The United States Coast Guard, now a part of the Department of Homeland Security, has a complex role in the federal government. As one of the five military organizations, the Coast Guard has traditionally been charged with safeguarding critical maritime interests. In 1999, President Clinton set up an interagency task force to review the Coast Guard's roles and missions and to provide recommendations for its operation for the following 20 years.
Soon thereafter, the Interagency Task Force on U.S. Coast Guard Roles and Missions released its conclusions in a report form. The overarching conclusion of the Task Force was that the Coast Guard's continued existence in the Deepwater environment was needed to perform many missions relating to search and rescue, recreational boating and marine safety, navigational aids, bridge administration, vessel traffic management, at-sea drug and migrant interdiction, and at-sea environmental protection.
With the increased importance of homeland security, many of these operations directly or indirectly relate to the influx of illegal immigrants, even terrorists, into the U.S. The Coast Guard is the federal government's official gatekeeper at sea, interdicting migrants as they search for undefended maritime routes of entry.
The Task Force explicitly recognized the changing nature of defending the homeland, entering several official conclusions. First, the group concluded that the Coast Guard's missions were relevant to current and future national policies, including defending the country against expanding concepts of national security, saving lives at sea, and enforcing laws, including immigration laws. Second, the Task Force found that the Coast Guard, a multi-mission organization, was needed for the foreseeable future. Third, the Task Force recommended that the adaptability of the Coast Guard should be increased to allow it to respond more effectively to demands such as illegal migration, contraband smuggling, terrorist activities, and resource protection threats.
The Task Force recommended that the Coast Guard continue its acts of pursuing new methods and technologies to increase its effectiveness. In particular, the group recommended an increased focus on ways to better obtain and use national intelligence, ways to outsource non-governmental activities, and ways to better operate with other agencies and military organizations. Fourth, the Task Force recommended quick recapitalization of the Coast Guard's Deepwater assets, including cutters and aircraft, to enable the Coast Guard to operate in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Finally, the group endorsed the Coast Guard's approach to the recapitalization of its Deepwater assets, as well as the timeline for that process.
In short, the Task Force affirmed the continued need for the U.S. Coast Guard to perform critical missions and operations related to federal interests. However, the group strongly suggested updating the Coast Guard's Deepwater assets to ensure it would continue to be an adaptable, effective military operation.
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