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It originally appeared on the U.S. Department of Defense's Military Health System Blog :
Tuesday, August 04, 2009 - Happy Birthday, Coast Guard!
Posted by: Health.mil Staff
Today we celebrate the U.S. Coast Guard's 219th birthday!
In 1790, the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 sea vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling. Originally called the Revenue Cutter Service, the Coast Guard began life as part of the U.S. Treasury Department. It wasn't until 1915 that this branch of service received its present name under an act of Congress that gave the nation a single maritime service dedicated to saving lives at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws. As their Web site states, the United States Coast Guard is a "military, multimission, maritime service within the Department of Homeland Security and one of the nation's seven uniformed services. Its core roles are to protect the public, the environment, and U.S. economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways."
We show gratitude to the Coast Guard for serving our country in these five fundamental roles: maritime safety, maritime security, maritime mobility, national defense, and protection of natural resources.
The Coast Guard's motto is Semper Paratus (Always Ready), and the service is always ready to respond to calls for help at sea.
Today, Coast Guard, we say thank you for protecting our borders and seas.
Happy Birthday!