Today we celebrate the Coast Guard’s vast commitment and service to the Nation for 232 years! Since 1790, the Coast Guard has defended the nation, enforced commerce, and protected the environment. To ensure continued mission success, the service is embarking on its greatest transformation yet: transforming its workforce, sharpening its competitive edge, and advancing its mission excellence.

Coast Guard was created on August 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton to construct ten vessels, known as “revenue cutters,” to combat smuggling and enforce tariff laws. Hamilton carried out his charge enthusiastically, which is why he is considered “the father of the Coast Guard.” The Coast Guard was the United States’ only armed maritime force for the next eight years. Congress didn’t establish the Navy until 1798.

The Coast Guard’s initial role in combating smuggling and enforcing tariff laws was critical to the success of the early American Republic. Back then, tariffs—or customs duties—provided as much as 90 percent of federal revenue. That fact is why the Coast Guard was called the Revenue Marine or the Revenue Cutter Service until 1915. That year, Congress combined it with the U.S. Life Saving Service and rechristened the Coast Guard. The service gained additional responsibilities in 1939 when President Roosevelt gave it responsibility for the Lighthouse Service. In 1946, Congress transferred the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation to the Coast Guard.

Today, the Coast Guard has roughly 41,000 active duty personnel, more than 8,000 reserve personnel, and some 30,000 civilian auxiliary volunteers. The Coast Guard maintains a fleet of 259 cutters, 200 aircraft, and 1,602 boats. In addition to our constant presence along the U.S. coast and significant waterways, Coast Guard personnel have served in all of America’s major conflicts, including Afghanistan and Iraq. On any given day, Coast Guard law enforcement teams board 144 vessels, Coast Guard small boats launch nearly 400 missions, and Coast Guard aircraft fly 164 operations. In a typical year, the Coast Guard will respond to 20,000 search-and-rescue cases and save more than 3,500 lives.