Hey, that’s not me talking, it’s the poll of Americans from Gallup at the Washington Times;
Gallup started asking Americans about the importance of U.S. military branches in the 1940s, using a variety of questions over the years.
Americans until the mid-2000s always viewed the Air Force as the most important branch of the military. While it still ranks high today, it no longer dominates, the pollsters said.
Importance does not necessarily equal prestige.
The Marine Corps has consistently been considered the nation’s most prestigious military branch, even if not the most important, with nearly half of Americans — 47 percent — saying they respect Marines the most.
The Air Force was a distant second, with 17 percent saying is was the most prestigious branch, said the poll.
“Despite successful Navy SEALs raids that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011 and helped rescue the captain of the merchant marine vessel Maersk Alabama from pirates in an incident that was the basis of the movie ‘Captain Phillips,’ the Navy’s image has not benefited,” Gallup noted.
Yeah, this is me gloating over here; Chief Shipley and I have a running email battle in regards to Army/Navy insults. Maybe the Navy needs to make more movies about what .01% of their personnel do to improve their image.
Heck yeah! I’ll take most prestigious! lol… Army/AF are bigger so of course they are most important. Semper Fizzle
And the Army goes rolling along….
Let ’em!
“What aircraft carrier do we have in the area?”
Said every President since, well, since we had aircraft carriers.
Merge the Army and the Air Force, they deserve each other. The Navy already has the Marine Corps, and we get the Coast Guard in time of war, so, whatev Army. You march really well (although not as good as Marines, but way better than the Navy) have rock solid tattoo regs and that neat PT belt, so you got that going for you, which is nice.
Having been in both the Army and Air Force…ARMY all the way!!! Hands down. Maybe if I had been in the Navy I would feel differently. But I was just not…”happy” enough the recruiter said. He kept asking me if I could sing a show tune for him, you know, something from “South Pacific” or “Oklahoma”, if that answers your question. I thought that odd. 😀 😀 😀
What, Sparks – he didn’t ask you to sing “In the Navy”? (smile)
Hondo…It wasn’t out then or I’m sure he would have. What we now call “Classic Ancient Rock” was the order of the day back then. 😀
The Navy controls vital sea lanes. Very important.
The Marines seizes entry points in hostile areas. Very important.
The USAF suppresses the enemy’s air forces, and provides fire and transportation support for all. Very important.
The Army fights and wins the nation’s wars.
Any questions?
If the Army fights and wins the wars, why did the USMC have to go back into Afghan and Iraq? 😀
For the same reason the USMC (and the Navy) had people “on the ground” in Vietnam after about Sep 1965: “It’s the only war we’ve got.”
USMC and Navy leadership couldn’t sit by and do nothing then, and they couldn’t in Iraq or Afghanistan – even if neither was exactly a maritime theater. They might have lost prestige and dollars if they had.
Look, I have great respect for my Naval and USMC brothers-in-arms; they’re true warriors. But neither the USMC nor the Navy is organized to conduct sustained, long-term ground combat. That’s not either the Navy’s or the USMC’s mission. Using forces from either service to do that is IMO simply a political ploy by DoN and/or HQMC to garner prestige and funding.
Good answer. I agree, we aren’t set up (or even big enough) to carry out sustained combat. However, I don’t think it was completely a political move to involve the USMC in Iraq/Afghan/Vietnam. One thing those wars have in common is that they were poorly planned and no one thought about the whole “after the invasion” part of the equation. As a result, they needed more boots on the ground and one option was the USMC. There may have been some element of gaming for political reasons but in the end if it had been planned better I imagine the USMC would have left after reaching/securing Baghdad like we were originally told would happen.
There was an element of “more bodies needed”, true. And in time of crisis, yes – the USMC can indeed “pitch in” and help do the ground combat mission. You guys are damn good at that.
That said, I think there was more politics in play than anything else. Other options were available (e.g., deploy an additional Army division or two vice committing a MEF, and reactivate one or two that were deactivated during the Clinton administration as backfill in CONUS).
IMO, those options weren’t chosen for political reasons. Frist, it would have required DoD publicly admitting it needed more force structure. The Pentagon didn’t want to do that publicly (they achieved the same end by continually keeping reservists and National Guard troops in the mix instead).
Second, deploying a USMC division meant the Army didn’t reactivate one or more of those divisions deactivated under Clinton – which would have given the Army claim to a bigger share of DoD’s budget. It also garnered more publicity for the USMC, and justified a greater share of DoD’s budget for both the USMC and the Navy (which provides much of the USMC’s logistical support).
The saner approach IMO would have been to temporarily reactivate an additional 2 Army divisions and add them to the mix, then inactivate them as things wound down in-theater. But that wasn’t politically palatable to either political leadership or within the Pentagon.
Bear in mind that they tried to achieve those kinds of force expansion results by going to a “brigade-centric” force, with 4 brigades per division (which we are now seeing drawn down to 3).
There was some talk about bringing back the flags for 5th and 24th infantry Divisions, but I think the plan was to put NG brigades under them and not to flesh them out with regular Army units.
All good points and I won’t argue against them. You’ve been in the game longer than I. Just one reason I like this blog so much- I learn a lot from those who have been there and done it. Perhaps some of my resistance to blaming it all on politics is from this deep-seeded desire to believe that the peeps in power have our best interests in mind. Give me 10 years and I imagine that would back off some lol.
All good points. Prior to the 1st Gulf War, the Corps’ focus was, as it seemed, on amphibious operations and wasn’t geared for prolonged periods of combat (as it is today). A MEU can sustain itself for a time, but not indefinitely, which is why that branch is trying to get back to its amphibious roots/doctrine. During OEF/OIF, the Corps adapted to sustained combat operations, and eventually learned about civil affairs and such. IMO, the Army was better prepared at “nation building” than the Corps was, but it learned and adapted. Clearly the world has changed, so its hard to say whether the Corps will fully return to its amphibious doctrine – as much as it would like to.
+1 internetz.
ED – so if it was a poorly planned goat-rope, then it was a natural fit for the USMC – is that what your reply means? (Just pulling yer leg, brother – you left it wide open.)
I tend to agree with Hondo – no service chief is going to voluntarily let his service sit on the sidelines during an active war – too much money and prestige at stake.
Touche 😀
Hondo…NONE HERE. I heard that loud and clear.
The Navy’s problem is that they have not blanketed the interwebs with pictures of Shipley’s hair. There can be no other explanation.
Richard…If the Navy promoted that sea duty, salt air and such caused you to grow a head of hair like Chief Shipley’s, men, young and old, would be lined up around the block at the Navy recruiter’s station.
The US has only two branches of military; ARMY and NAVY.
The Airforce is a coporation and the USMC is a cult.
🙂
I wish this were true. It would mean I would have spent 2 less years in Iraq during my time. Good thing this cult knows how to fix things (kick ass). lol
AF chairborne! It’s not an adventure, it’s just a job. AF Intel wasn’t even close to being military, except we shared the same business suit.
How many votes did USAF Auxiliary CAP get?
OOOOHHHH!!! That had to leave a mark! 😀
I’m guessing they got at least one from the DFW area . . . .
Can I get a vote for “The Guard”? Not sure which, a certain Lieutenant Corporal wasn’t too clear on that.
🙂
Duh-nations that do not have armies do not generally stay in the habit or remaining nations for very long (there are a very few exceptions-Costa Rica has an Army-the United States Army and Mauritius relies on the French, may God help them).
Relatively few nations have a Marine Corps (even then it is usually a small, extremely specialized force-not really like the USMC), more have a Navy (though many do not in any form other than river patrol or coastal defense) and most have an Air Force in some form, though often its main functions are close air support and transportation of the Army. Only in island nations like the UK or Japan is the Navy or perhaps greater importance than the Army.
“…is the Navy of perhaps greater importance than the Army.”
