships through maritime security with Pacific Island nations across Oceania in the face of growing strategic competition.   

Admiral Lunday has operational and technical experience in cyberspace operations, serving as Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Cyber Command where he directed the operation, maneuver, and defense of the Coast Guard Enterprise Mission Platform as part of Department of Defense (DoD) networks.  He also directed remote and deployable defensive cyberspace operations to protect U.S. maritime critical infrastructure from cyberattack.  He previously served as Director of Exercises and Training (J7), U.S. Cyber Command where he directed the joint training and certification of the DoD Cyber Mission Force, the joint warfighting forces for the U.S. in cyberspace. 

Other Flag assignments include Deputy for Materiel Readiness where he oversaw enterprise program management for Coast Guard acquisitions and contracting, information technology, and engineering and logistics.  He also served as the Assistant Commandant for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Information Technology and performed the duties of Chief Information Officer.   

Admiral Lunday is a career national security attorney and judge advocate, licensed to practice in multiple states and before the U.S. Supreme Court.  He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional and has spoken and published on cybersecurity, privacy, data, technology, and the law.  He is a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy and a graduate of the Naval War College (College of Command and Staff) with distinction. He holds a Juris Doctor with high honors from George Washington University Law School and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.  He is a 2005 recipient of the American Bar Association Outstanding Military Service Career Judge Advocate Award and 2004 recipient of the National Intelligence Certificate of Distinction for his leadership integrating the Coast Guard into the U.S. Intelligence Community.  He has earned additional personal, team, and campaign awards during 37 years of Coast Guard service. 

There are a total of 201 aircraft in CG inventory. This figure fluctuates operationally due to maintenance schedules. Major Missions: Search/Rescue, Law Enforcement, Environmental Response, Ice Operations, and Air Interdiction. Fixed-wing aircraft (C-130 Hercules turboprops and HU-25 Falcon jets) operate from large and small Air Stations. Rotary wing aircraft (H-65 Dolphin and HH-60 Jayhawk helicopters) operate from flight-deck equipped Cutters, Air Stations and Air Facilities.

All vessels under 65 feet in length are classified as boats and usually operate near shore and on inland waterways. Craft include: Motor Lifeboats; Motor Surf Boats; Large Utility Boats; Surf Rescue Boats; Port Security Boats; Aids to Navigation Boats; and a variety of smaller, non-standard boats including Rigid Inflatable Boats. Sizes range from 64 feet in length down to 12 feet.

A "Cutter" is basically any CG vessel 65 feet in length or greater, having adequate accommodations for crew to live on board. Larger cutters (over 179 feet in length) are under control of Area Commands (Atlantic Area or Pacific Area). Cutters at or under 175 feet in length come under control of District Commands. Cutters, usually have a motor surf boat and/or a rigid hull inflatable boat on board. Polar Class icebreakers also carry an Arctic Survey Boat (ASB) and Landing Craft.