I hope when morons say that it isn't a branch of the military you quickly correct them.

Being prior service (25 years ago) and teaching in a very small, country school (8th grade has 5 students) the kids soon found out that I was prior Coast Guard.  And, as kids will do to get out of class work, they started asking questions about "everything".  How's boot camp?  What's it like living on board?  Was Abraham Lincoln still president when I was in?  One day after talking about boot camp one of the female students asked "Is it true that you (Coast Guard) had to run everywhere you went?"  I couldn't let the opportunity to pass so my response was "Yes.  Until the Navy found out and told us we had to start using boats!"  Go Coast Guard!!

The reason I get from people from the other branches for why we aren't a military service is based upon us not being a part of DOD. I am constantly trying to explain what it is we do and that we do not have to be a part of their department to be a military branch. It's crazy!