"Semper Paratus" means "Always Ready." That is the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard because its members are always ready to defend and preserve the United States. The mission is unique: protecting ports and waterways from all kinds of threats.

Part 1. Jen Lahmers spoke to Adm. Karl Schultz, the commandant of the Coast Guard, to get his overview of what this unique branch of the military does every day.

Part 2. Joe Toohey got a first-hand look from the water and from the air at how the Coast Guard performs dangerous and challenging helicopter rescue missions.

Part 3. Sector New York is the largest operational field command on the East Coast. Lisa Evers learned about how the Coast Guard protects New York Harbor.

Part 4. Raegan Medgie went on board a New Jersey-based cutter that has not one but two women in charge.

Part 5. During the winter, the Coast Guard helps keep cargo moving along the Hudson River. Mac King joined the crew of the Cutter Sturgeon Bay as it carried out a day of ice breaking on the Hudson.

Part 6. Jen Lahmers also went on the Hudson River to try her hand at one of the toughest jobs in the Coast Guard—checking and maintaining navigational buoys.

PHOTO GALLERY: http://bit.ly/2W06y7F

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