Would you consider the coast guard as being a miltary service?

Kitty

No, it is not. It is part of Uniformed Services. Which to put it simple alongside with Merchant Marines and those who work at NHS. You still get the ID Card. If you look closely is not a military ID Card but Uniformed Services which also includes military. So Military is part of Uniformed Services. So it is Homeland Security not DoD. They are two different branches.

Perro De Lava

Why not?? They are out in the gulf region wearing a uniform with the stars and stripes on it defending our freedom, so im gonna say YES, they are part of the military.

Ryan F

The United states Government considers it military... after the four regular branches the Coast Gaurd is our first line of defense...

Pyar

The Coast Guard is a military service.

blix_78

The coast guard is most definitely a military service.

imkevlar (boycott ignorance)

yes.

Chuck J

Yes the USCG is considered a military service. It is subject to the UCMJ and has the military pay scale. It's now part of Homeland Security but was DOT. Coasties deploy to every conflict the US undertakes and does an important mission well.

InReality01

Yes, Coast Guard is military service and counts as such.

My nephew recently served in the Coast Guard for around 6 years and was recently discharged and is now employed as a fire fighter.

I am quite proud of his service and it helped him tremendously in maturing and becoming a productive
person.

My nephew served in Floriday, the Bahama's and Kuwait during his enlistment. Had he stayed in longer he would of been able to put in for specific stations of his choice. The Coast Guard serves all over the globe and there is a lot of opportunity for travel.

Scriv

Yes it is military service. All enlistees must go to MEPS and swear in just like any other branch. They wear a uniform and even though they fall under the Department of Homeland Security they are still military. Even when they fell under the Department of Transportation they were still military.

PV2 Lake

yes the coast guard is a military branch

JMK_1

The Coast Guard is only count as part of the military during times of war. Any other time they are just part of the uniformed services.

desertviking_00

I do. And I'm retired from the Navy. I am in awe of the job the Coast Guard does. And, since September 11, 2001 they have had to ramp up port security as a vital task they perform. Most people don't realize that the Coast Guard has less total personnel than the number of uniformed police on the streets of New York City. Their manpower authorization is in the neighborhood of 38,000 personnel. How they do their job with such low numbers is a source of wonderment to me.

Bobo

You run a big risk by mixing the Coast Guard with DOD. The Coast Guard has the right to enforce laws on US citizens, DOD does not--DOD can only enforce the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) on members of the military.

backyardbum

YES!!! It is here to GUARD our COASTS while the Rest of the Military Branches have duties in other parts of the world. If something really did come up, they would sure get alot harder to LIVE WITH!!! They have more things ready if needed than we have ever seen and will only use them if they have to!!

Gigantaface

Yes, the Coast Guard is a branch of the military. They still deploy, even. I was deployed with a really awesome Coastie unit in 2004/05 to Guantanamo Bay in support of Op Enduring Freedom.
If I could do it all over again, I would have gone Coast Guard instead of Army.

h h

They are not part of the DoD unless we are in an officially declared war.

Until that time they are under the Department of Transportation, now Homeland Security.

They are very similar to the US Navy in their rank, and structure.

They may or may not be put under US Navy command for overseas operations however they are not part of the US Navy.

They have no representation in the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, their commander reports to the US Department of Transportation not the US Armed Forces.

Yeah they have aircraft, uniforms, ranks, weaponry (very limited), and might deploy as part of US missions so do a lot of non-military agencies like the FBI.

When you leave the US Coast Guard you are not considered a military veteran...nuff said.

They are a law enforcement agency plain and simple.

spkultr

because they got ships as big as the navy and they got
guns as big as the navy. and the like to shoot at things as
much as the navy does.

!truth!

If the U.S. Navy is a military, then the U.S. Coast Guard is a military.

gib000

I consider it a part of Homeland Security since it is not under the Department of Defense.

Shan

Yes, it is a part of the military, in spite of it's re-designation to Homeland Defense. There are Coast Guard members deployed to Iraq now. Just because your friend has not been transferred yet does not mean that it won't happen.

Hank H

Yes, It's under DOT, dept of Transportation, the marines are technically under Dept. of the Navy

game

yes, but screw them, Im in the marines

Monkeyboi

At best the Coast Gaurd could be catagorized as a paramilitary service, but they are more of a federal policing force than a military service.
While the men & women of the USCG do go into harms way to protect &serve their country (much Thanks to you brave folks) and the USCG comand has been transfered, when needed, to the DOD. their traditions & history are very different from those of the Army, Navy (including the USMC) or the USAF.

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