Is there a standard that is supposed to be followed for the wiring in Coast Guard housing? I am only asking because I find it weird that half the outlets in my house are the old two prong and the other half are three prong with only the hot and neutral hooked up and no ground. The only reason that I know this is because one of my light switches in my house which was probably older than me went up in smoke and melted so I replaced it with a new one but was confused when it only had two wires going to it. I’m only asking here because the discussion came up here at work today about housing and we were discussing how often we have to replace light bulbs and electronic devices in our houses due to failure.

The house was probably wired and built for the two prong, than as others were added (or old ones replaced) whoever added them just bought the three prong and only hooked up two wires (which would be all he had available). I'm not even sure if you can still buy the older type.

They are supposed to follow the National Electric Code. I don't believe there is a requirement to upgrade to a more modern system if the other is servicable.

I would agree with EX_CG_GM that the three prong outlets were replacements. It is hard to find the two prong outlets, and is not really worth the extra effort. You are safe with you current setup. There is a very good chance that your outlets are grounded through the box and conduit. That was the code, I am sure when your house was built. The national building code only requires upgrading to current codes when greater than 50% renovation is completed. This is beyond the normal rehab. that most CG units complete as that is more cosmetic. If you are having problems with electronic devices, I suggest you invest in a surge protector that also cleans the electric signal. Also, I can not think of anytime I have ever come across a light switch that had a ground connection. If the romex has ground wires they are always twisted together behind the switch. All switches do is act like a valve for the power. The fixture is usually grounded.