The Department of Homeland Security was created in 2002, in direct response to the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. The primary mission of Homeland Security is to protect the nation from terrorism.

The US Coast Guard was placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security in February of 2003.

The primary responsibility of the US Coast Guard is to safeguard the maritime interests of the United States, at our ports, in our waterways, at sea and abroad. Their primary roles with regard to homeland security including the following:

1. Port Security – The Coast Guard is responsible for security at all our nation’s ports. They conduct searches of cargo and passengers entering the country and verify identification.
2. Waterways and Coastal Security – The Coast Guard is responsible for the prevention and disruption of terrorist attacks, sabotage, espionage, or subversive acts; and response to and recovery from those that do occur along our waterways and coastline.
3. National Defense – The Coast Guard is one of the nation’s five armed forces. They are responsible for defending the nation, under the service of the Navy, in time of war.
4. Training and Joint Operations with Foreign Naval and Maritime Forces – The Coast Guard trains and works with the maritime defense systems of other countries to increase mutual cooperation between countries in terms of maritime defense, making the world’s waterways and ports safer for everyone.
5. Enforcing Immigration Law at Sea – The Coast Guard helps to prevent illegal immigration. Each year, thousands of illegal immigrants attempt to reach this country via our coastlines. It is the responsibility of the Coast Guard to seek out illegal immigrant smuggling routes, and return potential illegal immigrants to their home countries before they reach the shores of the US. Once an illegal immigrant has reached our shores, the processing and deportation process is much more costly and time consuming. When the Coast Guard can prevent illegals from reaching our shores, they save the country thousands of dollars.

For many people, the role of the Coast Guard has been somewhat confusing. Their move to the jurisdiction of Homeland Security may have even further confused their role in the eyes of many people. They are the only branch of the armed forces that fall under the jurisdiction of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense.

It is certainly true that the Coast Guard has a unique position, compared to that of other US armed forces. But, the service they provide in defending our nation’s waterways and ports, both during times of peace and times of war is invaluable.

In addition to the services that the Coast Guard provides in defense of our country, they also provide search and rescue for any vessel in distress within our waters, whether private, military or commercial. They also lead efforts in protecting living marine resources and protecting our marine environment by averting the introduction of invasive species, stopping unauthorized ocean dumping and preventing oil and chemical spills.

Phyllis T. Zerkle blogs quite frequently about the state of U.S. homeland security and often posts articles relating to earning an online degree in homeland security.