United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Celebrates 67 Years

The Auxiliary, an all volunteer workforce of over 31,000 members, appears to be as valuable and relevant today as it was during its inception.  Originally founded on June 23, 1939 as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, and later renamed in 1941 as the Coast Guard Auxiliary, this all volunteer force has donated millions of hours to both the public and the Coast Guard over these last years.

 According to Gene Seibert, national commodore, "Much has changed in the years since the Auxiliary came into being - new Auxiliary uniforms, more modern and sophisticated training programs, and greater professionalism. Terrorism has replaced world war as a threat to our nation's survival. But, much has remained the same," said Seibert.

"Then, as now, the Coast Guard faced budget and personnel shortfalls, and the Auxiliary provided a key force multiplier. Then, as now, men and women volunteered their services in support of the Coast Guard.

Then, as now, we rallied to such words as 'Duty, Honor, Country.' Then, as now, we were a key component of the Coast Guard and in many of the inland areas, we are 'the Coast Guard.'"

 Looking back over the last year, the 32,000 members of the Auxiliary can be proud of their distinguished service to their country and their community.  In late August 2005, and throughout the next several months, Auxiliarists - as part of the Coast Guard Forces - responded to the demands of Hurricane Katrina, Rita and all the other hurricanes that hit the United States.

Auxiliarists responded to Katrina in several ways: as Auxiliarists, as paid employees of FEMA, as members of other organized volunteer groups, and as individuals. 

Operation Life Ring www.operationlifering.org) was also established to assist fellow Auxiliarists and Coast Guard members who suffered the effects of Katrina and Rita. 

 During this period, Auxiliarists performed both their everyday functions, which include recreational boating-safety duties, as well as maritime domain awareness (MDA) patrols.  In addition, they also backfilled many of the jobs left vacant as the Coast Guard moved Active Duty and Reserve personnel around the country to aid directly in the relief efforts. 

Impressed with both the response of the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary, President George W. Bush recently presented the Coast Guard with a Presidential Unit Citation, which specifically mentioned the Auxiliary and its efforts.

 Hurricane relief was not the only high point last year. Auxiliarists also made contributions that included saving lives and property, educating the boating public in safe-boating procedures, as well as performing countless Vessel Safety Checks to ensure boaters carried at least the minimum prescribed safety equipment on board. 

Admiral Thad Allen, who was recently sworn in as Commandant of the Coast Guard, is a staunch ally of the Auxiliary. "As the finest all-volunteer organization in our Nation, I consider each of you an integral part of our Coast Guard.

"We simply could not meet the challenges we face or conduct the missions we do on a day-to-day basis without your selfless devotion to duty, as was so vividly demonstrated most recently in the Coast Guard's extraordinary response to the many hurricanes we responded to last year," commented ADM Allen in a letter to the Coast Guard upon his becoming the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard.

For a summary of the Coast Guard Auxiliary's mission statistics for 2005, visit
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/comrel/factfile/Factcards/AuxGlance.html

 The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed, volunteer component of Team Coast Guard who assist the active duty Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement.

These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing Maritime Domain Awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education. 

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in 1941. Its members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions.