The U.S. Coast Guard has announced the renaming of districts from numerical to geographic designations. District 13, for example, will now be known as Coast Guard Northwest District and District 17 is now USCG Arctic District. The Northwest District is made up of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. The Arctic District includes all of Alaska.
The geographic renaming of districts is a step forward for the Force Design 2028 campaign. Other branches of the Armed Forces have Service Secretaries that provide oversight and accountability, the Coast Guard does not. Legislation is being pursued by the Department of Homeland Security to establish a Coast Guard Service Secretary to correct this historical disadvantage. Goals of the Force Design 2028 include growing the workforce by at least 15,000 members by 2028, streamline contracting and acquisitions to respond to emerging threats, and the adoption and use of advanced technology and data to conduct operations.
The new geographic names, approved by the Department of Homeland Security, are as follows:
- District 1: USCG Northeast District
- District 5: USCG East District
- District 7: USCG Southeast District
- District 8: USCG Heartland District
- District 9: USCG Great Lakes District
- District 11: USCG Southwest District
- District 13: USCG Northwest District
- District 14: USCG Oceania District
- District 17: USCG Arctic District
Map and Photo Image: U.S. Coast Guard
