19 Coast Guard Facts That Will Make You Appreciate Their Hard Work

The coast guard is responsible for imposing the country's maritime laws, homeland security, marine inspection, and assisting commercial vessels in distress.

Coast guard members also offer navigation aids, emergency service to merchants, lighthouse service maintenance. They also aid in giving emergency services to victims of natural calamities like hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis.

Coast guard service members' duties include ice breaking in inland waterways and collecting and distributing data regarding floods, storms, and hurricanes in some countries.

The U.S. coast guard members, the International Ice Patrol department, looks after the icebergs in the shipping lanes of the North Atlantic Ocean. The most renowned coast guard office includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard, Coastguard Service in Britain, and the Japanese Maritime Service Agency. All the coast guard service members serve under the supervision of their respective governments. Voluntary lifeboat organizations conduct the duties.

Role Of A Coast Guard

The coast guard is primarily a part of the armed force or military service; they guard the ports. Both men and women equally are permitted to serve and protect the ports of their country. More than 42,000 coast guards are serving to defend America's coastal waters.

• It is a unique part of the military department and is responsible for performing maritime duties, ensuring safety, maintaining law in the sea, and rescue operations.
• The coast guard is responsible for protecting and safety of offshore terminals, artificial islands, devices in the maritime region. It helps and protects the fishers in distress.
• Protection of the maritime environment.

Remuneration Of A Coast Guard

As a team member of the coast guard, you will be privileged to receive a good salary package with lots of other benefits.

• All the members enlisted in the coast guard annually receive $20,000, not only the basic pay but also more.
• Members also receive other benefits like allowances depending on their rank. Other allowances include housing allowance, family separation allowance, sea pay, clothing allowance, and dangerous-duty pay allowance.
• Based on the time of service and their promotion, the pay increases.
• If in the area you are transferred, government housing is not available; you will get Basic Allowance for housing.

Qualifications Of A Coast Guard

Proper educational qualification is required for the post of coast guard. So here are the qualifications required for becoming a part of the U.S. coast guard.

• Every coast guard who wants to enroll must be a citizen of the U.S.
• Those willing to apply must be between 17-35 years of age.
• Your age must be between 17 and 40 years under the reservation quota.
• A high school diploma is mandatory. GED scores are also accepted in special cases.
• You should not have more than three dependents on your family.
• You must pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test to enroll as a coast guard.

Career Prospects Of A Coast Guard

By serving in the coast guard, you have a lot of opportunities and better career prospects. You can even have the chance to join in criminal justice.

• For crewing and maintaining C.G. aircraft, you can join as an Aviation-Maintenance Technician.
• To provide medical emergency support, save lives, and maintain shipments, you can join as Aviation Survival Technician.
• To repair the aircraft's complex avionics electrical systems, you can work as Avionics Electrical Technician.
• You can work as an operations specialist to protect the public from coastal water threats and hazards, control boats, aircraft, and cutters.
• The damage control man does the emergency repair and maintenance.
• You can also join as an electrician, electronics technician, gunner's mate, doctor, I.T. technician, intelligence specialist, machinery technician, marine technician, and so on.

But, to join a law enforcement entity, you need to have the desired qualifications. You will have the opportunity to train and experience better career prospects and enroll in other law enforcement careers.

FAQs

Q: How many Coast Guard bases are there?

A: There are around 24 coast guard bases in the United States, and it operates around 210 aircraft from the base.

Q: How much do coast guards make?

A: The salaries of the U.S. coast guard range from $18,264-$483,218. The middle-rank coast guards earn between $87,570-$219,121. The top-level earns $483,218.

Q: What is the Coast Guard symbol?

A: The symbol in the official flags includes a pair of intersecting anchors; on top of it is a life ring with a shield encircled by a grommet.

Q: What are the 3 basic roles of the Coast Guard?

A: The three primary roles of the coast guard are maritime environmental protection, national defense, and maritime security.

Q: What does the Coast Guard defend?

A: The coast guard is responsible for homeland security and law enforcement at sea, protection of the marine environment, search and rescue operations, and guarding the country's coastal regions and ports.

Q: What are the responsibilities of the Coast Guard?

A: Responsibilities of the coast guard department include ensuring the security and safety of the coastal regions and ports, protecting the marine environment, maritime safety, national defense, and saving and recusing lives.

Q: What is the Coast Guard motto?

A: The motto of the U.S. coast guard is Semper Paratus - Always Ready.

Q: What is unique about the Coast Guard?

A: The coast guard is the oldest continuous ongoing service. Its responsibilities include navigation, rescue and search operation, ice breaking, marine environment protection, maritime law enforcement, port and coastal waters security, and military readiness.