I am a Coast Guard spouse. I live and breathe the Coast Guard. I know the unique and valuable service that the Coast Guard provides to our country. I hope that when you read this list, you are proud of who we are and what we do. I know I am.
1. The U.S. Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security. The military status of the Coast Guard is a much-talked-about and debated topic. The fact is, the U.S. Coast Guard proudly serves the United States of America as an Armed Force -- at all times, during times of peace and times of war.
2. We deploy. I have stood on a pier and waved good-bye 15 times. I know that as the cutter moves towards the horizon, I will have to pick up the children and walk away. In that moment, I know that I have the ability to make the difference. I comfort, I reassure, I stand strong. Every family’s deployment experience differs. But Coast Guard members deploy to multiple locations, for varying lengths of time. Many of our members deploy multiple times per year.
3. The Coast Guard was the first afloat armed force. Predating the Navy and most other federal government organizations, the origins of the Coast Guard date to 1790. From our earliest days as the Revenue-Marine and the Revenue Cutter Service -- to today, as the United States Coast Guard, our service has always been Semper Paratus (Always Ready) to serve our Nation.
4.The Coast Guard has served in many of our nation's wars and conflicts. The Coast Guard has a long and distinguished history of service. Participating in the events that aided in the formation of our incredible nation, the Coast Guard's versatile, unique abilities have been invaluable to our country for over 220 years.
5. With about 41,000 active-duty men and women, the Coast Guard has faced serious recruitment and retention challenges. "In recent years, the U.S. Coast Guard has lost more enlisted service members than it has recruited," the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in May 2025. "This has left the Coast Guard short about 2,600 active-duty staff and operating below the workforce level it thinks necessary to meet mission needs."
6. We serve all over the world. In addition to protecting the coastlines of the United States, our members serve in Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, the Netherlands, the Arctic, the Antarctic, Bahrain ... you'll even find us in Kansas.
7. The Coast Guard serves in multiple ways. The Coast Guard is an incredible multi-mission military organization and federal law enforcement agency. Our missions include maritime security, drug interdiction, aid to navigation, search and rescue, preserving and protecting living marine resources, marine safety, defense, migrant interdiction, marine environment protection and ice operations. "We protect those on the sea, We protect America from threats delivered by Sea, and We protect the Sea itself." -- Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr. 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
8. The Coast Guard saves a lot of lives. Annually, our members respond to about 20,000 search and rescue cases and save about 4,000 lives.
9. We have an aging fleet. The Coast Guard fleet is one of the oldest maritime fleets in the world. My husband has served on four Coast Guard cutters. Those cutters were between 47 and 54 years old. The Coast Guard is working hard to modernize it's fleet, but as we transition, the operational capabilities of our older assets is a direct reflection of the hard-working, talented members who maintain them.
10. Coast Guard families have historically been excluded or faced barriers to accessing some of the resources available to other branches of the military. For example, it wasn't until 2020 that the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship -- a workforce development program -- was opened up to also serve Coast Guard spouses whose service members were in qualifying paygrades.
Rachel Conley is a proud U.S. Coast Guard spouse and the mother of two precious children. In addition to caring for her family, Rachel devotes her time to serving and supporting Coast Guard members and their loved ones.
