The United States Coast Guard and National Defense

<p> In addition to port security ship inspection and safety law enforcement and search and rescue the U.S. Coast Guard assumes an important role in national defense at home and abroad. To that end the Coast Guard has carried out separate and coordinated missions with other armed forces from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Pacific Gulf of Mexico Mediterranean Persian Gulf and North Polar region. This chronicle of the Coast Guard's contributions to national defense examines participation in World War I World War II Korea the Cold War Vietnam and the War on Terror. Among the topics explored are defense threats drug trafficking and border security as well as Coast Guard personnel training leadership and assets.</p>