A conversation with Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Paul F. Zukunft

For over 226 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has protected the homeland and served as a versatile instrument of security and diplomacy. An armed force, a law enforcement agency, and a regulatory entity, the Coast Guard employs its unique authorities, broad capabilities, and vast partnerships to preserve U.S. interests in the maritime realm. Enduring and emerging challenges such as instability in the Western Hemisphere, evolving maritime cyber threats, shifting energy markets, and increasingly accessible polar regions test the Coast Guard to live up to its service motto: Semper Paratus—Always Ready.

On November 29, the Brookings Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence hosted an event discussing geostrategic challenges in our hemisphere. Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, the Coast Guard’s 25th commandant, offered opening remarks before being joined by Brookings Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon for a brief discussion.