All serving members of my family have been in all branches of the military, all the way back to the Civil War. And come to think of it, I had family on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line, too! So I can’t discriminate, I have to love all of them. 🙂
This is simply evidence of a PR gap, as the navy doesn’t crow about their battles as much as the army does. Your average person has seen Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan. The average person may have seen how Robert Shaw was defeated at the Battle of the Bulge.
How many of those same folks know where “Ironbottom Sound” is, or why it is called that? How many know what happened at Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in human history? No, all they ever hear about is Pearl Harbor and they get to thinking about that dipshit Ben Affleck.
Also, I will have to point out that Benedict Arnold was so spoiled by the sheer awesomeness of his brief ad-hoc naval experience, that when he was told to go back to doing army stuff, he became a traitor.
Ah, then you have never seen ‘Victory At Sea’, have you?
Plenty of movies that played up the Navy over time “Midway”, “They Were Expendable”, “Operation Pacific”, “Run Silent, Run Deep”, “Mister Roberts”, etc., etc., etc. (those are all off the top of my head).
And seriously “the navy doesn’t crow about their battles as much as the army does”-come on. The Navy has plenty to be proud of, but Navy KIA for Okinawa were greater than for all conflicts for the Navy up until WWII combined-and still were fewer than the Peninsula Campaign during the Civil War or the Marne during WWI, just for examples. I think we might be forgiven a little “crowing” to whatever extent that’s so.
Yes, all of those movies were made 40 years ago or greater. The only recent navy movies I can think of are “Pearl Harbor”; a movie that deep throated so many goat cocks that it was spoofed with a musical number in “Team America: World Police”, some diver movie where Cuba Gooding shows a bunch of racist whities that he can sink to the bottom just as well as they can (a movie so good I can’t even remember the title), “Navy Seals”, a boilerplate 80s movie featuring so many hilarious cliches that it was laughed at in the theater and… “Top Gun”. The biggest homoerotic cheese fest to ever star Tom Cruise.
The navy has been associated with terrible, cheesy shit in the eyes of the past two generations while the army has been consistently kicking ass on the big screen. I see this as a big contributing factor to a current “who is more important” opinion poll.
They were made in the immediate aftermath of the greatest naval battles in the history of this country, which seems fair enough. I suppose you could count “Hunt for Red October” as being a Navy movie and you left out “Lone Survivor” (I’ll be charitable and not bring up “Battleship”). Meanwhile, the Army has been spoofed in “Stripes”, shown as filled with brutal incompetents in “Platoon’ and cast as cold-hearted murderers in “Casualties of War”. But the real military history has come out as well, and that’s the biggest factor IMHO.
Yes but “Stripes” was obviously made to be ridiculous, poking fun at military bureaucracy in general. You could switch out which service they enlisted into, and the humor would carry over well.
Platoon had tremendous action sequences, decent acting and good writing, even though it contained the same ham fisted Oliver Stone bullshit that is in every one of his movies. Those were both good, well written movies. (Casualties of War sucked, if I recall).
Any badassness that “Lone Survivor” may have lent the navy doesn’t begin to make up for the absolute atrocity of Magic Mike pulling an e-brake j turn with a CGI Iowa class battleship manned by a crew of 12 museum curators.
“…doesn’t begin to make up for the absolute atrocity of Magic Mike pulling an e-brake j turn with a CGI Iowa class battleship manned by a crew of 12 museum curators.”
😀 LOL
Hey, I wasn’t going to bring it up.
68W58 You saw “Battleship” too I see.
Well, they also had CPO Sharkey and McHale’s Navy on TV, while we got stuck with Private Benjamin and Tour of Duty, as well as China Beach and of course Sergeant Bilko.
The movie about the first black USN diver you’re referring to is “Men of Honor.” I concur; very good movie. See it if at all possible.
It’s an awesome movie, and a true story to boot.
“Men of Honor” was a good movie about an inspiring man but not a very good reflection on the Navy. Of course it reflected on the nation as a whole in that time frame.
Plus it doesn’t help when the Navy movies that come out are either inaccurate as hell or just suck ass; see Top Gun, Hunt For Red October, and Crimson Tide.
About the only two submarine movies I like are Das Boot and Down Periscope–and the latter is for the humor.
Das Boot is outstanding. What do you think of the WWII USN sub movies?
All of this leaves aside plenty of pro-Navy propaganda in Magnum P.I. and NCIS.
About the only one I really got into was, “Run Silent, Run Deep.”
Nothing recent is anything I find remotely entertaining or accurate.
Such is the nuke in me coming out.
What, you didn’t appriciate a Russian sub commander with a ScotTish accent? LOL 🙂
A little off topic, but the above reminded me of another horrible casting choice, that of the Irish actor Liam Neeson to play a Scottish national hero, Rob Roy.
We – the Navy – have bigger guns than the Army does. 😛 😛 😛 😛 😛
We also have Senior Chief Shipley’s hair.
And where else can you find summer dress whites that look like the wearer is an ice cream salesman choking to death on his own collar?
I don’t know….I used to get called “Bus Driver” a lot.
Cool Story Time Bro..
I was a one-striper fresh out of basic and Tech School in Dallas Texas…..
I was at the Hilton waiting in line to as the front desk what room my Mom was staying in as I was visiting her before heading home and taking 30 days leave before leaving for Okinawa….
A lady in the lobby said…”Young man can you get these bags??” and out of common courtesy and reflex I started to help the older lady when her husband piped in quite loudly….”MILDRED, That Young Man isn’t a BELLHOP, He’s in “The SERVICE”!!!…I just sheepishly stood there while they went on their way.
/true story.
Yep. And we in the Army appreciated the hell out of that “bus ride”, amigo.
Beats the hell out of walking, driving, riding a ship, or swimming 1/2 way around the world. (smile)
Hondo LMAO. I said before, I went in the Army instead of the Navy because I figured I could dig a foxhole a hell of a lot quicker than I could shit an island.
Don’t think the Navy has the largest guns any more, Ex-PH2.
Best I can tell, the largest gun on any current US Navy ship has a bore diameter of 5″.
A 155mm howitzer has a bore diameter of 6.1023622″. (smile)
Bigger isn’t always better. As I recall, battleships on D Day couldn’t bring their guns to bear on targets on Omaha Beach. It wasn’t until destroyers were allowed to move in that naval support helped the 1st and 29th off the beach. As you’ve noted, Hondo, those tubes were about the equivalent of Army FA.
Think you may be confused on that… the Texas shelled Pont du Hoc and steamed within 3000 yards of shore, which for the big guns is pretty much point-blank range. There were 4 US and two English battleships at D-Day… notably, almost all were relatively elderly (WWI). They were used to reduce the toughest German emplacements.
Not confused, I mentioned Omaha Beach, where mortars and MGs mowed down the grunts from positions that couldn’t be hit with guns from the battleships because the battleship guns fired on too flat a trajectory and overshot intended targets. Destroyers wanted to help, but were being held back to screen the fleet. I think it was something like five hours before the destroyers were released and finally able to take out the German beach emplacements. I’m sure the H2 channel will cover all this at some point this weekend.
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/destroyersatnormandy.htm
CC – not as familiar with this as I should be but quick read through the article linked makes no mention of that – says battleships played an active role in the shelling.
‘Dawn of D-Day: These Men were There’ has passages which indicate the battleships were sited to the rear of the destroyers and used primarily against hard targets off the immediate beach while the destroyers were highly effective in direct fire at emplacements on/by the beach. I’m guessing direct fire through one of your own destroyers is bad form? Either way, several articles seem to support the contention that the pre-invasion shelling was inadequate for many reasons.
Might be true, Hondo, but we do have lasers.
Attached to fricken sharks?
So does the Army. We use them as rangefinders, and to designate targets for useful weapons. (smile)
+1 !
The US Navy has the world’s largest rail gun.
