Anchors Aweigh: Top 12 Fun and Fascinating Facts About the Coast Guard You Never Knew!

1. A Million Lives Saved and Counting

Move over, Baywatch lifeguards, because the real heroes of the sea are turning heads and saving lives: The U.S. Coast Guard, since its inception in 1790, has saved over a million lives and even celebrated this milestone with a grand parade in Coast Guard City USA, releasing a special "Top 10 Rescue Videos" compilation on YouTube for everyone to sea-riously appreciate their efforts.
Source => npr.org

2. The Oldest Continuously Operating Naval Service

Sailing through the choppy waters of time, the U.S. Coast Guard can give the mythical Fountain of Youth a run for its money: Established on August 4, 1790 at Alexander Hamilton's request, it's the oldest continuously operating naval service in the U.S., merging with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and U.S. Life-Saving Service in 1915 and then swallowing the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1939.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know sailors in the Royal Navy have been snoozing in hammocks since the 16th century? These canvas cocoons made for a stable and safe slumber on the high seas. Discover more fun facts about navy life!

=> Fun Facts about The-Navy

3. Rock, Paper, Scissors: Coast Guard Style

Rock, paper, scissors isn't just for playground disputes anymore: it's how Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class John “Branch” Walton snagged the opportunity to join senior instructors in a heart-pounding rescue of a mariner amid 20-foot seas and howling winds, showcasing the daring and dedication of these heroic rescue swimmers.
Source => mycg.uscg.mil

4. Coast Guard's Hugs and Love: Near and Far

Whoever said distance makes the heart grow fonder must have been thinking of the U.S. Coast Guard: While they keep the nation's territorial seas close, with the 12 nautical miles hug around the coast, they also spread their love to the contiguous zone extending up to 24 nautical miles from the baseline. Not stopping there, they even take a dip in the internal waters, but draw the line at the high seas for fear of becoming too clingy. Oh, and don't forget, tidal influence matters!
Source => ecfr.gov

5. Icarus Who? Coast Guard Conquers the Skies

When the Coast Guard isn't playing with their oceanic Tonka toys, they take to the skies like Icarus, minus the whole tragic plummeting part: In fact, the Coast Guard operates a fleet of 202 aircraft, including helicopters and airplanes, that play an essential role in law enforcement, military service, and homeland security operations – some even come armed and dangerous!
Source => uscg.mil

6. Hogwarts or Coast Guard Academy?

Who needs a Hogwarts letter when the Coast Guard has a magical offer of its own, complete with maritime mastery and higher education pursuits: The Coast Guard provides members the opportunity to earn degrees from associate to bachelor's and beyond, while also training in maritime law enforcement, advanced security tactics, and other coastal security operations that would make any wizard or muggle proud.
Source => gocoastguard.com

7. Aquatic Traffic Lights for Boating Bliss

Navigating the open waters with no GPS? No problem, thanks to the Coast Guard's aquatic traffic lights: The United States Coast Guard maintains over 50,000 aids to navigation, including buoys, day beacons, lights, and radio beacons, providing essential guidance for vessels under federal jurisdiction or serving the needs of the U.S. armed forces.
Source => boatus.org

8. Ice Breaker Extraordinaire: The Polar Star

While it's not quite like getting stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Coast Guard's Polar Star sure knows how to break the ice at any social gathering: The only operating heavy ice breaker in the Coast Guard fleet, the mighty Polar Star boasts a $90 million makeover that allows it to plow through tough Arctic ice like butter with its 75,000 horsepower engine, making penguin rendezvous and polar bear stare-offs a typical day at the office for its adventurous crew of 150.
Source => ktoo.org

9. Groovy Sea Cadets Kick Off the Academy

Back in the days when hashtags were still pound signs, and 'tweeting' just meant birdsong to those grooving sea cadets: the first Coast Guard Academy, then known as the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction, set sail in 1876 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, with nine fresh-faced cadets onboard the two-masted topsail schooner Dobbin for a thrilling two-year training adventure.
Source => uscga.edu

10. Musical Maritime Heroes with "Semper Paratus"

With a flair for music and a penchant for saving lives, the Coast Guard's got rhythm as well as rescue down to a tee: Their official march, "Semper Paratus," was penned by Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck in 1927 and has been remixed over the years, much like a seaworthy soundtrack evolving through time to reflect the changing missions of this maritime marvel.
Source => history.uscg.mil

11. Eco-Warriors Saving Marine Life

Did you know the Coast Guard are actually eco-warriors disguised as maritime superheroes? No capes, just boats and environmental goodness: They respond to over 100 pollution incidents annually, helping save marine life from oil spills and hazardous material releases, proving that they're true saviors of not just people but also the ocean's ecosystem.
Source => uso.org

12. All-Seeing, All-Searching Maritime Sheriffs

Ahoy, lawbreakers of the high seas! Beware the all-seeing, all-searching, maritime sheriffs that make up the Coast Guard: They have the power to conduct inquiries, inspections, searches, and seizures in US waters and high seas, arresting individuals, and confiscating vessels or merchandise if they discover any breaches of US law, all thanks to Section 89 of Title 14 of the United States Code.
Source => govinfo.gov