Bill Text: NJ AR152 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commemorates 225th anniversary of United States Coast Guard.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-09-11 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [AR152 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-AR152-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SAMUEL L. FIOCCHI
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Commemorates 225th anniversary of United States Coast Guard.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution commemorating the 225th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard.
Whereas, The United States Coast Guard is a versatile, highly adaptive force that carries out an array of civil and military responsibilities touching every facet of the maritime environment of the United States; and
Whereas, Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, proposed an economic plan, relying heavily on income generated by custom duties and tonnage taxes, which depended on the nation's ability to safely guide foreign ships to ports with collectors to succeed; and
Whereas, In 1790, the First Congress of the United States established the Revenue Marine (later renamed the Revenue Cutter Service), a small maritime law enforcement component within the Treasury Department to assist in the collection of custom duties and tonnage taxes and the suppression of smuggling operations; and
Whereas, In 1848, Congressman William Newell of New Jersey sponsored legislation to establish unmanned life saving stations along the New Jersey coast to aid distressed navigators and set in motion a series of legislative maneuvers that led to the formation of the United States Life-Saving Service; and
Whereas, Revenue Marine cutter, Harriet Lane, is credited with firing the first naval shots of the Civil War, during which Revenue Marine vessels performed blockade duty, patrolled shipping lanes to safeguard Union traders from Southern privateers, and aided distressed vessels at sea; and
Whereas, On January 28, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law "The Act to Create the Coast Guard," which combined the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving-Service into a single military service, the Coast Guard; and
Whereas, The Coast Guard expanded during Prohibition as efforts to deter rum-runners at sea led to expanded civil responsibilities and an overall improvement in the service's tactics, techniques, communications equipment, procedures, and intelligence methods; and
Whereas, During World War II, the Coast Guard performed extensive convoy protection and antisubmarine duties in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, rescuing the survivors of torpedo attacks off of the United States coast while Coast Guard "coast-watchers" maintained beach patrols and guarded ports; and
Whereas, The Coast Guard played a pivotal role in "Operation Market Time" during the Vietnam War, through which the Coast Guard boarded nearly a quarter of a million vessels to prevent the re-supply of enemy forces; and
Whereas, In the post-Vietnam War era, the Coast Guard's civil duties expanded to include drug enforcement, undocumented migrant interdiction, and environmental protection responsibilities; and
Whereas, In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Coast Guard personnel were among the first responders to the World Trade Center tragedy and assisted in evacuating more than half a million people by water from lower Manhattan; and
Whereas, The Coast Guard joined with local police and fire agencies in responding to emergency and mayday calls, and deployed helicopters, boats, and other vessels to help in the recovery efforts during Superstorm Sandy in 2012; and
Whereas, The Coast Guard responded to 20,510 search and rescue cases and saved over 3,800 lives in 2012; and
Whereas, Coast Guard Training Center Cape May is the fifth largest base in the Coast Guard and the sole accession point for the entire enlisted workforce; and
Whereas, The Coast Guard stations nearly 2,000 active-duty men and women, 175 reservists, and approximately 2,000 auxiliary personnel in New Jersey who serve in a variety of job categories, including operation specialists, small-boat operators, maintenance specialists, electronic technicians, and aviation mechanics; and
Whereas, The Coast Guard has been responsible for the security of the ports and waterways of the United States during times of both war and peace since its inception and it is altogether fitting and proper for this House to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House commemorates the 225th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard and honors the service and sacrifice of its members.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Coast Guard Museum.
STATEMENT
This resolution commemorates the 225th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard and honors the service and sacrifice of its members.
The United States Coast Guard began as the Revenue Marine (later renamed the Revenue Cutter Service) in 1790 to suppress smuggling operations and collect custom duties and tonnage taxes. In 1848, Congressman William Newell of New Jersey set in motion a series of legislative maneuvers that led to the formation of the United States Life-Saving Service to assist distressed navigators. On January 28, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law "The Act to Create the Coast Guard," which combined the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life Saving-Service to create the United States Coast Guard. Since its inception, the Coast Guard has been responsible for the security of the ports and waterways of the United States during times of both war and peace. In addition to the Coast Guard's wartime contributions, the service aids mariners in jeopardy, patrols shipping lanes, and engages in drug enforcement, immigration, and environmental protection operations.
The Coast Guard maintains several bases in New Jersey. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May is the fifth largest base in the Coast Guard and the sole accession point for the entire enlisted workforce. Additionally, nearly 2,000 active-duty men and women, 175 reservists, and approximately 2,000 auxiliary personnel are stationed in New Jersey. Recently, the Coast Guard led rescue efforts from the sea as Superstorm Sandy devastated the New Jersey coast in 2012.
This House commemorates the 225th anniversary of the United States Coast Guard and recognizes its contribution to the maritime safety of the United States.