The guns on Navy battleships are the 18-inch variety. The gunpowder used to fire shells on these babies is in cartridges that are the same size as 55-gallon oil drums.
And let’s not forget torpedo tubes (submerged guns) which fire torpedoes (submerged shells), as well as the subsurface missile launching sections of submarines.
😛 😛 😛
Yep and it would be great if the Navy still had any in active service… 😛
Weren’t those 16 inch guns on US ships? The rail gun is way cool though.
Correct. The biggest guns the US Navy ever had were the 16″ ones on the Iowa class BBs.
The main guns of the Japanese Yamato class BBs were larger – 18″ (technically 18.1″/460mm). Only two of those were ever built (Yamato and her sister-ship Musashi).
“Big gun” cool story time. A Pal of mine from Tucson, Paul Franklin was the AF FAC that called naval gunfire in on a train in North Korea. He spotted the train in the open and it scooted into a tunnel. He called for fire from a BB cruising off the coast of NorK. I think is was the Missouri. He called for shots on the tunnel mouth. One salvo closed the north mouth and a second salvo closed the south end. For those of you old enough to remember that event was portrayed on the 50’s TV show “Flight” Paul had four combat tours in B-17s and B-24’s in the ETO. And a DFC for close air support in a FAC T-6 against the ChiComs in Korea.
I’ll see your 18 inch anything with a nuclear warhead.
Developed by the Army’s Manhattan Engineering District, commanded by US Army Corps of Engineers LTG Leslie R.
GravesGroves, no less. (smile)Hondo not to nitpick or be an ass hole but he was LTG Leslie R. Groves. 😀
Correct. My error in spelling the man’s name.
Hondo, I only added that because where I live there is a “Leslie Groves” park and a Groves Blvd.
Hondo, I hope I didn’t offend you with that correction. It was not my intention.
No offense taken, Sparks. Need to get it right.
The p!sser is, I know damn well how to spell Groves’ name – I own his book about the Manhattan Project. But the fingers sometimes have a mind of their own, I guess. (smile)
Hondo, That’s cool because sometimes my mind has a mind of its own. 😀
Yep. And most of the guys who survived the delivery of same ended up where?
What is most important is directly related to what you need at the moment. Every once in a while it is fun to point out that other services call for an assist from the Air Force much more often than the other way around. But, it takes all of us to get the job done. Sometimes in spite of ourselves.
Those in the Manhatten Projet who didn’t leave government service after World War II generally stayed with Groves when it became the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, OWB. First 3 COs of that organization were all Army GOs, too. (smile)
Seriously, yes – all our armed services are interdependent. It’s damn difficult for ground troops to get overseas without either air or sea transport, or to get resupplied without same. And ground combat is substantially less difficult (and suffers far fewer friendly casualties) when only our side has air support available.
Still, as one USAF officer (an A-10 pilot, as I recall) once put it: “It doesn’t do me much good to go out there and shoot up the enemy all day if I come back to base and find a T-62 parked at the end of the runway.”
You can shell, bomb, or strafe a piece of ground all day long. You can even deny the enemy effective use of it by doing so. But you don’t own that ground unless you have a friendly troop there on the ground with a weapon.
In general, that’s the Army’s job – to put Joe there with his weapon.
Was teasing you a bit there, Hondo. The guys who delivered the weaponry developed by the Manhattan Project were Air Corps pilots. Those who survived, and remained in service, ended up in the United States Air Force, for the most part, even the mechanics.
About defending the airfield – it has historically been the job of the Air Force to protect it’s own assets. That could have changed in recent years, but my own experience has not included any Army troopers protecting the perimeter unless they just happened to be there. Aircraft mechanics and port folks used to defend their own turf and aircraft.
Although, there have been times when so many of our ANG personnel were deployed that National Guard troopers were brought in to guard the assets left behind, but only a couple of times in my 30+ year career.
OWB: yes, the aircrews and mechanics went into the USAF – eventually. But the folks who built the weapons also “survived” the delivery. Most of them didn’t. (smile)
Defend the airfield perimeter? Yeah, in the past that wasn’t generally Army folks who did that. But that’s no longer universally the case. Recently at Bagram, Balad and VBC in Baghdad, I’m pretty sure perimeter security for the base or base complex was indeed the Army’s responsibility. Security immediately outside the base certainly was. Never got to Kandahar or left the aircraft at Mosul, so I can’t speak to those with any certainty. (I think the Army had that responsibility at Mosul and ISAF had that responsibility at Kandahar, but I’m not positive.)
Regardless: keeping the other side from getting close enough to overrun the supporting airfields has always been the Army’s job. ‘Cause they’d have generally overrun a few Army HQs and Support Areas before getting to your airfield. (smile)
Pretty good discussion we’re having here, Hondo! Perhaps we should take it somewhere else instead of boring everyone else with it? Feel free to email me.
Anywho, I seemed to always be in a position to know who was supposed to secure what, and am now pondering the possibility that we back office AF folks may actually have had more situational awareness because we all knew that we had to defend ourselves should it come to needing to be defended.
Actually the guys that delivered the gadgets to Tinian ended up in the sea with the sharks.
America is an relatively low-population insular nation. (What distorts this image is the fact that we’re a continent-sized island–people think “continent” more than they think “island” when they look at a map of the US.)
This makes strategic aerospace/maritime power, not a continental power.
We do not have the population density to sustain a continental strategy over the long haul, nor are we close enough to like theaters of operation to rely on a continental approach, even if we did have enough bodies to spare.
We do continental campaigns fine. Who, in the modern era, has done them better?
And we should have a strong Navy because the sea lanes are important to us and we should be able to protect our overseas possessions and out allies.
But in the big, lose your nation, conflicts in our history, it has been the Army that has done the heavy lifting. Those facts are not in dispute.
Cut down to bare bones the most important part of our military, in my humble opinion, is our Navy.
It’s our carrier groups and Submarines that extend our reach.
The SEALs are just a small smidgeon of what they do, and frankly if it isnt in water, they are no more special than Special Force or Marsoc.
Our Marines are in a wierd situation in that they are not only expected to be a seaborne force in readiness and reactionary force, but are capable to supplement Army forces when needed.
Our Army is a Juggernaut. If it wants to go take a land objective it does, you simply cant stop it.
Of course the Air Force provides air cover for it, plus it can destroy the infrastructure of many country within a month.
It all pales in comparision to the coast guard Auxilary and CAP
And some of those Auxiliary and CAPs are Juggernauts all by themselves…
With Spankarella and Denny-Boi the CAP indeed would be a juggernaut of teeth, spit, fat and body odor destroying cheesecake factories and donut shop all over.
Had the Navy used a slogan equal to the “Army of One” thing that is so appealing to the self-indulgent, they would have done much better.
Well, OWB, the Navy is not and adventure. It’s just a job. And sailors still wear crackerjack suits instead of (those godawful) blazers that make them look like they’re delivering milk.
I was lured into the Marines by them not promising me a rose garden.
That wasn’t a slogan, OWB – it was the objective of the latest round of downsizing. Or maybe a projection based on rapidly-increasing personnel and equipment costs.
I’m kidding, of course. I think.
Think it might have been projection from a couple of down sizing cycles past. Maybe. I just remember seeing a commercial on TV, actually being revulsed by it, then asking, “What was that?” Saw T-shirts later, and was glad to have already had the shock therapy thing.
Yeah, that one was one of the Army’s less-inspired efforts in terms of official slogans. Thankfully it was also one of the shorter-lived ones.
I’ve heard claims that the “One” in that slogan was an acronym, standing for “Officers, Non-Commissioned, and Enlisted”. I ain’t buying that without proof.
Hondo, I remember as a young troop the Top telling me, “The Officers are the head of the Army but the NCOs are the backbone and you enlisted troops are right there below us”. (Smiling as he said it.) I felt proud for about two weeks before it sank in what he was really saying about the “youth” of the Army.
