The U.S. Coast Guard celebrated its 236-year anniversary on Tuesday, after receiving record funding from Congress to expand modernization efforts. The Coast Guard was founded on Aug. 4, 1790, after President George Washington signed the Tariff Act into law authorizing the construction of 10 vessels to enforce federal tariff and trade laws.

Historic Funding

Through the “Big Beautiful Bill,” Congress and the Trump administration authorized the largest single funding commitment in Coast Guard history of nearly $25 billion. The funding is enabling the Coast Guard to procure an estimated 17 new icebreakers, 21 new cutters, more than 40 helicopters and six C-130J aircraft.

In Galveston, Texas, manufacturing of new Arctic national security cutters is underway. The U.S. is an Arctic nation because of the state of Alaska, and the defense of our northern border and approaches in the Arctic Ocean begins with Arctic security cutters being built in Texas, according to U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Kevin Lunday.

Coast Guard Operations

The Coast Guard is also currently responding to potential national security threats posed by Chinese ships off the coast of Alaska. Every week Coast Guard cutters are involved in border security interdiction efforts, including apprehending illegal immigrants near San Diego.

The Coast Guard covered 95,000 miles of coastline in 2025, saved more than $974 million in property, and facilitated more than $5.4 trillion in commerce. They also stopped 231 narco-terrorists and interdicted more than 231 metric tons of drugs, and were involved in more than 6,700 search and rescue cases, saving more than 5,200 lives.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.