hpeer wrote:
The USCG is the ONLY military organization with a full time peace time
mission. Except for NOAA.

NOAA is not a military organization.

But to be honest the USCG is not really a military organization,

Huh? Funny, they have pretty big guns up front on their boats for not
being military. That's kinda like saying the National Guard isn't really
military because it also has a peacetime function.

The point is that all big organizations are relatively ineffective and
inefficient.

Within all military organizations as well as all government departments
and organizations at all levels (federal, state, and usually local as
well) there is usually massive waste and inefficiencies. To be fair
there has been tremendous improvement over the last twenty years or so
in the military and at the same time the civilian side has become much,
much worse. But as was pointed out by someone else, one mandate still
stands in all government departments and organizations - they are
usually ordered by their department heads to spend everything they get
and then some, or the following year's budget will go down. Even the
lower ranks feel this pressure at the end of the fiscal year.

Oh and one more thing, if the Coast Guard or any military unit does not
constantly practice, their skills and leadership will atrophy. The SAR
mission in question can easily be considered practice as well as a real
mission. Denying them those opportunities threatens their budget,
skills, and mission. Then what will you have left after a few
self-serving Congressmen decide they want the money for their own
districts instead of giving it to fund CG ops?
Just trying to clarify a few things.
Red
Hope everone had, or is having great holidays whatever they may be.