After Vietnam, the law-enforcement mission of the Coast Guard was re-emphasized, and, since the Navy is not empowered under most circumstances to perform maritime law enforcement, it was decided to distinguish Coast Guard vessels and aircraft from Navy units by replacing the traditional gray paint with bright white. The red slash was also added at this time, with the words "Coast Guard" (later replaced with "U.S. Coast Guard") painted on the sides. Sort of like making police cruisers highly visible among other vehicles on the road.

The exceptions to the new paint scheme included vessels involved in "pick and shovel" work -- ice-breakers, buoy tenders, etc. -- which have black hulls, and certain helicopters which are painted international orange.