Sailors Die at Sea While USCG Drone Program Remains Hard Aground(gcaptain.com)
gcaptain.com
Sailors Die at Sea While USCG Drone Program Remains Hard Aground
http://gcaptain.com/sailors-die-sea-uscg-drone-program-remains-hard-aground/
13 comments
My impression is that the Coast Guard has been somewhat militarized in the drug war, such that any request for equipment to help "save" people has to be in quotes.
>such that any request for equipment to help "save" people has to be in quotes.
Your impression has then taken it too far - yes, there's a lot of drug war stuff, but USCG still does a tremendous amount of rescue work / assistance to mariners in distress / etc. (Source: a bunch of coastie friends and my dad was one; also sailed a lot and have had enough observation/interaction with them to get a sense of this). Saving people absolutely does not need to be "in quotes" in reference to USCG.
Your impression has then taken it too far - yes, there's a lot of drug war stuff, but USCG still does a tremendous amount of rescue work / assistance to mariners in distress / etc. (Source: a bunch of coastie friends and my dad was one; also sailed a lot and have had enough observation/interaction with them to get a sense of this). Saving people absolutely does not need to be "in quotes" in reference to USCG.
> My impression is that the Coast Guard has been somewhat militarized
The USCG is, and has always been, overtly one of the (currently) five service branches of the US armed forces. I'm not sure what it would mean to “militarize” something that is already fully military.
The USCG is, and has always been, overtly one of the (currently) five service branches of the US armed forces. I'm not sure what it would mean to “militarize” something that is already fully military.
USCG has been militarized since it was formed in 1915.
The Revenue Cutter service, half of what became the USCG in 1915, dates from 1790. It was an armed service from that time.
[deleted]
jrochkind1(1)
It has been my personal experiences that the Coast Guard is even worse off as far as the funding they get versus the vitally important life saving (and you know, coast guarding) missions they are supposed to accomplish. There have been a blizzard of radar technology, drone and UAV technology and boat building technology advancements that would dramatically increase their success rate, but they can't because of antiquated funding and a creaky old-fashioned leadership.
IMO we spend way too much on power project capability with the Navy versus what we could do for the Coast Guard.