A-Z Solomon's Compass Style:USCoastGuard

Welcome A-Z bloggers!
And everyone else, of course :)
My A-Z posts are all about my new book, SOLOMON'S COMPASS.
Read the A post to learn who AJ is.

Hi, All!

This is Carol. Yes, the real me - LOL. Taylor dropped a few clues yesterday. Did you pick up on them?

Are y'all are having fun with AJ? I gave him the day off because this is an important post for me.

USCG CDR Taylor Campbell is the protagonist in SOLOMON'S COMPASS. Although Taylor is a fictional character, she demonstrates a composite of traits most Coasties possess. Assurance. Dedication. Professionalism.

It doesn't matter if the Coastie is a recruit wearing one diagonal stripe or an admiral wearing four stars. You'll see those qualities in 99% of them. Coasties are also, for the most part, team players. It's not an organization for divas and rock stars.

Coasties are my heroes.

We all have heroes. But for most people, the U.S. Coast Guard doesn't zoom to the front of their minds when thinking about people who may be theirs.

If you've been rescued at sea, they do.

If you're part of a Coast Guard family, they do.

But the U.S. Coast Guard does much more on a daily basis than most people know. And I'll leave it at that.

Here's a list of their official missions that I took from their website - http://www.uscg.mil

Missions

By law, the Coast Guard has 11 missions:
(listed in order of percentage of operating expenses)
Thus, we are military, multi-mission, and maritime.

And here is a link to a short Coast Guard YouTube video.

They do all this with fewest members of any of our armed services serving worldwide.

The men and women of the United States Coast Guard are my heroes. Perhaps you'll choose to add them to your hero list, too.

Semper Paratus!

õ


I've completed my blog tour for SOLOMON'S COMPASS, but today I'm being interviewed by Lynn Cahoon at Lynn's blog. I hope you'll stop in and learn something new about me.



Comments

I know how much they do when we have hurricanes on the East Coast.
Stina said…
Unfortunately they tend to be over shadowed by the Navy SEALS. Romance novels love to write about those heroes. It's great, Carol, that you focused on the non Navy SEALS heroes. The heroes we are more likely to meet.
Anonymous said…
Where would we be without them.

Yvonne.
Julie Flanders said…
You ended up with a perfect post for U!
And I have definitely been having fun with AJ, tell him he does a fantastic job. :D
Karen Baldwin said…
Now, thanks to you, the coast guard will come to mind more often. Here in Mexico we have the marines who do the same job as the U.S. coast guard. They are part of the Mexican navy but also have inland duties as well.
Unknown said…
We looked into the Coast Guard recently when my daughter was kicking around attending their school for Marine/Environment. What a great program they have with lots of fine opportunities for young people. And they serve a great function for us. As for the daughter, she's decided she wants to pursue music and we didn't see a "singing on the ships" program in the Coast Guard. ;)
It's an important job and at times super dangerous.
cleemckenzie said…
Glad they're out there. They do a lot for our safety, including intercepting drugs from Mexico. It's not a safe job; that's for sure.
Johanna Garth said…
I think we all sleep better at night knowing most Coasties possess those particular character traits!
nutschell said…
wow. fascinating to learn more about these coast guards. they do such great work.
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Gwen Gardner said…
They do tend to be forgotten, but they do so much! Thanks for the reminder, Carol :)
Robin said…
The Coast Guard has a lot of responsibility. Thank you for sharing all of their Missions. I had no idea that they were so diverse.
Carol Kilgore said…
Alex - True. They go to work and dependents are left to manage on our own. I have stories.

Stina - In some circles, you say 'Coast Guard' and people say 'what's that?'

Yvonne - Some people would no longer be around.

Julie - I'll pass your message on to AJ :)

Em-Musing - Interesting about your marines.

Nick Wilford said…
I didn't know they did so much! Very inspiring.
Bish Denham said…
Yup, the Coast Guard does a whole lot more than most people realize. They are the police of the sea.
Laura Eno said…
I grew up in San Diego so am more familiar with the Coast Guard than some, but they don't get the attention they deserve. They are responsible for much more than people credit them with.
Carol Kilgore said…
Julie L - Very true. The USCG offers so many excellent programs and opportunities. Sadly, vocal music isn't one of them. They do have an excellent band/orchestra with members who are graduates of Julliard and other noted music schools.

Teresa - Yes to both. And the danger comes from all directions at times.

Lee - No, not safe. But the members are extremely well-trained.

Johanna - I know I do, LOL!

Nutschell - And what you see here is the tip of the iceberg. All sorts of missions get included in these major headings.
VR Barkowski said…
Excellent post. All one has to do is think about the many miles of US coastline to realize how vital the Coast Guard is and the enormity of their responsibilities, both during peacetime and at war.

VR Barkowski
Unknown said…
It's comforting to know the coast guard our out there for our protection. I love the list of Missions.
Carol Kilgore said…
Gwen - They like flying under the radar.

Robin - They have a huge scope of responsibility.

Nick - You'd be amazed.

Bish - Yes they are. And more.

Laura - You're absolutely right. And because they are part of Homeland Security instead of Defense, they are highly versatile.
The Coast Guard has quite a huge responsibility!

Writer In Transit
Carol Kilgore said…
VR - They protect U.S. interests worldwide.

Clarissa - I only know some of the things they do that are grouped into the Missions list. It's mindboggling.

Michelle - Yes, they do. And for the most part, they handle it well.
Unknown said…
Great post, Carol. Thank you for pointing out how much our Coast Guard does for its country. What a list of missions.
Carol Kilgore said…
Jan - They are masters at doing a lot with a little.
I do love that you use hero as it should be used and NOT to describe a highly paid athlete.
And yes, they more than fit the bill. Thank you.
Anonymous said…
Those are major responsibilities. Yes, they are heroes.
The Coast Guard do such an amazing and sometimes dangerous job
DWei said…
Not sure if I can consider them personal heroes, especially since I live nowhere near a coast. :P
Carol Kilgore said…
EC - We share the same sentiments in that area.

Medeia and Jo-Anne - You're right on all points.

DWei - I'm sorry you don't live near a coast. Only twice in my life have I not. The USCG is also responsible for 'things' on navigable rivers and the Great Lakes.

.