Census Bureau Daily Feature for Wednesday, January 28: Coast Guard Established.

WASHINGTON -- Profile America -- Wednesday, January 28th. The modern U.S. Coast Guard was established on this date in 1915 -- formed out of two longtime agencies, the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service. Now, as part of the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard is on the front lines in the fight against terrorism and illegal drugs. It is responsible for the safety and security of the nation's inland waterways, ports and harbors, as well as thousands of miles of coastline and the ocean approaches to the U.S. In the course of its duties from the beginning in 1790 to the present, the Coast Guard has saved over a million lives. To accomplish its many roles, is a well-trained force of nearly 48,000 men and women. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.

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Sources:  <
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 512
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http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008/2008edition.html
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Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).