How about Finest Thing Available? Or Fun, Travel and Adventure? (Gawd, I’m dating myself.)
Naaa, it very specifically was an attempt to pander to the educated ‘nerd’ element of our youth who are traditionally put off by being lumped into a generic ‘whole’ and who crave individual recognition for every little thing.
And yes, it was a horrible slogan.
An exit poll asking about what the five branches of the military were would have yielded some…interesting…results, I’m certain. I wonder just how many people had to be told they couldn’t vote for the FBI or NASA.
I’ll just leave this here…We may be small, but we kick ass when needed AND we have the EAGLE… 😛
U.S. Coast Guard History
The U. S. Coast Guard is simultaneously and at all times a military force and federal law enforcement agency dedicated to 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, referred to as “cutters,” 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,” 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, thereby providing the nation with a single maritime service dedicated to saving life at sea and enforcing the nation’s maritime laws. 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, thereby placing merchant marine licensing and merchant vessel safety under its purview.
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 every one 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.
Yes Toasty, and I was always proud that I was defending the coast of America from four thousand miles away on LOR Sta Marcus Island, Minami Tori Shima, Japan.
Oh yea, and we have a movie too 😀
Expected.
I mean who in their right mind would question that United State Army’s importance when they have all those shiny doo dadds, patches, cords, and fancy hats?
Obvious order of important is dictated by flair. This is universally known.
Hooah!
Hold on now, lets take a look at those poll Numbers.
Most Prestigious:
Marines 47% Army 15%
Most Important:
Army 26% Marines 19%
So in Prestige we got you by 32% and in Importance you got us by 7%. While we are only 50% of your size.
I don’t know what any of this means, but I think its very clear that we win……….something
Yep, everytime you deploy. 🙂
The AF has the market cornered on spiffy planes but, generally, their personnel look like crap.
The Marines have the market cornered on cool commercials and looking good when all dressed up.
The Coast Guard has the market cornered on, um, er, um–history! Yes, the Coast Guard has history.
The Army has the market cornered on paratroopers, Rangers, and scary-looking helicopters.
The Navy has the market cornered on stupid (“Hey, get me another Asian and two more Hispanics in this shot!”) commercials and, of course, gayhood.
Actually 2/17 Air Cav, we have a hell of a lot more than just history.
Coast Guardsmen have fought in every conflict since the Constitution became the law of the land. They are still “always ready” to defend the homeland and serve as one of the nation’s armed services.
With no disrespct Air Cav, suck it.
Quasi-War with France
During the Quasi-War with France (1797-1801), eight cutters (one sloop, five schooners, and two brigs) operated along the southern coast and among the islands of the West Indies. The two brigs and two of the schooners each carried 14 guns, and 70 men. The sloop and the other schooners each had 10 guns and 34 men. Eighteen of the twenty-two prizes captured by the United States between 1798 and 1799 were taken by cutters unaided. Revenue cutters also assisted in capturing two others. The cutter Pickering (left) made two cruises to the West Indies and captured 10 prizes, one of which carried 44 guns and was manned by some 200 sailors, more than three times its strength. Although the cutters did not participate in the Barbary Wars (1801-1815), a number of cutter officers transferred to the Navy and fought in the Mediterranean.
War of 1812
During the war’s opening phases Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin requested from Congress, “small, fast sailing vessels,” because there were, “but six vessels belonging to the Navy, under the size of frigates; and that number is inadequate…” Since then, cutters have extensive service in littoral or “brown water” combat operations.
The cutters distinguished themselves during the War of 1812. It was a cutter that captured the first British vessel. One of the most hotly contested engagements in the war was between the cutter Surveyor and the British frigate Narcissus. Although Surveyor was eventually captured, the British commander considered his opponents to have shown so much bravery that he returned to Captain Travis his sword accompanied by a letter in which he said,
Your gallant and desperate attempt to defend your vessel against more than double your number excited such admiration on the part of your opponents as I have seldom witnessed, and induced me to return you the sword you had so ably used in testimony of mine…I am at loss which to admire most, the previous arrangement on board the Surveyor or the determined manner in which her deck was disputed inch-by-inch.
Coast Guard military history The defense of the cutter Eagle against the attack of the British brig Dispatch and an accompanying sloop, is one of the most dramatic incidents of the war (left). With the cutter run ashore on Long Island, its guns were dragged onto a high bluff. From there Eagle’s crew fought the British ships from 9 o’clock in the morning until late in the afternoon. When they had exhausted their large shot, they tore up the ship’s logbook to use as wads and fired back the enemy’s shot which had lodged against the hill. During the engagement the cutter’s flag was shot away three times and was replaced each time by volunteers from the crew.
Piracy, which prevailed during the first quarter of the nineteenth century in the Gulf of Mexico, owed its suppression chiefly to the revenue cutters. The officers of the Service waged a relentless war upon the pirates. They pursued the pirates to their rendezvous and hideouts and attacked and dispersed them wherever found. On 31 August 1819, the cutters Louisiana and Alabama were boldly attacked off the southern coast of Florida by the pirate ship Bravo commanded by Jean La Farge, a lieutenant of the notorious Jean La Fitte. The action was of short duration and was terminated by the cutters’ boats boarding the enemy and carrying his decks in a hand-to-hand struggle.
Soon it became too hazardous for the pirates to continue to base themselves along the coast or in the numerous bayous of Louisiana. They, therefore, established themselves on Bretons Island. The cutters Alabama and Louisiana discovered their new hideout, drove the pirates off, and destroyed everything on the island which could afford shelter or make it habitable. The destruction of this hideout practically ended pirate bases on U.S. territory. Nevertheless, piratical craft operating from bases in Mexico, Central and South America, and Cuba, still made frequent visits to American waters resulting in a number of engagements with revenue cutters.
Seminole Wars
During the Seminole Wars (1836-1842) eight revenue cutters supported Army and Navy operations. Duties performed by these vessels included attacks on war parties, breaking up rendezvous points, picking up survivors of Seminole raids, carrying dispatches, transporting troops, blocking rivers to the passage of Seminole forces, and the dispatch of landing parties and artillery for the defense of settlements. These duties were performed along the entire coast of Florida.
Mexican War
The two principal naval operations carried out during the War with Mexico (1846-48) were blockading the enemy’s coasts and amphibious landings. The U.S. Navy was critically short of the shallow-draft vessels needed for the landings. Five cutters were engaged in amphibious operations and performed important services during a number of landings, particularly those at Alvarado and Tabasco. Cutters also served on blockade duty.
Military operations were not limited to declared wars. In 1855, Second Lieutenant James E. Harrison of the cutter Jefferson Davis accompanied Company C, 4th U.S. Infantry during an expedition against hostile Indians in the Washington territory. On 3 December, while in camp, Indians assaulted the company, killing its commanding officer. Lieutenant Harrison took command, rallied the men, and beat off the attackers.
Coast Guard military history Ten years after the War with Mexico a naval force was sent to Paraguay in 1858 to settle a dispute with that nation. The cutter Harriet Lane (left) was ordered to join the squadron. Since the cutter was the only shallow-draft steamer among the 18 ship force, the Harriet Lane was the most active warship in the squadron. Commodore Shubrick, in his report to the Secretary of the Navy, made special mention of Harriet Lane’s value to the squadron and the skill and zeal shown by her commander, Captain John Faunce.
Civil War
The sympathies of the cutter force were divided between the North and the South during the American Civil War (1861-65). In a famous dispatch to General John A. Dix, the Treasury Secretary declared that, “If any one attempts to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot.” Transmitted on the evening of 15 January 1861, this order was to ensure Federal control of the cutter Robert McLelland, then in the port of New Orleans. Despite this message, many cutter men, including those on Robert McLelland, chose to join the Confederacy. It was at this time that the Service received its first official name, the Revenue Cutter Service.
