COMDTINST M5728.2C, PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANUAL (DEC 2001)

COMDTINST M5728.2C, PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANUAL (DEC-2001) [SUPERSEDED BY COMDTINST M5728.2D]. A robust public affairs program is essential to the Coast Guard\'s success in every mission area. It is imperative that we raise the visibility of the Coast Guard\'s services to the public. Effective public education campaigns have reduced our search and rescue workload and reduced the number of unnecessary deaths in recreational boating and the commercial fishing industry. Public awareness has helped the Coast Guard combat drug smugglers, locate alien migrants, identify poachers in America\'s fisheries and protect the nation\'s marine environment. Only by informing the public of the services the Coast Guard provides and establishing relationships with the communities we serve will we continue to enjoy the support of Americans: support they show by funding our efforts with their tax dollars; support they show when they cooperate with our operations; support they show by joining our ranks as active duty members, Reservists, Auxiliarists and civilian employees. Without the support of the American public, the Coast Guard could not operate and might not even exist.