U.S. Coast Guard Cryptologic Group Established, June 28, 2007

For more than two centuries, the Coast Guard has relied on intelligence information to execute its missions. In fact, an intelligence assessment of the maritime domain contributed to the establishment of the Revenue Marine in 1790. Alexander Hamilton evaluated the extent and recent history of maritime smuggling, appraised the opportunities the American coastline provided to merchants determined to avoid taxes collected in ports, and predicted the rapid growth of foreign trade and maritime shipping interests. In today’s language, he employed an Intelligence Preparation of the Maritime Domain (IPMD) to inform his determination that a fleet of cutters with the mission of collecting revenue and combating smuggling would benefit the nation. His mission decision, enhanced by intelligence, proved greatly advantageous to the United States. Since then, the Coast Guard has continued its use of intelligence to create this “Decision Advantage.”