Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River is located in Memphis, Tenn., and is charged with implementing the service’s missions on more than 2,200 miles of the Mississippi, Red, Arkansas, Black, Ouachita, White, Yazoo, and Lower Old rivers. The 400 active-duty, Reserve, civilian, and Auxiliary members of Sector Lower Mississippi River not only have a large territory to cover, but they are responsible for aids to navigation, ports, waterways, and coastal security; marine environmental protection/pollution response; and marine safety. They monitor nearly a dozen radio towers, operate an ATON team, and maintain a fleet of six inland river buoy tenders to service the waterways in the sector. For the people who live and work along America’s inland waterways, the men and women who serve on these small tenders become the face of the Coast Guard.

The passengers of the many cruise ships that call at U.S. ports will probably never see a Coast Guard inspector, but they can feel safe knowing the service is diligent in its inspections. Marine Safety Detachment Saint Thomas is a small detachment of 15 personnel under the command of Coast Guard Sector San Juan, and supports marine safety and security operations for cruise ships and passenger vessels in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where 800 cruise ships and more than 1.8 million passengers visit each year.

“The Coast Guard’s high-profile presence, resources, and activities in the San Pedro Bay [Calif.] complex is a critical asset and helps the Port of Los Angeles maintain its standing as the nation’s busiest seaport,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D. “We collaborate with the Coast Guard on maritime, environmental, safety, security, and emergency response issues on a continuous basis. Their expertise and resources are essential to our operations. We have been able to leverage our combined resources to improve the safety, security, and vitality of the port.”

There’s a lot of water to patrol around Alaska, and more coastline surrounding the 49th state than the rest of the United States combined. The vast distances and harsh, fast-changing weather mean the Coast Guard must be ready to come to the aid of fishermen, sportsmen, and transiting cargo and container ships. That requires presence in some of the most remote regions of the nation’s territory during the worst weather. HC-130H Hercules, HH-60J Jayhawk, and HH-65A Dolphin aircraft from AirSta Kodiak fly over the Bering Sea and high endurance cutters patrol the rich fishing grounds, rescuing those in distress, and resupply remote Coast Guard stations.

When a crewmember of the 619-foot container ship Star Gran was suffering from appendicitis symptoms some 240 miles southwest of Kodiak, an AirSta Kodiak rescue crew hoisted the man aboard a Jayhawk for delivery to a medical facility at Kodiak. For him, the Coast Guard crew who rescued him are the lifesavers.

“The Coast Guard is not only the guardian of our coast and seas, but Coast Guard personnel are our friends and neighbors. This relationship is demonstrated with Alaska having two of the 12 designated ‘Coast Guard Cities’ [in the country], despite being among the least populated of states,” said Quinn Sharkey, a nurse/EMT and certification specialist and a member of the Southeast Alaska Search and Rescue organization. “The operational relationship among the USCG, civilian search and rescue [teams], the Alaska State Troopers, and EMS in Alaska could best be described as ‘seamless’ in a state which has perhaps the most challenging environment in which to operate in the United States.”

Over the years, Sharkey has worked closely with the Coast Guard on search and rescue (SAR) missions but he also sees the vital role they serve in protecting the marine resources and the livelihoods of many Alaskans.

“With ever-changing conditions and increasing maritime traffic in the Arctic, the Coast Guard’s role continues to expand in Alaska and the people of Alaska continue to encourage and welcome their presence,” he said, “An Alaska without the United States Coast Guard would be like Alaska without snow.”

That the Coast Guard means many different things to many different communities is a testament to the rich diversity of lifestyles and livelihoods in our great nation. Alaskan Native tribal members, the fisherman out of Seattle, the port director in Los Angeles, the river pilot in New Orleans, the cruise ship passenger in Miami, and the lobsterman in Maine all hold unique relationships with the Coast Guard. But no matter what service these different communities look to the Coast Guard to provide, all see the same meaning: The Coast Guard is there to keep them safe and secure and to be “Always Ready” when help is needed most.

Capt. Edward Lundquist, U.S. Navy (Ret.), is a senior writer with MCR LLC in Arlington, Va.