Coast Guard City

Children wave the flag of the United States Coast Guard during the Grand Haven, Michigan Coast Guard Festival Parade in 2013. In 1998, Grand Haven became the first city designated a "Coast Guard City."

A Coast Guard City is a United States municipality designated as such by the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on application of the local civilian government. It is an honorary designation intended to recognize communities of special importance to the U.S. Coast Guard. As of October 2024, 34 cities have been designated as "Coast Guard Cities."[1]

Criteria

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Designation as a Coast Guard City is made by the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on advice of a review board and upon application by a municipal government.[2][3] According to the U.S. Coast Guard, applications are expected to demonstrate an applicant jurisdiction's ability to meet a multi-part criteria that can include: erection of monuments and memorials to the Coast Guard, organization of civic celebrations on the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Coast Guard, offer of special recognition and merchandise discounts to Coast Guard personnel by the local business community, providing support to local U.S. Coast Guard Morale, Welfare and Recreation initiatives.[4][5]

Designation as a Coast Guard City is for a five-year period, but can be renewed indefinitely conditioned on the city continuing to meet the criteria.[4]

History

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A sign in Astoria, Oregon, designating that city as a "Coast Guard City." Astoria was designated as such on May 1, 2010.
A proclamation ceremony on July 9, 2010, officially designating Traverse City, Michigan, as a "Coast Guard City".
A Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. Elizabeth City, North Carolina, was designated a "Coast Guard City" on May 29, 2015.

Background

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The Coast Guard City program was established by the United States Congress in 1998 to recognize cities where military assets of the United States Coast Guard are located and which demonstrate support to Coast Guard personnel stationed there.[6] The first city so designated was Grand Haven, Michigan.[7][8]

Legislation

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The authorizing legislation for the Coast Guard City program provides that:[9]

The Commandant of the Coast Guard may recognize the community of Grand Haven, Michigan, as "Coast Guard City, USA". If the Commandant desires to recognize any other community in the same manner or any other community requests such recognition from the Coast Guard, the Commandant shall notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 90 days prior to approving such recognition.

List of Coast Guard Cities

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City name State Date designated
Grand Haven[10] Michigan November 13, 1998
Eureka[10] California June 3, 2000
Mobile[10] Alabama July 4, 2002
Wilmington[10] North Carolina July 25, 2003
Newport[10] Oregon March 28, 2005
Alameda[10] California April 14, 2006
Kodiak[10] Alaska September 15, 2007
Rockland[10] Maine June 16, 2008
Portsmouth[10] Virginia November 17, 2009
Traverse City[10] Michigan April 7, 2010
Astoria[10] Oregon May 1, 2010
Sitka[10] Alaska February 14, 2011
Clearwater[10] Florida December 23, 2011
Newburyport[10] Massachusetts December 23, 2011
Sturgeon Bay[10] Wisconsin January 23, 2014
Camden County[10] Georgia January 23, 2014
Cape May[11] New Jersey May 8, 2015
Elizabeth City[12] North Carolina May 29, 2015
New London[13] Connecticut May 24, 2015
Carteret County[11] North Carolina July 7, 2015
San Diego[14] California February 23, 2017
Florence[15] Oregon August 16, 2017
New York[16] New York February 4, 2018
Chatham County[17] Georgia October 18, 2018
Cordova[1] Alaska September 30, 2019
Westport[1][18] Washington September 30, 2019
Valdez[1] Alaska April 7, 2021
Key West[1] Florida August 4, 2022
Bay County[1] Florida May 15, 2023
Homer[1] Alaska May 22, 2023
Garibaldi[1] Oregon December 17, 2023
Charleston[1] South Carolina January 26, 2024

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Coast Guard Cities". www.uscg.mil. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  2. ^ "Coast Guard City Program". thecityofnewport.net. City of Newport. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Coast Guard Cities". military.com. military.com. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions". uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  5. ^ Lundstrom, Jim (9 May 2014). "City Celebrates Coast Guard Designation". Peninsula Pulse. Retrieved 25 August 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ Degener, Richard (22 July 2013). "Cape May mayor wants 'Coast Guard Community' designation for town". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival". Pure Michigan. Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  8. ^ "About us". coastguardfest.org. Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Public Law 105-383, Nov. 13, 1998" (PDF). U.S. Congress. Government Printing Office. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Coast Guard Cities". uscg.mil. U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Coast Guard Cities". Military.com. Retrieved 24 February 2017. The Coast Guard has in turn recognized these cities as official "Coast Guard Cities" – to show their appreciation for the city's efforts to extend so many considerations to the Coast Guard family and their dependents.
  12. ^ "Elizabeth City to be named a Coast Guard City". uscgnews.com. U.S. Coast Guard. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Eagle Docks, New London Celebrates Designation as Coast Guard City". military.com. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  14. ^ Prine, Carl (23 February 2017). "San Diego designated as a 'Coast Guard City'". The San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 24 February 2017. San Diego becomes the nation's 21st "Coast Guard City" and the largest metropolis on the list.
  15. ^ "Florence officially one of 24 Coast Guard Cities". Siuslaw News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2018. On Aug. 16, Florence will officially join Newport and Astoria in receiving the official designation as a Coast Guard City, becoming one of only three cities in Oregon – and only the 24th such city in the nation.
  16. ^ "Coast Guard recognizes New York City as official Coast Guard City". United States Coast Guard News. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  17. ^ Ray, Brittini. "Chatham County named third U.S. Coast Guard Community". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  18. ^ "Westport honored as Coast Guard City | U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer of Washington's 6th District". kilmer.house.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
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