Learn About the 

United States

Coast Guard

Missions, People and Equipment
 I AM A COAST GUARDSMAN. 

I SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.

I WILL PROTECT THEM.

I WILL DEFEND THEM.

I WILL SAVE THEM.

 I AM THEIR SHIELD.

FOR THEM I AM SEMPER PARATUS.

I LIVE THE COAST GUARD CORE VALUES.

I AM PROUD TO BE A COAST GUARDSMAN.

WE ARE THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD.
Learn About the 

United States

Coast Guard

Produced by U.S. Coast Guard Community Relations

Concept and illustrations by Rob Green, former Coast Guard officer (robgreendesign.com)

Cover art courtesy of Bryan Snuffer (bryansnuffer.com)
The Revenue Cutter HARRIET LANE

fired the first naval shot of the 

American Civil War, in Charleston 

Harbor, South Carolina (1861)

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We’ve guarded our coasts

 for a long time...

The Revenue Cutter Service was founded in 1790 and joined with the 

U.S. Lifesaving Service in 1915 to become today’s U.S. Coast Guard.
...and we protect America 

every day!

USCGC CHINOOK ON PATROL IN NEW YORK HARBOR

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We rescue people in danger.

4

The Coast Guard has been 

rescuing people at sea for 

almost two centuries, first 

with rowboats and now 

with motor lifeboats and 

helicopters.
On the water, it’s important to be prepared! Here’s some equipment 

boats and ships carry to help them get rescued in an emergency:

Air Horn

Rescue Whistle

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Lifejacket

Flares

EPIRB*

Life Raft

*Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon

Life Ring
We make sure people obey 

our laws on the water.

6

Coast Guardsmen conduct 

boardings of boats and 

ships to ensure they’re 

obeying Federal law. 

We make sure fishermen are 

catching only the kinds of 

fish they’re supposed to! 

FISHING BOAT

SMALLBOAT

BOARDING

OFFICER
...and safeguard our borders.

We keep drugs off America’s 

streets...

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We mark waterways so ships

can travel 

safely.

BUOY

8

CHART

BUOY TENDER

LIGHTHOUSE

The Coast Guard keeps the DAYBOARD

nation’s Aids to Navigation

(ATON) working properly. These 

include buoys, dayboards, and 

lighthouses. Aids are shown 

on charts to help mariners know 

where they are!
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We break ice to keep shipping 

 lanes open in the winter.

The Coast Guard’s polar 

icebreakers travel to 

Antarctica each year to 

break ice so large ships 

can reach McMurdo 

Research Station 

with supplies!

ANTARCTIC SEALS 

ICE SHELF

USCGC HEALY is one 

of the largest cutters; 

it has laboratories 

onboard so scientists 

can conduct Arctic 

and Antarctic research.
Marine Safety Qualification Badge

...and we also 

fight pollution!

We inspect ships 

for safety and 

license mariners...

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CONTAINER SHIP

TUGBOAT

DUCKS

MARINE SCIENCE TECHNICIAN TAKING A WATER QUALITY SAMPLE
We defend the country in

times of war. 

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U.S. ARMY • U.S. NAVY • U.S. MARINE CORPS 

U.S. AIR FORCE • U.S. COAST GUARD

FIVE BRANCHES OF THE U.S. MILITARY:

U.S. NAVAL WARSHIP

U.S. COAST GUARD

NATIONAL SECURITY 

CUTTER
Our cutter fleet helps us 

carry out our missions.

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Cutterman’s Pin

All Coast Guard ships are called cutters. 

Chief Martin is showing Ensign Brown a 

model of a new Coast Guard fast response 

cutter. Follow along with Ensign Brown to 

learn the parts of this cutter!

FANTAIL

EXHAUST PORTS

DECK

SUPERSTRUCTURE

PILOTHOUSE

MAST

NAVIGATION LIGHTS

RADAR

STERN LAUNCH

FLAG (FOR THE SMALLBOAT)

STAFF

U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER 

BERNARD C. WEBBER

(WPC 1101)

USEFUL CUTTER WORDS!

LADDER = STAIRS

PORT = LEFT

STARBOARD = RIGHT

HEAD = RESTROOM

RACK = BED

BULKHEAD = WALL

DECK = FLOOR

OVERHEAD = CEILING

PORTHOLE = WINDOW

PORT

STARBOARD

BOW

(FORE)

STERN

(AFT)
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ANCHOR

DECK GUN

JACK STAFF

DECK GUN

FOC’S’LE

(“FOAK-sull”)

LIFE RAFT

STANCHION

LIFE RAFTS

Chief Martin is showing 

Ensign Brown a model of 

a new Coast Guard fast 

response cutter. Follow 

along with Ensign Brown 

to learn the parts of this 

cutter!

