The Countdown Is Complete: View the 2026 Coast Guard Video of the Year

Great Lakes Icebreaking Operations has been named the 2026 Coast Guard Video of the Year.

After 10 unforgettable videos spanning frozen oceans, breaking surf, daring rescues, high-speed interdictions and months-long patrols, viewers chose the moment that rose above them all: Great Lakes Icebreaking Operations is the 2026 Coast Guard Video of the Year.

The winning video puts one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s oldest, and least understood, missions in the spotlight. It is not the mission most Americans picture when they think of the Coast Guard. That is exactly why it deserves to be seen.

The Coast Guard Mission Most People Never See

Every winter, Coast Guard cutters head into brutal Great Lakes conditions to break channels through heavy ice, escort commercial vessels and keep essential cargo moving. Iron ore. Grain. Road salt. Heating fuel. The goods communities and industries rely on do not stop mattering when the lakes freeze.

The winning video follows the cutters Mackinaw, Neah Bay and Bristol Bay as their crews take on that demanding work. Thousands of tons of steel climb onto the frozen surface, bear down and fracture the ice. Again and again, a channel opens—and another vessel can move.

But this mission is about more than commerce. During the season featured in the campaign, Mackinaw shifted from icebreaking operations to rescue a man stranded near Mackinac Island in blizzard conditions after worsening weather made a helicopter rescue unsafe. One moment, the crew was keeping a shipping lane open. The next, they were bringing someone home.

To everyone who watched, voted and shared: thank you for helping the Coast Guard’s story travel farther.

Two More Missions Captured the Hearts of Viewers

Two more extraordinary Coast Guard stories captured the hearts of viewers. Force From Above finished second, showcasing the precision, innovation, and teamwork of HITRON as the elite aviation unit completed its historic 1,000th maritime interdiction.

The National Motor Lifeboat School earned third place, taking viewers into the breaking surf of the “Graveyard of the Pacific,” where Coast Guard Surfmen develop the skill, courage, and split-second judgment required to answer the call when conditions are at their worst.

Together, the three finalists reveal the remarkable range of Coast Guard service—from keeping vital waterways moving to stopping threats at sea and preparing lifesavers for the missions when everything is on the line.

Watch the Winner, Then Watch the Nine Missions It Beat

Across our campaign, the 2026 Coast Guard Top 10 generated more than 260,000 video views and thousands of likes, comments and shares, reflecting strong public interest in the missions and people of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Every video in the 2026 Coast Guard Top 10 tells a story worth watching. The full countdown stretches from Antarctica to the Rio Grande, from the Graveyard of the Pacific to the Eastern Pacific, and from a rescue 65 miles offshore to a cutter patrol spanning two oceans.

Watch all 10 on TikTok – Follow @mycgma for CGMA’s short-form Coast Guard stories.

Watch all 10 on YouTube Shorts – Subscribe to CGMA’s YouTube channel and never miss the action.

The Countdown Is Over. The Need Isn’t.

Behind every cutter, aircraft, small boat and boarding team is a Coast Guard member, and a family carrying the demands of service alongside them.

When a disaster strikes, a car breaks down, an unexpected expense hits or a temporary financial challenge threatens to become a long-term crisis, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance helps the Coast Guard community move forward through grants, interest-free loans and other support.

Voting has ended, but your gift can still make an impact that lasts far beyond the final ranking. It can help ensure that the people who answer the call, and the families who stand behind them, do not have to face financial hardship alone.