The U.S. Coast Guard is considered one of the branches of service of the U.S. military, informally, but it is officially not a part of the U.S. Department of Defense during peacetime. It is actually a part of the Department of Homeland Security. In times of war, the Coast Guard is realigned and falls under the command and control of the U.S. Navy. In 2010, Congress established the Coast Guard Cross, the Coast Guard's second highest military award for valor in combat. It is intended to recognize members of the Coast Guard for extraordinary heroism in action while not serving under the U.S. Navy. Coast Guard members serving under the Department of the Navy are eligible for the Navy Cross. The Coast Guard Cross has never been awarded.
The president of the United States may award the Coast Guard Cross to any person who distinguishes themselves by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of the Medal of Honor, while serving in any capacity with the Coast Guard, when the Coast Guard is not operating under the Department of the Navy, under one of the following conditions: While engaged in action against an enemy of the United States; while engaged in military operations involving conflict with a foreign opposing force or international terrorist organization; while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
The Coast Guard is eligible to earn the Medal of Honor when under Navy control, and in fact, in the Coast Guard’s long history, only one man has earned the decoration. Signalman First Class Douglas Munro earned the Medal of Honor in 1942 at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. He posthumously received it for heroism while leading a group of Higgins boats during an evacuation of a Marine battalion trapped by the Japanese. Munro used his boat for evacuation and to draw enemy fire, at one point, positioning himself between the evacuating Marines and enemy.
Coast Guard personnel have also earned the Silver Star, the Nation’s third highest award for bravery. In World War II, several men earned Silver Stars for their efforts operating landing craft at Normandy on D-Day and several more earned them in the Pacific theater.