Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard

The Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard is the coast guard of Italy and is part of the Italian Navy under the control of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. This important group works to protect Italy's coasts and waters. They help keep the seas safe for ships, boats, and people who live near the water.

Their main office is located in Rome, the capital city of Italy. From there, they organize and manage many tasks that help protect the environment, support fishing communities, and ensure safe travel for everyone on the water. The Coast Guard plays a big role in making sure Italy's beautiful coastlines stay safe and healthy for all.

Missions

The Italian Coast Guard has several important jobs. They help with search and rescue missions to save people in trouble at sea. They also make sure to follow maritime law enforcement and protect marine resources. Keeping the safety of navigation is another key task, along with protecting fisheries and making sure rules are followed for regulation.

History

The Italian Coast Guard is the main part of the Corps of the Port Captaincies that helps people in trouble at sea. It started with a royal decree on 20 July 1865. Later, it became part of the Regia Marina of the Kingdom of Italy during 1915-1945, and since 1946 it has been part of the Marina Militare. On 8 June 1989, it was named the Guardia costiera.

Structure and organization

Structure

The Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard has several important parts. It includes headquarters for coordinating sea rescues, special offices for different sea areas, local offices along the coast, and smaller beach offices.

The coast guard also works with special teams, including underwater groups in several cities and teams that work on lakes. It also has an air wing to help with its work.

Tasks

The Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard is part of the Italian Navy. It focuses on tasks related to the sea, working with many government ministries.

Its main jobs include:

• Search and rescue at sea (Search and rescue at sea): helping people in trouble on the water all day, every day.
• Safety of navigation (Safety of navigation): checking ships to make sure they follow the rules.
• Protection of the marine environment (Protection of the marine environment): keeping the ocean clean and safe.
• Control on maritime fishery (Control on maritime fishery): making sure fishing follows the rules.
• Maritime police (Maritime police): managing ships and keeping ports safe.

The Corps also helps with other jobs for different ministries, like signing up military personnel, protecting cultural treasures under water, and more. It takes care of a huge area of water — almost twice the size of Italy itself — making sure people and the environment are safe.

Insignia

The Guardia Costiera, like other coast guards, has a special marking called a "racing stripe" on its boats. This stripe uses Italy’s national colors: a thin green line, a thin white space, and a wide red band. Inside the red band is a white circle with a black anchor. This racing stripe is also the logo of the Guardia Costiera.

Rank insignia

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1
Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard
					Ammiraglio ispettore capo (CP) comandante generale		Ammiraglio ispettore (CP)		Contrammiraglio (CP)		Capitano di vascello (CP)		Capitano di fregata (CP)		Capitano di corvetta (CP)		Primo Tenente di vascello (CP)	Tenente di vascello (CP)	Sottotenente di vascello (CP)			Guardiamarina (CP)			Aspirante guardiamarina (CP)

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard
	Primo luogotenente (q.s.) Np.	Luogotenente Np.	Primo Maresciallo Np.		Capo di Prima Classe Np.		Capo di Seconda Classe Np.	Capo di Terza Classe Np.	Secondo Capo Scelto Np.		Secondo Capo Np.						Sergente Np.						Sottocapo di Prima Classe Scelto Np.	Sottocapo di Prima Classe Np.	Sottocapo di Seconda Classe Np.	Sottocapo di Terza Classe Np.	Sottocapo Np.		Comune di Prima Classe Np.						Comune di Seconda Classe Np.