Coast Guard Station New London facts for kids

Coast Guard Station New London is a special place in New London, Connecticut. It's a base for the United States Coast Guard, which is like the police and rescue team for the water. This station is part of a bigger group called Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. You can find it right next to Fort Trumbull.

A Look Back in Time

From Fort to Academy

The very first fort was built on this spot way back in 1775. In 1798, the state of Connecticut gave the land to the U.S. government. Since then, military buildings have always been here.

Around 1910, some stone buildings near Fort Trumbull became home to a school. This school trained officers for the United States Revenue Cutter Service, an early version of the Coast Guard. In 1915, this service joined with another group, the United States Life-Saving Service, to create the United States Coast Guard. The school then became the United States Coast Guard Academy.

The Academy moved to its current campus in New London in 1932. The old campus then became known as Coast Guard Operating Base Fort Trumbull.

The Prohibition Years

This base was very important during the Prohibition era and World War II. Prohibition was a time in the U.S. when making and selling alcohol was against the law.

At the start of Prohibition, the Coast Guard was quite small. But starting in 1924, it grew much bigger. Its job was to stop "rumrunning" ships, which were illegally bringing alcohol into the country. Within just two years, New London became the largest Coast Guard base in the whole nation!

Changes Over Time

In 1948, the Coast Guard gave some of the Fort Trumbull buildings to the U.S. Navy. However, the Coast Guard kept two buildings (45 and 12) and a pier (pier 2) for their own use.

Later, in 1995, a government group decided to close a Navy office in New London. They suggested that the land should go back to the Coast Guard. This idea was approved. So, in April 1997, the location was returned to the Coast Guard after the Navy office closed. Even today, a Navy team that helps submarines stay quiet still uses part of the station.

What the Station Does Today

Today, Station New London is a key part of the Coast Guard's work in the Long Island Sound area. The people who work here do many important jobs:

• They perform search and rescue missions, helping people who are in trouble on the water.
• They promote boating safety for everyone.
• They enforce laws on the water.
• They help keep the military ready for action.
• They respond to oil spills and other environmental issues.
• They work on port security, keeping the harbor safe. This includes making sure two special security areas along the Thames River are secure.

Since September 2015, a Coast Guard ship called the Albacore (WPB-87309) has been based upriver at the United States Coast Guard Academy.

The station has a team of people working there. This includes one officer, 45 full-time Coast Guard members, 13 part-time Coast Guard reservists, and 10 Coast Guard volunteers.