Semper Paratus

Happy Birthday, USCG.  Founded on August 4th, 1790, you’re 218 years young today – and are still the nation’s oldest continuously sea-going service.

The Coast Guard was originally founded as The Revenue Cutter Service by Alexander Hamilton as part of the Department of the Treasury.  From 1790 to 1798, they were the only naval force in the United States, as the US Navy would not be reformed until 1798 having been disbanded after the Revolution.

In 1915, the RCS was merged with the US Life-Saving Service, and the name was changed to the US Coast Guard.  In 1967, the Coast Guard was moved to the Department of Transportation, and then in 2003 they were moved to Department of Homeland Security to serve as the “flagship” organization in the new department.

For 218 years, millions of lives saved, service in every war that our nation has been involved in, the Coast Guard has maintained their motto of Semper Paratus, “Always Ready”.