| Liberian National Coast Guard | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1959 |
| Country |  Liberia |
| Type | Coast guard |
| Anniversaries | February 11 |
| Engagements | First Liberian Civil War Second Liberian Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | PresidentJoseph Boakai |
| Minister of National Defense | Geraldine George |
| Commander of the Coast Guard | Captain (LCG) Daniel ZB Holman Jr. |
| Insignia | |
| Naval Jack |  |
| Ensign |  |
TheLiberian National Coast Guard is thenaval force ofLiberia, part of theArmed Forces of Liberia. Its main duties are law enforcement along Liberia's coast and in its maritime area, and aiding those in distress.[1]
Liberia acquired a small number of naval ships during its early history. In 1892 the steelgunboatGorronomah, built in Ireland, became its first ship, and in 1894 it acquired the gunboatRocktown, built in the Netherlands. They were both out of service by 1900. In 1916 theauxiliaryschoonerPresident Howard was acquired from Germany and was the only ship in the Liberian Navy, but it was sunk in April 1918 by the German submarineU-154.[2][3]
The Liberian National Coast Guard, was established in 1959.[4] Throughout the Tubman period the coastguard was little more than a few sometimes unserviceable patrol craft manned by ill-trained personnel, though its training improved in the 1980s to the point where it was considered the best trained of the armed services.[4]
In 1984 the Liberian National Coast Guard contained about 450 personnel.[5] UnderSamuel Doe the Coast Guard was retitled the Liberian Navy in 1986 through the passage of The Liberian Navy Act of 1986.[6] However, as a result of theFirst andSecond Liberian civil wars, the navy lost control of its bases and was reduced to an insignificant force.[5]
The Coast Guard was reactivated on the 53rd Armed Forces Day on February 11, 2010, with an initial strength of 40 personnel who had been trained in the United States.[7] AUnited States Coast Guard officer is now serving at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia supporting efforts to reestablish the Liberian Coast Guard.[8]
A detachment fromSeaBeeNaval Mobile Construction Battalion 7, based atNaval Station Rota, Spain, constructed aUnited States Africa Command-funded boat ramp and concrete perimeter wall for the Coast Guard, which was handed over in December 2010.[9] In February 2011, the United States turned over two donatedUSCG Defender class boats to the Coast Guard.[10]
The fleet of the Liberian National Coast Guard currently consists of:
The ranks and insignia of the Liberian National Coast Guard are based on those of theUnited States Coast Guard, and are laid out in the Liberian Defense Act of 2008.[1]
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberian National Coast Guard[12] |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||
| Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Lieutenant (junior grade) | Ensign | |||||||||||||||||||
| Africa | |
|---|---|
| Asia |
|
| Europe | |
| North America | |
| Oceania | |
| South America | |