BOWTHRUSTER

Coast Guard cutter sailors are called 

Cuttermen. They trust each other and work closely together as a team to carry 

out the Coast Guard’s many missions. They can be out at sea for weeks or months!
Aircraft get us quickly 

COCKPIT

TAIL ROTOR

(‘FENESTRON’) HORIZONTAL

STABILIZER

SEARCHLIGHT

ROTOR BLADES

HOIST

RADAR

PILOT

Naval Aviator Wings

Aircrew Wings

RESCUE 

SWIMMER

MH-65C 

Dolphin

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to the scene.

Pilots fly the aircraft, and the 

aircrew operate the hoist, 

make repairs, and monitor 

the equipment. Rescue 

swimmers deploy from 

helicopters to pull people 

out of the water. 
Surfman’s Pin

47’ Motor Lifeboat

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Crewman

Boat drivers are called coxswains. They have lots of experience 

and training, and normally start out as a crewman -- watching, 

learning, and helping the coxswain.

Surfmen are trained to take boats into very dangerous waves to 

rescue people. These rescue boats, called Motor Lifeboats, can 

completely roll over in the waves, and still come back upright!

Our rescue boats launch from 

stations on shore.
It takes lots of special training 

to be a Coast Guardsman!

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Coast Guardsmen train throughout 

their careers to be really good at their jobs. 

New enlisted Coast Guardsmen go to the 

Recruit Training Center in Cape May, New 

Jersey. New commissioned officers graduate 

from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and

Officer Candidate School in New London, 

Connecticut.

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The Coast Guard is made up of

different kinds of people.

ACTIVE DUTY OFFICERS & ENLISTED • USCG RESERVE

CIVILIANS • COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

People with lots of different 

backgrounds, skills and interests are 

part of the Coast Guard. 

Everyone works together as a 

team to make sure the Coast

Guard can complete its missions.
CANADA

GREENLAND

ALASKA

HAWAII

MEXICO

CUBA

PACIFIC

OCEAN

GULF OF MEXICO

GULF OF

ALASKA

BERING SEA

ARCTIC

OCEAN

ATLANTIC

OCEAN

RUSSIA

Pacific Area Atlantic Area

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Coast Guardsmen 

serve around 

the world!

1st

5th

7th

8th

9th

11th

13th

14th

17th

Alameda, CA 

Boston, MA

Cleveland, OH

Honolulu, HI

Juneau, AK

Miami, FL

New Orleans, LA

Portsmouth, VA

Seattle, WA

Each District has an office

in a major city. Can you match 

each District with its city?

The Coast Guard is 

split into two Areas,

and nine Districts. 

Each District has 

several Sectors, which 

handle most of the 

actual missions.

The Coast Guard also has offices and units all over the 

world, and we send our cutters to every continent for 

training, disaster relief, and other Coast Guard missions.
Do you have what 

it takes to be a 

Coast Guardsman?

As you can see, the U.S. Coast Guard has a big 

job to do! And we need exceptional people 

to carry out our missions. You might make 

an excellent Coast Guardsman if you’re:

• Respectful of Others

• Disciplined

• Physically Active and Fit

• A Creative Problem-Solver

• An Enthusiastic Learner

• Highly Trustworthy

• A Great Team Member

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Learn more about joining the 

U.S. Coast Guard by contacting a 

Recruiting Office, or by visiting 

www.GoCoastGuard.com!

COAST GUARD DOG HANDLER AND GERMAN SHEPHERD
COAST GUARD MISSIONS

• Honor: Honesty, fairness, and integrity in your beliefs and actions.

• Respect: Showing that you care about others’ feelings and well-being.

• Devotion to Duty: Being willing to carry out the work or tasks you 

know you have to do, even when they’re really hard.

Our service motto is 

Semper Paratus...

in Latin it means 

Always Ready!

The Coast Guard’s core values are 

Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty!

•	Ports, Waterways & Coastal Security (page 3)

•	Search and Rescue (page 4 & 5)

•	Living Marine Resources (page 6)

•	Drug Interdiction (page 7)

•	Migrant Interdiction (page 7)

•	Other Law Enforcement (page 7)

•	Aids to Navigation (page 8)

•	Ice Operations (page 9)

•	Marine Safety (page 10)

•	Marine Environmental Protection (page 10)

•	Defense Operations (page 11)
On an average day, the United States Coast Guard saves 12 lives, responds to 64 

search and rescue cases, interdicts over 800 lbs of cocaine, and services 116 buoys. 

This book describes the equipment, people, and missions that make this possible. 

For additional copies, visit:

www.uscg.mil/community

Learn About the United States Coast Guard!