Coast Guard military historyThe principal wartime duties of Union cutters were patrolling for commerce raiders and providing fire support for troops ashore. Meanwhile, Confederate cutters were principally used as commerce raiders. Cutters were also involved in notable individual actions. The first naval shot of the Civil War (right) was fired by the cutter Harriet Lane when it challenged the steamer Nashville with a shot across its bow. The steamer was attempting to enter Charleston harbor without displaying the U.S. flag. The Harriet Lane also took part in the capture of Hatteras Inlet. Following this action, the cutter was transferred to the Navy. The cutter Miami carried President Abraham Lincoln and his party to Fort Monroe in May 1862, preparatory to the Peninsular Campaign. Reliance’s commanding officer was killed as the cutter engaged Confederate forces on the Great Wicomico River in 1864. On 21 April 1865 cutters were ordered to search all outbound ships for the assassins of President Lincoln.
Spanish-American War
Coast Guard military history The Revenue Cutter Service also rendered conspicuous service during the Spanish-American War (1898). Eight cutters, carrying 43 guns, were in Admiral Sampson’s fleet and on the Havana blockade.
(Left: cutter Manning fires on Spanish positions off Cabañas, Cuba on 12 May 1898.)
The McCulloch, with a complement of 10 officers and 95 men and carrying six guns, was at the Battle of Manila Bay and was later employed by Admiral Dewey as his dispatch boat.
In the action off Cardenas on 11 May 1898, the cutter Hudson, Lieutenant Frank H. Newcomb commanding, sustained the fight against Spanish gunboats and shore batteries side by side with the torpedo boat U.S.S. Winslow. Coast Guard military history When half of Winslow’s crew had been killed and its commander wounded, Hudson rescued the torpedo boat from certain destruction (right). In recognition of this act of heroism, Congress authorized a gold medal for Lieutenant Newcomb, a silver medal for each of the officers, and a bronze medal for the enlisted members of the crew.
Also during the Spanish-American War, the Navy assigned the task of coast watching to the U.S. Life-Saving Service. As a result, approximately two-thirds of the Navy’s coastal observation stations were Life-Saving Stations. Although the Spanish fleet never approached the U.S. coast, this Coast Guard predecessor service dutifully maintained its vigilance throughout the war.
On 28 January 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service and the U.S. Life-Saving Service were combined to form the United States Coast Guard. The law combining these two services stated that the Coast Guard was an armed service at all times and made provisions for its transfer to the U.S. Navy when needed. While this had been the practice since 1798, when the Navy was created, this relationship was finally defined in law.
World War I
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 saw cutters become responsible for enforcing U.S. neutrality laws. With the declaration of war against Germany on 6 April 1917, a coded dispatch was transmitted from Washington to every cutter and shore station of the Coast Guard. Officers and enlisted men, vessels and units, were transferred to the operational control of the Navy Department. The Navy was augmented by 223 commissioned officers, approximately 4,500 enlisted men, 47 vessels of all types, and 279 stations scattered along the entire United States coastline.
Coast Guard military historyOn the morning of Dec. 6, 1917, a tremendous blast ripped through the sleepy town of Halifax, Nova Scotia (left). The explosion destroyed 3,000 dwellings, killed more than 1,600 people and injured 9,000. Many of the dead were children. That morning the French freighter Mont Blanc, carrying 5,000 tons of TNT, collided with the Norwegian steamship Imo in Halifax’s outer harbor. Unfortunately, after the collision, a fire started, and the crewmen tried to put it out rather than scuttle the ship. When the fire reached the TNT, an explosion – equal to a small nuclear blast occurred. The Mont Blanc virtually disappeared, and the shock waves threw the Imo ashore. The Mont Blanc disaster ranks as one of the worst maritime tragedies of all times. This particular ship sailed from New York on its way to Europe, one of hundreds that loaded explosive cargoes in New York for the war in Europe. It was this disaster that stirred American leaders to empower the Coast Guard to ensure that this never happened in the United States.
The Coast Guard and its predecessor agency, the Revenue Cutter Service, have long been tied to the movement and anchorage of vessels in U.S. territorial waters. The RCS was first tasked with this job during 1888 in New York. By 1915, when the Coast Guard was created, the service was directed by the Rivers and Harbors Act “to establish anchorage grounds for vessels in all harbors, rivers, bays and other navigable waters of the United States . . . .” During World War I, the Coast Guard continued to enforce rules and regulations that governed the anchorage and movements of vessels in American harbors. The Espionage Act, passed in June 1917, gave the Coast Guard further power to protect merchant shipping from sabotage. This act included the safeguarding of waterfront property, supervision of vessel movements, establishment of anchorages and restricted areas, and the right to control and remove people aboard ships.
The tremendous increase in munitions shipments, particularly in New York, required an increase in personnel to oversee this activity. The term “captain of the port” was first used in New York and this officer was charged with supervising the safe loading of explosives. During the war a similar post was established in other U.S. ports.
Coast Guard military historyDuring World War I, CAPT Godfrey L. Carden, commander of the Coast Guard’s New York Division (right), was named COTP in that harbor. The majority of the nation’s munitions shipments abroad left through New York. For a period of 1 1/2 years, more than 1,600 vessels, carrying more than 345-million tons of explosives, sailed from this port. In 1918, Carden’s division was the largest single command in the Coast Guard. It was made up of over 1,400 officers and men, four Corps of Engineers tugs and five harbor cutters.
In August and September 1917, six Coast Guard cutters, Ossipee, Seneca, Yamacraw, Algonquin, Manning, and Tampa left the United States to join U.S. naval forces in European waters. They constituted Squadron 2 of Division 6 of the patrol forces of the Atlantic Fleet and were based at Gibraltar. Throughout the war they escorted hundreds of vessels between Gibraltar and the British Isles, as well as escort and patrol duty in the Mediterranean. The other large cutters performed similar duties in home waters, off Bermuda, in the Azores, in the Caribbean, and off the coast of Nova Scotia. They operated either under the orders of the commandants of the various naval districts or under the direct orders of the Chief of Naval Operations.
A large number of Coast Guard officers held important commands during World War I. Twenty-four commanded naval warships in the war zone, five commanded warships attached to the American Patrol detachment in the Caribbean Sea, twenty-three commanded warships attached to naval districts, and five Coast Guard officers commanded large training camps. Six were assigned to aviation duty, two of which commanded important air stations including one in France. Shortly after the Armistice, four Coast Guard officers were assigned to command large naval transports engaged in bringing the troops home from France. Officers not assigned to command served in practically every phase of naval activity, on transports, cruisers, cutters, patrol vessels, in naval districts, as inspectors, and at training camps. Of the 223 commissioned officers of the Coast Guard, seven met their deaths as a result of enemy action.
The cutter Tampa distinguished itself during the war. Under the command of Captain Charles Satterlee, she sailed from New York on 16 September 1917 for service in European waters. Tampa proceeded to Gibraltar via the Azores Islands and was assigned to a division of escorts convoying between Gibraltar and England. On 5 September 1918, Rear Admiral Niblack, commanding the U.S. naval forces based at Gibraltar addressed a special letter of commendation to Captain Satterlee. He called attention to the fact that Tampa, since her arrival, had escorted 18 convoys between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom, was never disabled, and was ready whenever called upon. Admiral Albert Niblack stated,
This excellent record is an evidence of a high state of efficiency and excellent ship’s spirit and an organization capable of keeping the vessel in service with a minimum of shore assistance. The squadron commander takes great pleasure in congratulating the commanding officer, officers, and crew on the record which they have made.
