U.S. Coast Guard is expanding its fleet, crew

By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to break records.

Through Force Design 2028, made possible through a surge of $25 billion in federal funds, the Coast Guard is implementing major structural reforms. It has established a Deployable Specialized Forces Command, is expanding training capacity and is rapidly acquiring next-generation assets.

The surge of funding has enabled the Coast Guard to procure an estimated 17 new icebreakers, 21 new cutters, more than 40 helicopters and six C-130J aircraft and modernize its shore infrastructure and maritime surveillance systems. This will strengthen its ability to interdict illegal foreign nationals, drug and human traffickers at sea, strengthen search and rescue operations, enhance navigational safety and enable maritime trade, The Center Square reported. The maritime force, housed within the Department of Homeland Security, celebrates its 236th anniversary on Aug. 4.

In Trump’s first year in office, the Coast Guard broke recruitment records. It exceeded 110% of active-duty enlisted goals, reporting more than 6,000 new members, the highest since 1991. It’s also on track to expand its ranks by 15,000 members.

Under Trump, the Coast Guard also expanded border security efforts, ramping up interdictions at sea as well as providing support along the southwest border, The Center Square reported. This included deploying advanced unmanned systems and intelligence-driven patrols to secure more than 100,000 miles of the U.S. border.

Coast Guard crew interdicted, deterred or transported more than 12,000 illegal foreign nationals last year, representing an increase in interdictions of 44% in some regions, DHS says.

Since December, Coast Guard elite tactical teams working with the departments of War, Justice, and State, led operations against “dark fleet” ships, seizing nine illegal vessels, DHS says.

Last year, Coast Guard crew seized a record more than 547,000 pounds of illegal narcotics. This represents nearly three times the normal seizure average and a street value of more than $3.9 billion.

Coast Guard counter drug operations “disrupted transnational criminal organizations and prevented more than 206 million lethal doses from reaching U.S. communities,” DHS says, saving taxpayers more than “$10 billion in avoided costs, including $2.27 billion in healthcare expenses.”

Through thousands of search and rescue missions conducted last year, Coast Guard crew members saved more than 5,200 lives and protected more than $1 billion in property, DHS says. Among those saved were 165 people by Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Ruskan during the Texas Hill Country flood disaster last July 4. Ruskan was awarded the Legion of Merit this week “for extraordinary heroism” while leading recovering efforts.

The Coast Guard also enabled the safe transport of 1.8 billion tons of cargo last year, an increase of 13% over the year. Coast Guard crew are projected to move $5.4 trillion in goods this year, DHS said.

During Winter Storm Fern alone, Coast Guard cutters implemented the largest domestic icebreaking operation in the U.S. in the Great Lakes region. They logged more than 3,245 ice-breaking hours to assist 142 vessels transit dangerous water, DHS said.

Federal funding is enabling the historic building of new ice breakers in shipyards in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas and Lockport, Louisiana, The Center Square reported.

The Coast Guard has played a key role in national security since its founding, including during WWII in the Arctic. Under Trump, Coast Guard crew are expected to expand operations there as well.

Through Force Design 2028, the Coast Guard says it is “building a more agile, capable, and responsive fighting force to defeat adversaries and protect the Homeland.”