Revenue Cutter Service
President George Washington signed the Tariff Act in 1790, which authorized the construction of ten cutters to enforce tariffs and prevent smuggling. These cutters were America's only maritime defense force in the country until the United States Navy was created in 1798.

U.S. Life-Saving Service
A separate federal agency was established alongside the Revenue Cutter Service.

Coast Guard
In 1915, The Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Lifesaving Service merged to form the modern Coast Guard.

Lighthouse Service
In 1939, the Lighthouse Service was transferred to the Coast Guard, which began to maintain the nation's lighthouses.

Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation
In 1946, the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation was transferred to the Coast Guard, which took over merchant marine licensing and vessel safety

Department of Transportation
In 1967, the Coast Guard was transferred to the Department of Transportation. The Coast Guard formed Coast Guard Squadron One and Coast Guard Squadron Three to serve during the Vietnam War.

Department of Homeland Security
In 2003, the Coast Guard was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security.

Deployable Operations Group/Deployable Specialized Forces
The Deployable Operations Group (DOG) was a Coast Guard command established in July 2007. The DOG established a single command authority to rapidly provide the Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice and other interagency operational commanders adaptive force packages drawn from the Coast Guard's deployable specialized force units.