NTSB drone image of Francis Scott Key Bridge and Cargo Ship Dali, 26 March 2024
The US Naval Institute’s March 2025 issue of Proceedings provides a look back at Coast Guard activities in 2024. The service, Active, Reserve, Auxiliary and Civilians, has much to be proud of. Just to hit the some highlight,
There was good news on the recruiting front. Even as the military as a whole continues to struggle, the Coast Guard met its recruitment goals for active duty, reservists, and officers for the first time since 2007—though it remains about 10 percent down in total force numbers.
SAR as always deserves a headline:
…saved more than 5,800 lives and $132 million in property across 14,000 cases.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returns to home port after 79-day patrol, April 9, 2024. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Charly Tautfest)
New Capabilities:
- Cyber defense teams including new Reserve teams
- The first new air station in 25 years at Ventura, CA.
- Medium Endurance Cutter USCGC Harriet Lane (photo above) moved to the Pacific to support IUU fisheries enforcement and presence in the Western Pacific.
- Three more FRCs in Guam for a total of six and more FRCs in Alaska.
- Purchase of medium icebreaker M/V Aiviq, now USCGC Storis (photo below).
There was this cautionary note. As I have noted before, cutters spend more time underway than their Navy counterparts, yet we hear constantly that Navy ships are overworked. Only recently have complaints about shortages of maintenance for Coast Guard ships become common. (Still no complaints about too much time underway.)
“As we celebrate Coast Guard Cutter Smilax [WLIC-315], with 80 years of commissioned service, we must also note that we deploy our cutters, boats, and aircraft as much or more than our fellow services and keep them for longer, driving up maintenance costs.” He indicated the capital investment budget needs to bump from its current $1.4 billion to an estimated $3 billion, and the annual overall budget request needs to increase from its current $14 billion to $20 billion by 2033.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Chuck… a minor point, but you’ll want to add civilians to the rest of the attribute.
Absolutely, corrected.
Does the CG have an ally in Government? The budget remains almost the same year after year and more duties added. I was in from 64-68. Nothing has changed. With Doge saving billions, surely we can find something for our worked Coasties.
The Coast Guard has many allies in Congress. They have consistently added additional units (FRCs and C-130s) that were not in the administration budgets.
The Coast Guard needs allies in the administration.
DOGE is intended to cut government spending, not increase it, so I don’t think we can assume it will help.