Coast Guard military history On the evening of 26 September 1918, the Tampa, having completed its duty as ocean escort for a convoy from Gibraltar to the United Kingdom, proceeded toward the port of Milford Haven, Wales. At 8:45 p.m. a loud explosion was heard by the convoy. Tampa failed to arrive at its destination and U.S. destroyers and British patrol craft made a search of the area. Nothing but a small amount of wreckage identified as belonging to the Tampa and two unidentified bodies in naval uniforms were found. It is believed that Tampa was sunk by UB-91 which reported sinking an American warship fitting Tampa’s description (left). One hundred-fifteen, 111 of whom were Coast Guard personnel, perished. With the possible exception of the collier Cyclops, whose fate and date of loss have never been ascertained, this was the largest loss of life incurred by any U.S. naval unit during the war. An additional 81 Coast Guardsmen lost their lives in World War I due to accident or illness. In the end 8,835 men had served in the Coast Guard during World War I.
Vice Admiral C.H. Dare of the British Navy, the commanding officer at Milford Haven, in a telegram to Admiral Sims, expressed the universal sympathy felt at Milford Haven by all ranks and rates in the loss of Tampa,
Myself and staff enjoyed the personal friendship of her commanding officer, Captain Charles Satterlee and had great admiration for his intense enthusiasm and high ideals of duty…
The British Admiralty addressed the following remarks to Admiral Sims:
Their Lordships desire me to express their deep regret at the loss of the U.S.S. Tampa. Her record since she has been employed in European waters as an ocean escort to convoys has been remarkable. She has acted in the capacity of ocean escort to no less than 18 convoys from Gibraltar comprising 350 vessels, with a loss of only two ships through enemy action. The commanders of the convoys have recognized the ability with which the Tampa carried out the duties of ocean escort. Appreciation of the good work done by the U.S.S. Tampa may be some consolation to those bereft and their Lordships would be glad if this could be conveyed to those concerned.
Coast Guard military historyWorld War II
Following the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, the Coast Guard again carried out extensive patrols to enforce the neutrality proclaimed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 5 September 1939. Port security began on 20 June 1940 when President Roosevelt invoked the Espionage Act of 1917, which governed the anchorage and movement of all ships in U.S. waters, and protected American ships, harbors and waters. Shortly afterwards, the Dangerous Cargo Act gave the Coast Guard jurisdiction over ships carrying high explosives and dangerous cargoes. In March 1941, the Coast Guard seized 28 Italian, two German and 35 Danish merchant ships. A few days later, 10 modern Coast Guard cutters were transferred on Lend-Lease to Great Britain.
Coast Guard military history On 9 April 1941 Greenland was incorporated into a hemispheric defense system. The Coast Guard was the primary military service responsible for these cold-weather operations, which continued throughout the war. On 12 September, the cutter Northland (right) took into “protective custody” the Norwegian trawler Buskoe and captured three German radiomen ashore. The ice-going cutter Northland had been built for service in Alaskan waters. During the spring of 1941 the cutter had been brought around to the East Coast for duty in Greenland waters. Buskoe was the United States’ first captured vessel of World War II.
Individual cutters and units were assigned to the Navy beginning in the spring of 1941. On 1 November 1941 the remainder of the Coast Guard was ordered to operate as part of the Navy. Among the most important Coast Guard undertakings were cold weather operations in Greenland, anti-submarine warfare escort, amphibious landings, search and rescue, beach patrol, port security, and LORAN duty.
Coast Guard-manned warships sank at least 11 enemy submarines.
Coast Guard military history(Right: Coast Guardsmen aboard the frigate USS Moberly celebrate their sinking of U-853.)
Most of these U-boats were destroyed in 1942 when the issue of who would win the Battle of the Atlantic was still very much in doubt. Coast Guard personnel manned amphibious ships and craft from the largest troop transports to the smallest attack craft. These landed Army and Marine forces in every important invasion in North Africa, Italy, France and the Pacific. Also, due to their experience in handling surfboats, Coast Guardsmen also helped train members of the other military services in the use of amphibious craft.
Coast Guard military history Coast Guard coastal picket vessels patrolled along the 50-fathom curve, where enemy submarines concentrated early in the war. On shore armed Coast Guardsmen patrolled beaches and docks, on foot, on horseback, in vehicles, with and without dogs, as a major part of the nation’s anti-sabotage effort. Once this threat abated, the Coast Guard manned 351 naval ships and craft and 288 Army vessels in addition to 802 cutters (those over 65 feet in length).
(Above, left: the battered Coast Guard-manned landing craft USS LCI(L)-85 goes down after first beaching on the Normandy coast, 6 June 1944.)
Coast Guard cutters, boats and aircraft rescued more than 1,500 survivors of torpedo attacks in areas adjacent to the United States. Cutters on escort duty saved another 1,000, and over 1,500 more were rescued during the Normandy operation by 60 83-foot patrol craft specifically assigned to that duty.
(Right, below: Coast Guardsmen rescue the survivors of the torpedoed troopship Henry Mallory.)Coast Guard military history
Two hundred and thirty one thousand men and 10,000 women served in the Coast Guard during World War II. Of these, 1,918 died, a third losing their life in action. The Service sustained its first casualties on 8 December 1941 when the Leonard Wood was bombed by Japanese aircraft at Singapore.
One Coast Guardsman died as a prisoner of war, having been captured at Corregidor. Almost 2,000 Coast Guardsmen were decorated, one receiving the Medal of Honor, six the Navy Cross, and one the Distinguished Service Cross. The Coast Guard returned to the Treasury Department on 1 January 1946.
Korean Conflict
During the Korean War (1950-53), the Coast Guard performed a variety of tasks. After the start of the conflict, the Coast Guard established air detachments throughout the Pacific. These detachments, located at Sangley Point in the Philippines, Guam, Wake, Midway, Adak, and Barbers Point in the Hawaiian Islands conducted search and rescue to safeguard the tens of thousands of United Nations troops that were being airlifted across the Pacific. The service recommissioned a number of mothballed Navy destroyer escorts to augment the fleet (left).
Coast Guard military historyIn January 1953 a PBM flying from Sangley landed in 12-foot seas in an attempt to rescue a Navy P2V crew. The Coast Guard amphibian crashed on takeoff when an engine failed. Five Coast Guard and four Navy men lost their lives. Additional weather station sites were established in the Pacific to help guard the flow of troops and supplies to Korea. Twelve destroyer escorts were transferred from the Navy to the Coast Guard to help carry out this duty. Also, a team of about 50 Coast Guardsmen were stationed in Korea, helping establish the Korean Coast Guard, which has since evolved into that country’s Navy (right). The Coast Guard also provided communications and meteorological services plus assured port security and proper ammunition handling.
War in Vietnam
Coast Guard military historyThe Coast Guard was asked to participate in the Vietnam War by the Army, Navy, and Air Force and performed a variety of duties. At the outset of the military buildup in the mid-1960s, the Navy lacked shallow water craft needed for inshore operations. To help fill this need, the Coast Guard sent 26 82-foot cutters to Vietnam. These formed Squadron One. (Left: Squadron One cutters depart Manila Bay on their way to Vietnamese waters.)
The squadron, split into three divisions, was stationed at Danang in the north (Division 12), Cat La in the center (Division 13), and An Thai in the south (Division 11). The cutters spent some 70 percent of their time underway. They inspected junks for contraband, intercepted and destroyed North Vietnamese and Viet Cong craft, and provided fire support for friendly forces.
Coast Guard military historyWhile the 82-foot cutters helped patrol inshore, larger cutters helped form a deepwater barrier against infiltration. For this task, the Coast Guard established Squadron Three. It consisted of five high endurance cutters on ten-month deployments from their U.S. home ports. Thirty high endurance cutters served on this duty between 1967 and 1971 (right, the Mendota conducts a naval gunfire support mission.)
