Coast Guard News

Important Links

Committee on Tranportation & Infrastructure Coast Guard & Maritime Transportation

Cutter maintaining waterways

After the original U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw broke ice in the Soo Locks last week and did the heavy lifting in Whitefish Bay to prepare for the initial influx of commercial shipping, the ship has been on station maintaining the waterway leading to Lake Superior. [more] (04/01/06)

Trying to understand naval-speak

Karen Ravn Who Knew? I was out on a boat with the U.S. Coast Guard the other day when the SOS came in over the radio. "We're taking on water," a man's voice sputtered. "We have, like, 300 gallons on board. Please hurry!" [more] (03/29/06)

Creating steady guidance

With the help of the Coast Guard, trainers prepare guide dogs for sea travel. [more] (03/29/06)

Coast Guard 2007 Budget

The president's fiscal year 2007 budget request for the U.S. Coast Guard focuses on three key tenets-Strengthen Preparedness, Maximize Awareness, and Enhance Capabilities. For FY 2007, the president's budget includes $8.4 billion, representing an increase of 6.6 percent over the current fiscal year funding level. Specifically, $934.4 million is requested to continue with the critical modernization and replacement of the fleet of aging cutters, aircraft, and command and control systems under the Coast Guard's innovative Deepwater program.

Other highlights of the FY 2007 budget include: $39.6 million to continue the nationwide deployment of Rescue 21, a technologically advanced Search and Rescue communication and response system; $62.4 million to permanently establish the Coast Guard National Capital Region Air Defense program; $11.2 million to advance development of a nationwide system to identify and track vessels within the maritime domain, $24.8 million to begin replacing hundreds of obsolete coastal rescue boats with a standardized fleet of safer, more capable boats, and $4.7 million to ensure the prototype Maritime Security Response Team is able to provide on-call maritime counter-terrorism response capability.

More information about the budget request for the Coast Guard can be found in this Budget in Brief document on line. (03/29/06)

Local vessel-tracking method goes national

A Coast Guard and Navy vessel tracking initiative that began in Hampton Roads in 2001 is going national. [more] 03/24/06)

Coast Guard reorganizes commands for efficiency

The Coast Guard announced recently it is streamlining its hierarchy in Alaska in an effort to boost efficiency. [more] (03/21/06)

USCG and USN Open Harbor Operation Center in Hampton Roads

The Coast Guard the U.S. Navy opened the Hampton Roads Sector Command – Joint Harbor Operations Center (SCC-JHOC) on March 24. [more] (03/17/06)

U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Article

What non-National Guard reserve military organization has less than 9,000 members, is currently deployed all around the world, and serves in military and humanitarian missions alike? Which military reserve organization has members from all walks of life, who willingly serve in a manner unique to the reserve organizations worldwide? Which military reserve organization gets to do their job every day? If you answered the United States Coast Guard Reserve...  [more] (02/20/06)

Hearing on USCG and FMC Budget Requests

On March 1, the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will conduct a hearing on the U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Maritime Commission FY2007 budget requests. (2/17/06)

Northrup Grumman Maintain Construction Momentum on Cutter

Unit 1120, which will complete the bow section of the first National Security Cutter under construction at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems' Pascagoula facility, was lifted into place this week. According to NSC General Ship Superintendent Royce Winbush, the unit encloses the anchor windlass machinery room and covers the chain lockers area on the cutter...[more] (01/27/06)