Gail Kulisch: What is the U.S. Coast Guard?

1. Gail Kulisch: What
is the U.S. Coast
Guard?

2. Gail Kulisch is a retired Captain of the
United States Coast Guard.

3. The Coast Guard is one of five branches of
the U.S. military, and the only one under the
purview of the Department of Homeland
Security rather than the Department of
Defense. The Coast Guard plays a vital role
in the protection of U.S. maritime interests all
over the world. Although its name implies a
focus on the meeting of ocean and land, the
Coast Guard also works to ensure the safety
and security of inland waterways.

4. While the Coast Guard is responsible for
dealing with military or terrorist threats, its
scope of duty also goes far beyond those
concerns. The Coast Guard is part of the U.S.
response to major environmental disasters
along our coasts or offshore (such as oil
spills), and it is a crucial part of interdicting
drugs, raiding and seizing contraband from
ships involved in drug trafficking.

5. In more mundane realms, the Coast Guard
also operates many icebreakers to keep
waterways clear in frozen Northern regions,
and inspects merchant vessels for safety as
well as other code violations.

6. In more mundane realms, the Coast Guard
also operates many icebreakers to keep
waterways clear in frozen Northern regions,
and inspects merchant vessels for safety as
well as other code violations.