The widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy has been well-documented. Coast Guard personnel up and down the East Coast have been affected by the storm. More than 5,800 Coast Guard personnel live within the path of Sandy's destruction. Join us in helping to give back by supporting those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy, and donate now to our Disaster Relief Fund.

In the mid-Atlantic, more than 50 Coast Guard men and women suffered property damage and loss due to high winds, flooding and rain. In New York and New Jersey, Coast Guard members and their families are in need of winter clothes, which many families lost in in the aftermath of the hurricane. The Coast Guard participated in a number of rescue and security missions during and after Sandy struck. Most notably, a helicopter crew from Elizabeth City, North Carolina saved the lives of 14 people during the rescue of the HMS Bounty, which sank 90 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras.

The Coast Guard is at its best when situations are the most dire. The brave men and women of the service risk life and limb to save others, even when their own homes and families are in harm's way.

A Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter crew from Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., patrols above a section of Long Island Sound, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, that was affected by Hurricane Sandy. The Coast Guard is working to provide security and assist in recovery operations to the citizens of New York and New Jersey.