<p>A big part of the USCGA’s problem is simply lack of visibility in minority communities. Because of their mission you primarily hear about the Coast Guard in coastal communities when there is a weather-related disaster, whereas the other branches of military service have been all over the news for the past decade because of their involvement in actions in the Middle East.</p>
<p>Another area where the CGA suffers in terms of visibility is on the playing field. West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy get plenty of attention on television and in the sports pages because they play on the Division I level. Millions more people would be aware of the CGA if they were scheduling football games against Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Rutgers and Maryland instead of Fitchburg State, Maine Maritime and Curry. I’m not suggesting the CGA should be playing DI athletics – it is what it is – but this definitely doesn’t help the Academy’s visibility problem.</p>