Coast Guard military history in Vietnam, explosive loading detachmentThe U.S. Army had the difficult task of setting up harbor security and getting cargo safely unloaded and moved into the country. Since almost all munitions entered South Vietnam by ship, the Army asked the assistance of the Coast Guard. The men of the Coast Guard Port Security and Waterways Detail traveled throughout Vietnam inspecting ports and harbors for security against enemy attack and safe storage of hazardous materials. Coast Guard Explosives Loading Detachments were established at major ports to supervise the off-loading of ships (left).
Coast Guard military historyThe Coast Guard set up and operated a LORAN C (long range navigation) system in Southeast Asia in order to assist the U. S. Air Force warplanes with precision navigation. It was a difficult task finding transmitting sites, bringing in equipment, and building the system. The Coast Guard LORAN Construction Detachment began work in January 1966 and on 8 August 1966 the navigation network was on the air. LORAN stations were established in Lampang, Sattahip, and Udorn, Thailand and Con Son, Vietnam (right). A fifth station was later added in Tan My, Vietnam.
The rapid development of deepwater ports in Vietnam brought an expanded need of navigational aids for preventing vessel accidents. South Vietnam’s small aids-to navigation force with its one buoy tender could not meet the demand. Coast Guard buoy tenders in the Pacific made periodic trips to Vietnam installing and maintaining buoys. A Coast Guard Aids to Navigation (ATON) Detail was set up in Saigon to coordinate workloads for these visits as well as keeping buoys and range markers lighted.
Coast Guard military history(Left: Coast Guardsmen fire the mortar on their “piggy-back” weapon, a .50 caliber Browning machine gun mounted above an 81-mm mortar tube. This unique weapon was designed by Chief [Warrant] Gunner Elmer L. Hicks, USCG, which became standard armament on all Coast Guard cutters assigned to duty in Vietnam.)
At the height of the military buildup more than 300 merchant ships were engaged in the sealift of materiel to Vietnam. The Coast Guard Merchant Marine Detail resolved merchant seaman problems and ensured that these ships moved in and out with as little delay as possible.
Coast Guard pilots flew combat search and rescue with the Air Force in Southeast Asia, under an inter-service exchange program. Most of the time the pilots were assigned to the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron, at Danang. The flew Sikorsky HH-3F “Jolly Green Giants” (right) in some of the most dangerous operations undertaken during the war. One Coast Guardsman, LT Jack Rittichier, was killed when his helicopter was shot down during an attempt to pull an American from enemy-held territory.
Some 8,000 Coast Guardsmen served in Vietnam. Seven lost their lives and 59 were wounded. Although research is incomplete, it has been verified that through 1970, Coast Guardsmen received the following awards: 12 Silver Stars, 13 Legion of Merit medals, 16 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 114 Bronze Stars, 87 Air Medals, 151 Navy Commendation Medals, 27 Army Commendation Medals, five Coast Guard Commendation Medals, 43 Navy Achievement Medals, 66 Purple Hearts, 53 Vietnamese Navy medals and 15 Presidential Unit Commendations.
Coast Guard military history(Left: Crewmen aboard the cutter Point Welcome; GM2 Mark McKenny in the foreground and ENC Bill Wolf behind the “piggy-back” weapon.)
On 7 March 1984, in an effort to define the role for the Coast Guard in planning for the national defense, the Secretaries of the Navy and Transportation signed a memorandum of agreement establishing Maritime Defense Zones (MDZs) on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. The Commanders of the Coast Guard Atlantic and Pacific Areas were designated as the commanders of these zones. For the purpose of planning and exercising for the coastal defense of the United States, during peacetime these commanders report respectively to the Navy Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Commanders-in-Chief. Upon declaration of war or when the president so directs, the MDZ commands will be activated for operations and will obtain Navy and Coast Guard active and reserve forces. The Area Commanders retain their normal relationship with the Commandant for all other purposes, including the performance of the civil functions of the Coast Guard.
On 4 August 1986, Commandant Paul Yost issued a policy statement which provides that the MDZ Commands and the Coast Guard have inter-related roles in the coastal defense of the United States. The Coast Guard will remain responsible for the performance of those specialized functions, such as enforcement of laws and treaties, promotion of safety of life and property at sea, aids to navigation, icebreaking and search and rescue, for which it has been responsible within the Department of Transportation.
Desert Storm & Beyond
Coast Guardsmen have also participated in the country’s most recent conflicts. Three were assigned to U.S. forces in Operation Just Cause, the liberation of Panama in 1989. With the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 1 August 1990, the Coast Guard was again called to perform military duties on a large scale. On 17 August 1990, at the request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Transportation and the Commandant of the Coast Guard commit Coast Guard law enforcement boarding teams [LEDETs] to Operation Desert Shield. A total of 10 four-person teams served in theatre to support the enforcement of UN sanctions by the Maritime Interdiction Forces. Approximately 60 percent of the 600 boardings carried out by U.S. forces were either led by or supported with the USCG LEDETs. Additionally, a 7-man liaison staff was designated by the Commandant as Operational Commander for the USCG forces deployed in theatre. The first boarding of an Iraqi vessel in the theatre of operations conducted by a USCG LEDET occurred on 30 August 1990.Coast Guard military history
(Right: a Coast Guard PSU member in action.)
President George H. W. Bush, on 22 August 1990, authorized the call up of members of the selected reserve to active duty in support of Operation Desert Shield. Three port security units (PSUs), consisting of 550 Coast Guard reservists are ordered to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield. (This was the first involuntary overseas mobilization of Coast Guard Reserve PSUs in the Coast Guard Reserve’s 50-year history). A total of 950 Coast Guard reservists were called to active duty.
Other reservist duties included supervising RRF vessel inspection and loading hazardous military cargoes. On 15 September 1990 the Secretary of Transportation and the commandant committed the first-ever deployment of a Coast Guard Reserve port security unit overseas, Port Security Unit 303. Prior to the launch of Operation Desert Storm, Coast Guard LEDET personnel on board the USS Nicholas (FFG-11) assisted when the frigate cleared eleven Iraqi oil platforms and took 23 prisoners on18 January 1991. On April 21,1991, a Tactical Port Security Boat (TPSB) of PSU 301, stationed in Al Jubayl, Saudi Arabia, was the first boat in the newly reopened harbor of Mina Ash Shuwaikh in Kuwait City. Because of certain security concerns, a determination was made to send one of the 22-foot Raider boats belonging to PSU 301 and armed with .50 caliber and M60 machine guns, to lead the procession into the harbor and provide security for the festivities.
Coast Guard military historyOn 11 September 2001, terrorists hijacked four commercial aircraft, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon in Washington, DC (the fourth aircraft crashed around Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers on board attempted to regain control from the terrorists). USCG units from Activities New York were among the first military units to respond in order to provide security and render assistance to those in need. In response to the terrorist threat and to protect our nation’s coastline, ports and waterways, six U.S. Navy Cyclone-class patrol coastal warships were assigned to Operation Noble Eagle on 5 November 2001. This was the first time that U.S. Navy ships were employed jointly under Coast Guard command. (Above, right: USCGC Tahoma patrols off Manhattan after the attack on the World Trade Center.)
Coast Guard military historyIn the aftermath of the terrorist attacks President George W. Bush proposed the creation of a new Cabinet-level agency, eventually named the Department of Homeland Security. The Coast Guard was foremost among the agencies slated to become a constituent of the new department. On 25 November 2002, President Bush signed HR 5005 creating the Department of Homeland Security. Soon after, Tom Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania, was confirmed as the department’s first Secretary. On 25 February 2003, Transportation Secretary, Norman Mineta transferred leadership of the U.S. Coast Guard to Secretary Ridge, formally recognizing the change in civilian leadership over the Coast Guard and ending the Coast Guard’s almost 36 year term as a member of the Department of Transportation (above, left).
Coast Guard military history(Left: the 110-foot cutter Wrangell escorts the British supply ship Sir Galahad up the Khawr Abd Allah River in Iraq on 28 March 2003.)
