15 reasons the Coast Guard is completely underrated

On August 4, 1790, President George Washington okayed the creation of a Revenue Cutter Service to collect tariffs from U.S.-bound ships. Two-hundred and twenty-seven years later - after absorbing the Lifesaving Service and the Lighthouse Service - the U.S. Coast Guard is alive and well, charged with preserving life and property on the watera along with drug interdiction, counterterror, ice operations, Happy birthday to the Coasties - and to the haters who have trouble treating our fifth armed service as a coequal, here are some reasons for you to reconsider, with assistance from the USCG Flickr account and some T&P readers.

Mystery at Sea: Hearing on Nathan Carman’s insurance claim set for Aug. 7

Attorneys for the companies that insured Nathan Carman's Chicken Pox are asking a federal court in Rhode Island to leave open the possibility of questioning Carman during deposition about "his grandfather's unsolved homicide ..." "[F]urther defenses ... may become apparent later in discovery ... and [plaintiffs] anticipate that Nathan Carman's 'criminal wrongdoing' ... and 'illegality' ... will similarly bar his insurance claim," states the Plaintiff's Rule 16 Statement filed on July 31. Carman, of Vernon, spent seven days in a four-person, inflatable life raft after his fishing boat sank in September 2016. He was rescued by a freighter and brought to safety by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Coast Guard suspends search for overboard crew member on Bristol Bay fishing boat

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a fisherman on a Bristol Bay fishing boat who went overboard in Ugashik Bay Wednesday night. The Coast Guard was first notified that a crew member of the Lady Colleen had gone in the water just after midnight on Thursday morning, said Petty Officer First Class Bill Colclough.

Boat captain leaps into sea to save crew after capsizing

In this still image from video taken on Monday, July 24, 2017, by the Coast Guard, the captain of the fishing vessel Grayling, left, rescues one of his crewmen after the vessel capsized in the Kupreanof Strait near Raspberry Island, Alaska,. The captain jumped into cold, choppy waters to save two of his crew members after their vessel capsized off the Alaska coast.

Escaped jail inmates captured; customer at fast-food restaurant…

First woman to lead U.S. Coast Guard in Great Lakes is retiring because she fell in love with Cleveland Summit County changes death penalty process; attorneys for Akron man charged in fatal fire to present evidence before case goes to grand jury Pay it Forward for Pets nonprofit boarding facility helps reduce number of pets euthanized at county pound

Police: Man says he doesn’t recall killing wife in Uber car

A man told investigators he didn't remember shooting and killing his wife inside an Uber employee's car, saying he had been drinking and "not having a good night" with her before the gunfire rang out, authorities said. Cameron Espitia, 31, who worked for the U.S. Coast Guard, was being held on $3 million bail in the death of Jennifer Espitia, 29. Defense attorney Kristen Gestaut had asked for lower bail Monday, citing Espitia's lack of criminal history and ties to the agency, The Seattle Times reported ( The Uber driver told police that Jennifer Espitia was sitting in the front seat and Cameron Espitia was in the back when they began arguing shortly after midnight Sunday, according to probable cause documents.