UNITED STATES COAST GUARD, THE

(USCG) military service within the U.S. armed forces that is charged with the enforcement of maritime laws. It consists of approximately 30,000 officers and enlisted personnel, in addition to civilians. During peacetime it is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation; in time of war it is within the Department of the Navy and under the direction of the president. The USCG was established in 1790 by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton as the Revenue Marine Service. It later became the Revenue Cutter Service and, in 1915, was combined with the U.S. Lifesaving Service (formed 1878) to become the Coast Guard. It was under the (peacetime) jurisdiction of the Treasury Department until 1967. The Coast Guard enforces all applicable federal laws on the high seas and waters within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. It administers laws and promulgates and enforces regulations for the promotion of safety of life and property along the entire U.S. coast (including Alaska and Hawaii). It develops and operates aids to navigation in order to maintain the safety of ports and vessels in U.S. territorial waters. The peacetime duties of the Coast Guard involve the inspection of vessels and their equipment and the direction and operation of lighthouses, lightships, buoys, and such electronic navigational aids as loran (long-range navigation) stations and radio beacons. The Coast Guard maintains an extensive network of lifeboat and search-and-rescue stations using surface vessels and aircraft. It also operates the International Ice Patrol, which maintains surveillance of icebergs in the North Atlantic shipping lanes. The USCG also gathers data for the National Weather Service and assists distressed ships and planes. Wartime duties include ship escort, port security, and manning transports. The Coast Guard also assists in the interdiction of illegal narcotics that enter the United States on or over coastal waters. The Coast Guard's organization parallels that of the U.S. Navy, and Coast Guard ranks and ratings are identical to those of the Navy. The two services' uniforms are also similar. The USCG is headed by a Coast Guard admiral who is appointed by the president. Coast Guard Reserve was established in 1939. Women have been permitted to serve in the regular Coast Guard since 1973. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Conn.