Defending the shield of freedom

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to answer the question: What key messages does the Coast Guard disseminate to the public through online recruiting tools and what is the relationship of this online recruiting material to the new recruit’s perception of the Coast Guard? Information was gathered from the Coast Guard’s main recruiting Web site (www.gocoastguard.com) and analyzed through textual analysis. The results of this project revealed that consistent themes such as bravery, patriotism, honor, respect, and devotion to duty were prevalent. While the public perceives the Coast Guard in a 'positive' light and considers it a viable employer, a gap exists between the Web site’s messages and the realities of the organization’s image, identity and operations. Striving to increase diversity and attract members through online recruiting, the Coast Guard should alter its online messages to reflect an accurate picture of the organization at-large.