As a prominent member of the new department, US Coast Guard units deployed to Southwest Asia in support of the US-led coalition engaged in OpeCoast Guard military historyration Iraqi Freedom early in 2003. At the height of operations, there were 1,250 Coast Guard personnel deployed, including about 500 reservists. This included two large cutters, a buoy tender, eight patrol boats, four port security units, law enforcement detachments and support staff to the Central (CENTCOM) and European (EUCOM) Command theaters of operation.
(Right: A 25-foot Port Security boat from PSU 311 pauses near an anchored freighter in the Khawr Abd Allah River above Umm Qasr in May, 2003.)
Sorry for the horrible cut and paste job….Just a tad protective of my BoS.
Folks forget Coasties have saved many a Soldier, Sailor and Marine’s asses a few times throughout history.
The only Coastie who received a Medal of Honor was a landing boat cox saving Marines on Guadalcanal.
Legans~
You write that as if its a bad thing.
I thought I was writing it as a good thing. You mentioned Coasties were saving Marines asses and I wanted to point out a specific example.
His name is Douglas A. Munro and he was a Signalman 1st Class. My uncle, who served in the Coast Guard for 23 years, gave me an old magazine with an article about him.
My apologies Legans….
I read it wrong…and I probably wrote my post wrong as well.
Munro was a true Coast Guard hero. There is a cutter named after him too.
Thank you and your Uncle for your service.
No worries, Coastie. I’m not a good writer and am I not very smart (which is why I don’t post on here very often.) My uncle served 26 years, not 23. Thank you for your service too.
Legans~
You are very smart and I enjoy reading your posts.
A lot of times folks don’t realize what a big role Coasties have played in our history because we are a very small branch and usually under the Navy during war time. I just wanted to show that we can hold our own and have held our own during times of war.
I don’t usually post in the 4 branch tit for tat because I don’t know a lot about their histories to add anything of use. But I do enjoy reading what is written about each of the branches.
Again my deepest apologies if I offended you.
Costie, you didn’t offend me at all so please stop thinking you did.
I have been enjoying your posts about the Coast Guard and I have nothing but respect you you and your great little service.
Thank you Legans 🙂
Were they in the First Barbary Pirate war 1801-1805 or the Second Barbary Pirate war 1815? I missed those on your list.
Legans~
No. That period of time was all Navy with an assist from the Coast Guard.
“The cutter Pickering (left) made two cruises to the West Indies and captured 10 prizes, one of which carried 44 guns and was manned by some 200 sailors, more than three times its strength. Although the cutters did not participate in the Barbary Wars (1801-1815), a number of cutter officers transferred to the Navy and fought in the Mediterranean”.
The 9 hour fight of the Cutter Pickering against the Frenchie L’Egypte Conquise is the stuff of legend. Look up “Badasses” and you will see that crew.
I have read it before, but will again. Its quite amazing what those boys did.
Oh and for the record there were and are still any number of Coast Guard PSU Units currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
When the world is at peace the Navy is at war.
Sailors Join the Navy and go to sea, Ships are built to go to sea. They do not sit in port until needed. Sailors do not train and then have the weekend off.
In peace time every US ship is deployed with a full combat load.
The Navy has more airplanes than the Air force.
An American ship is sovereign Soil no matter where it is in the world.
In this time of cut back all Branches are being hit, Except the Navy.
You must have missed the news
The Navy has great big ships.
The Army has great big fighting vehicles.
The Air Force has great big planes.
The Coast Guard has a great big area to watch over.
The Marine Corps has great kissers.
That is all.
(Just my opinion, of course.)
😀
Yup. (That’s what my wife says too.) (and she were a jarhead, just like me.)
You over did it on the Coast Guard, Toasty. You gave me history to counter the comment that the coast Guard has…history. I am not diparaging the five Coast Guard combat deaths and two accidental deaths in Vietnam. Nor am I taking the measure of the Coast Guard by the one who perished in a combat theatre since VN ended. It’s just that if one wants to fight, the Coast Guard is not the service to join. I would guess that if the general public–admittedly comprised largely of morons–were asked to name the branches of service, one would be omitted. That’s just the way it is.
I apologize to you if I have misread your post, 2/17 Air Cav, but we will have to disagree on the fighting part. The PSU Units currently serving in Iraq and Afganistan will disagree, as will my husband who was there and in Kuwait as part of PSU Unit 307. They aren’t exactly sitting around on rafts floating about twiddling their fingers.
I posted the War history to show that the CG did indeed fight in times of War.
You are correct that as a rule most are unaware that the Coast Guard has been in War and have gone into combat, but its not their primary role. And yes, they are not the Service to join if you are looking to be “High Speed, Low Drag”. But all that means is that as Veterans, we need to do better at educating the masses of the value each branch has.
However, if I was a civilian reading your post, I would take it that you were stating the CG was a joke, and I found that to be out of line.
I do realize that there will always be ribbing between the services, but if you are going to tease, be informed.
CG history is quite impressive. It is a completely different animal to the other Branches, but that doesn’t mean we deserve less respect because of a lack of “Spec Ops” type folks.
I guess this means no Christmas card from Toasty again this year.
Aww of course you will receive a Christmas card this year 2/14 Ar Cav.
You are one of my very favorite posters here and I enjoy reading what you write.
Disagreements happen. It is a great opportunity to learn something new, which I do each and every time I come here.
No bad feelings I hope.
OOPs 2/17 Air Cav…
Twisted fingers typing.
Jerry Pournelle often brings up the old saying that “the Navy belongs to the President and the Army belongs to Congress”. That’s because (in the days before radio communication and aviation) the Navy had to be able to carry out national policy as directed by the President quickly and the fleet had to be able to exercise some discretion about how to act. The Navy had Marines to carry out limited expeditionary warfare, but-and a look at the casualty figures before WWI bears this out http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq56-1.htm-it wasn’t going to get into too much trouble.
Whereas mobilizing the Army was going to mean bloodshed and expense and could only be done with serious deliberation, hence the consent of Congress. This is why for 150 years we had a Secretary of the Navy and a Secretary of War. Without a declaration of War-excepting the obvious example of the Civil War-the Army would not be mobilized. All of this changed when the DOD was organized after WWII, but I don’t think you can understand the military history of our country without understanding all this.
I’ve read through all the posts and nowhere do I see any mention of the Merchant Marine Fleet. Don’t they still have a mission of transporting goods and materials to/from war zones? Just asking because a couple of men from my hometown were WWII Merchant Marines and were treated with the same respect as all the other veterans.
Claw~
The Merchant Marines can be both Civilian and Military.
During Peace time their primary mission is transporting cargo and passengers. During War time, the become part of the Navy Auxillary transporting supplies and troops.
They do not though participate in Combat but are responsible for protecting their vessel and cargo.
If I remember correctly, in times of War they can earn Veteran status, but I can’t say for sure 100%.
A little more on Merchant Marines.
“While the U.S. Government does employ some persons with Merchant Marine credentials to work on various types of government-owned ships, the Merchant Marine itself is not a military service, nor is it an auxiliary to the U.S. Navy during peacetime, and merchant seaman themselves are not military personnel. A “merchant marine” is the commercial fleet of a nation, the ships are owned by various shipping companies. U.S. merchant ships are regulated by the Coast Guard, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.
P.L. 95–202, approved November 23, 1977, granted veteran status to Women Airforce Service Pilots and “any person in any other similarly situated group” with jurisdiction for determination given to the Secretary of Defense who delegated that determination to the Secretary of the Air Force.[5] Although they suffered the greatest casualty rate of any service, merchant mariners who served in World War II were denied such recognition until 1988 when a Federal Court ordered it”.
Thanks, TC. Regardless of being a civilian or military, if they were in a position to be sunk by torpedo, strafed by enemy air, or shelled by enemy battleships, I would consider them to be veterans no matter what Congress says.