Skip to main content
USNI Logo USNI Logo USNI Logo
Donate
  • Cart
  • Join or Log In
  • Search

Main navigation

  • About Us
  • Membership
  • Books & Press
  • USNI News
  • Proceedings
  • Naval History
  • Archives
  • Events
  • Donate
USNI Logo USNI Logo USNI Logo
Donate
  • Cart
  • Join or Log In
  • Search

Main navigation (Sticky)

  • About Us
  • Membership
  • Books & Press
  • USNI News
  • Proceedings
  • Naval History
  • Archives
  • Events
  • Donate

Sub Menu

  • Essay Contests
    • About Essay Contests
    • CNO Naval History - Professional Historian
    • CNO Naval History - Rising Historian
    • Coast Guard
    • Emerging & Disruptive Technologies
    • Enlisted Prize
    • NPS Foundation/U.S. Naval Institute
    • Naval Mine Warfare
  • Current Issue
  • Our Apps
  • The Proceedings Podcast
  • U.S. Naval Institute Blog
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Contact Proceedings
    • Media Inquiries
  • All Issues

Sub Menu

  • Essay Contests
    • About Essay Contests
    • CNO Naval History - Professional Historian
    • CNO Naval History - Rising Historian
    • Coast Guard
    • Emerging & Disruptive Technologies
    • Enlisted Prize
    • NPS Foundation/U.S. Naval Institute
    • Naval Mine Warfare
  • Current Issue
  • Our Apps
  • The Proceedings Podcast
  • U.S. Naval Institute Blog
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Contact Proceedings
    • Media Inquiries
  • All Issues

Nobody Asked Me, But . . . Rename the Coast Guard Districts

Commander Jim Hotchkiss, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve
November 2018
Proceedings
Article
View Issue
Comments

The Coast Guard’s current naming system for district commands is obsolete. The service should rename district commands to reflect their geographical areas of responsibility.

The construct today dates to World War II, when Coast Guard district commands were made to parallel naval districts. The naval districts were named numerically, starting with the First District in the U.S. Northeast and going west, ending with the Seventeenth Naval District covering Alaska. The numbers themselves were meaningless, but for the Coast Guard, following the Navy’s naming convention increased interoperability. This made sense for the times as the Coast Guard was part of the Navy Department for the duration of the war.

All the naval districts except Naval District Washington were disestablished by 1980. It no longer makes sense for the Coast Guard to maintain a naval naming convention. The names of Coast Guard district commands should have some intrinsic meaning.

Member-Only Content

Join the U.S. Naval Institute to gain access to this article and other articles published in Proceedings since 1874. Members receive this valuable benefit and so much more.

Become a Member Today

If you are already a Member, please log in to gain access, and thank you for your Membership.

Quicklinks

Footer menu

  • About the Naval Institute
  • Books & Press
  • Naval History Magazine
  • USNI News
  • Proceedings
  • Oral Histories
  • Events
  • Naval Institute Foundation
  • Photos & Historical Prints
  • Naval Institute Archives

Receive the Newsletter

Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations.

Sign Up Now
Example NewsletterPrivacy Policy
USNI Logo White
Copyright © 2021 U.S. Naval Institute Privacy PolicyTerms of UseContact UsAdvertise With UsFAQContent LicenseMedia Inquiries
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
Powered by Unleashed Technologies