摘要: |
The U.S. Coast Guard is in high demand these days and there's no chance of that letting up anytime soon. New studies about the service's ever-increasing responsibilities, budget pressures and global reach, as well as some recent incidents and labor trends, are shedding renewed light on challenges facing the nation's smallest military service. For decades the Coast Guard has fulfilled its missions - from search and rescue to keeping ports and waterways humming - with less money and manpower than the other military branches and has always made it work despite aging assets and infrastructure. Progress has been made with better budgets and replacing antiquated assets, but both old and emerging challenges and recent incidents are deeply straining the 233-year-old organization. |