Top videos highlight CG missions 2009

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - From major drug busts to miraculous rescues, the U.S. Coast Guard has just released its top 11 video compilation for 2009. The video highlights the year's most compelling cases from the work done every day by America's Guardians.

See the compilation, presented in no particular order, in the video player to the left of this story.

The Coast Guard selected 11 videos to remind people of the service's 11 statutory missions.

In 2009 America's Coast Guard:

Screened more than 248,000 commercial vessels and their 62 million passengers and crewmembers before arrival in U.S. ports, identifying nearly 400 individuals in a person of interest watch list.

Maintained a contingent of six patrol boats and 400 personnel to enforce United Nations sanctions in the Arabian Gulf, train Iraqi naval forces and protect Iraqi critical maritime oil infrastructure.

Kept 352,862 pounds of cocaine and 71,234 pounds of marijuana from reaching the United States, while nabbing 322 suspected smugglers.

Saved more than 4,747 lives and responded to 23,555 emergencies.

Issued 73,168 merchant mariner credentials to qualified mariners

Conducted more than 14,000 inspections of U.S. flagged vessels

Investigated nearly 3,600 pollution incidents

Conducted 49,276 armed patrols to protect critical infrastructure or key resources

Maintained a 98 percent rate of availability for 50,000 short-range aids to navigation that helped mariners more safely navigate our nation’s 95,000 miles of coastline, 25,000 miles of waterways and 12,000 miles of inland waterways that comprise the U.S. Marine Transportation System.

"As the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard, it has been my pleasure to serve with such dedicated men and women who sacrifice so much to serve our great nation," said Adm. Thad W. Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. "I am truly grateful for their hard work and dedication. During 2009, they committed themselves to maintaining the nation's maritime safety, security, and environment. They are America's Maritime Guardians. The best videos of 2009 clearly illustrate they are always here to protect and ready to serve."

The public is encouraged to vote online at the Coast Guard's YouTube channel for their favorite video in the Coast Guard’s best video of 2009 contest. The Coast Guard Compass will be highlighting one video per day from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1.

The top 11 video compilation includes:

The rescue of a paraglider pilot who crashed on the shoreline of Cape Lookout near Tillamook, Ore., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.

The capture of suspected pirates from a response to a vessel distress signal from Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team 409 while operating under Combined Task Force 151.

A medical evacuation of a crewmember from a U.S. Navy submarine off the coast of Washington, by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.

The simultaneous pursuit and interdiction off two drug smuggling boats 80 miles of the coast of Guatemala by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf.

The rescue of two crewmembers from a fishing vessel on fire 10 miles off the coast of Long Beach, Wash., by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Active and aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.

The rescue of two people from a burning boat near Corpus Christi, Texas, from an aircrew from Sector Corpus Christi, Texas.

The rescue of six people from their capsized vessel two miles from the Columbia River, Wash., by a boatcrew from Cape Disappointment, Wash., and an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.

The response to US Airways flight 1549 emergency landing in the Hudson River near Manhattan, N.Y., by boatcrews from Sector New York.

The rescue of a man whose canoe flipped in heavy surf in the Necanicum River near Gearheart, Ore., by an aircrew from Air Station Astoria, Ore.

The dewatering of the fishing vessel Blue Diamond 90 miles east of Atlantic City, N.J., from the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish. A longer version of this video can be seen on YouTube and CGVI.

The rescue of three people, their cat and dog during the Red River Valley floods from an aircrew from Air Station Traverse City, Mich.