This 3-page graduate paper looks at historical changes to the US Coast Guard from the birth of the service to current times. This paper stresses the changes that have had an impact on the Coast Guard and Nation and this paper concludes that changes to Coast Guard have often been reactions to changes to the Nation. For example, concerns about illegal smuggling or illegal immigration, for example, have meant that the Coast Guard’s mission and fleet were altered to include the control of these areas of concern. The Coast Guard has changed dramatically throughout its history, from a modest vision of a few protective boats to one of the largest services and American departments. Perhaps as a result of so many changes, and perhaps as a result of being created out of several services, the Coast Guard today is a complex service with many duties and responsibilities.
