The Coast Guard takes to Space

[Lady Ty]

Like the sound of this new series, where Myke Cole is taking the US Coast Guard Service to the Stars.

About the first book, as yet untitled, in the SAR-1 series:

A lifelong Search-and-Rescuewoman, Coast Guard Captain Jane Oliver is ready for a peaceful retirement. But when tragedy strikes and Oliver loses her husband and her plans for the future, she finds herself thrust into a role she’s not prepared for. Suddenly at the helm of the Coast Guard’s elite SAR-1 lunar unit, Oliver is the only woman who can prevent the first lunar war in history, a conflict that will surely consume not only the Moon, but Earth as well.

I don't usually read Military SFF but he has served himself and this particular part in the article sounds encouraging:-

In recruiting videos and press releases, the military often touts the full range of its more palatable activities – providing aid, peacekeeping, diplomacy. We see the Army Corps of Engineers, the Military Attaché Corps, Navy hospital ships at anchor off the coast of devastated countries in the developing world.

But those of us who have been in know better. We have all of us heard the harangues of drill instructors, company commanders and A-school chiefs, “Forget all that,” they say of these feel-good support functions, “the military exists to do just two things – kill people and destroy property.”

Sure, you can make the argument that those roles may wind up saving more lives than they take, but it’s always debatable. That bald truth is unimpeachable for all branches of the armed service.

Save one.

Just one military branch has a different job. Just one relegates the killing function, the destructive engine, to a subordinate role.

The United States Coast Guard.

The guard has six official missions, ranging from saving lives at sea to protecting living marine resources. They are absolutely a warfighting agency. They are equipped and trained to kill, and have fought in every American war. But for the guard, defense isn’t priority one. The guard alone has law enforcement authority over American citizens who aren’t in the military. The guard alone prioritizes environmental protection, icebreaking and marine science over raw firepower.

Where other branches are built to take lives, the guard alone was chartered to save them.

[NedMarcus]

But I like books where the heroes and villains kill people and destroy property! That said, this might be interesting; I've also thought of writing stories about planetary coast guards. Many opportunities for interesting stories—and still a chance to kill people and destroy property

[Lady Ty]

 I'm sure there will still be plenty of destruction and probably death,* but hopefully some different aspects from the standard military. For example exactly what parts of lunar environment needs protecting? Are the anti-mining champions mounting a Resistance on the Moon?

And do visitors have to pass through Lunar Customs and declare the Earth food delicacies or exotic Mars fauna they are trying to smuggle back in or elsewhere? Just have to read the book and we'll compare notes later.

* Did you read the full link in red?

[NedMarcus]

I've read it now. I'll look out for the book when it's released. Immigration/emigration could also be a big theme. Wonder whether a wall in space is possible? And if they'll have elevators to the space stations orbiting the Earth?

[NedMarcus]

A Stargate SG—Coastguard could be good!

[Yora]

A few years ago, space patrol was my contribution to a discussion about a new possible Star Trek show that revives the stale formula.