Providence Flotilla 0708

Join the Auxiliary

For membership information contact Human Resources Officer Jan Koleszar here.

Who can join the Auxiliary?

Membership is open to all citizens of the United States and its territories who are at least 17 years old and have not been convicted of a felony.

What is the Coast Guard Auxiliary?

• Since its creation by Congress in 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian, non-military component of the Coast Guard. Today, the 33,000 volunteer men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are active on the waterways and classrooms in over 2,000 cities and towns across the nation. Each year, Auxiliarists (folks just like you) save almost 500 lives, assist some 15,000 boaters in distress, conduct more than 150,000 courtesy safety examinations of recreational vessels, and teach over 500,000 students in boating and water safety courses. The results of these efforts save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

Why join the Auxiliary?

• BE PART OF THE ACTION & HELP SAVE LIVES -- Since the recreational boating population in the United States is growing rapidly, the Coast Guard Auxiliary needs a few good men and women like you. As an Auxiliarist, you will have the opportunity to select and participate in one or more of the Auxiliary's major programs. If you feel strongly about the rewards you can get from serving your community, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is the right place for you! Either through on- water Operations, the Auxiliary's Public Education Program, Courtesy Examination Program, Radio Watchstander, Coast Guard Recruiting, Marine Environmental Protection or Coast Guard Administration.
  
  
• INCREASE YOUR SKILLS -- The Auxiliary and the Coast Guard provide specialized training on all aspects of boating, as well as leadership and administration. Auxiliarists receive valuable training in seamanship and related skills, and enjoy the sense of confidence of knowing that they are better and safer boaters.
  
  
• SUPPORT THE COAST GUARD -- Auxiliarists provide direct operational and administrative support to many local Coast Guard units. You can wear the Coast Guard Auxiliary uniform and become part of Team Coast Guard. When you qualify through training, you can take part in Search and Rescue operations, stand radio watch at the Coast Guard Station, work with the Marine Safety Office on pollution matters or work in the Recruiting Office.
  
  
• SERVICE TO YOUR COMMUNITY-- Auxiliarists aren't paid with money, but with satisfaction. We furnish and maintain our own equipment and can choose to participate at a level tailored to our individual capabilities. We provide boating safety classes for youth and adults and examine recreational vessel for safety equipment to ensure that our neighbors will be safe on the waterways.
  
  
• ENJOY FUN AND FELLOWSHIP -- In all activities, enjoy fellowship -- the good company of other Auxiliarists at meetings and training sessions, on patrols and other missions, and at ceremonies and social events. One of he Auxiliary's trademarks is good old-fashioned hospitality. Friends, neighbors and interested members of the public are always welcome to attend one of our flotilla meetings. In addition, dedication to boating safety provides the atmosphere for getting together to swap boating experiences and participate in cruises and rendezvous. You'll find a special camaraderie among Auxiliarists that's hard to beat. There's time to relax and have fun at Auxiliary outings, training sessions, patrols, CMEs, classes, and conferences. Auxiliarists make lasting, meaningful friendships. Knowing that you belong to a special group of people and directly participate in helping save lives gives your Auxiliary membership a special meaning.
  

  Benefits

  Benefits of Membership -- Above and beyond the intrinsic benefits we all receive by volunteering our time and talents, Auxiliarists are privileged to receive many other benefits not available to other volunteer organizations.  Both the Coast Guard and the National Board, Inc. provide these benefits as an enhancement to our volunteer service.   The following is a listing of some of the benefits available to members:
  

  Coast Guard Federal Credit Union

  The Coast Guard Credit Union provides all the services of a bank, but returns profits to the members instead of the stockholders. From savings and checking accounts to home equity lines of credit, the Credit Unit has a lot to offer.

  Coast Guard Mutual Assistance

  Mutual Assistance provides an emergency fund that can provide fast financial relief when a member faces an unexpected or "impossible" financial burden that would cause personal hardship if no assistance were provided. Auxiliarists may apply for such a loan and are considered as "Sponsor Members" under the program. If approved, the emergency loan is interest free.

  Coast Guard Work-Life Programs

  Auxiliarists can take advantage of certain Coast Guard Work-life Programs such as:

  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Dependent Resources
  • Employee Assistance
  • Relocation Assistance

  Insurance

  A variety of insurance programs benefit the Auxiliarist operating under Coast Guard orders. This includes medical, hospitalization, disability and death benefits should an accident occur in the performance of your duty.

  If your boat, aircraft or other authorized Auxiliary facility is damaged or destroyed while legitimately engaged in Auxiliary operations, coverage for repairs or replacement would be provided. Government liability coverage protects the Auxiliarist from third party claims made as a result of actions that occur when the Auxiliarist is performing authorized missions and has been properly assigned to duty.

  In order to maintain this coverage, all incidents and accidents must be reported to your issuing authority for the mission. As a caution, there must be strict adherence with the terms of all Coast Guard regulations and orders, as well as the Auxiliary Manual or the claim will be denied.

  Exchange Privileges

  Auxiliarists in uniform, with proper identification, can purchase anything sold in the Coast Guard Exchange Stores except liquor and cigarettes. Dependents may accompany Auxiliarists to the Exchange, but may not make individual purchases. Members of the Auxiliary are also welcome at Department of Defense Exchanges, but only uniform items or accessories may be purchased.

  Publications

  Members receive the Auxiliary National publication, The Navigator, their own District publication, and other bulletins to keep abreast of Coast Guard, Auxiliary and general boating information.

  Uniforms and Awards

  The pride of wearing the Auxiliary uniform is amplified by awards and advancement, with ample opportunities to receive recognition by completing Auxiliary training courses and participating in programs authorized by your Flotilla leadership.

  Tax Deductions

  Uniforms, their cleaning and maintenance, and reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred in the performance of your duties are "considered" contributions for tax purposes. The foregoing is not intended to be advice on deductibility. Your should consult your professional tax advisor.

  Fellowship

  One of the Auxiliary's trademarks is good old-fashioned hospitality. Friends, neighbors and interested members of the public are always welcome to attend one of our flotilla meetings. In addition, you will find a special camaraderie among Auxiliarists that is hard to beat. Along with our missions we find time to relax and have fun at Auxiliary outings, training sessions, patrols, CMEs, classes, and conferences. Auxiliarists make lasting, meaningful friendships.

For nearly 60 years, tens-of-thousands of men and women of the Coast Guard Auxiliary have spent millions of volunteer hours helping the Coast Guard carry out its mission. They have saved countless lives through their work, on and off the water. Auxiliarists are probably best known for educating the public through their boating safety classes and Courtesy Marine Examinations. Yet, they do much more and will be doing even more following passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996. The purpose of the Act, passed Oct. 19, is to assist the Coast Guard, as authorized by the Commandant, in performance of any Coast Guard function, duty, role, mission or operation authorized by law. This story hopefully will give you a broad knowledge of the Auxiliary, especially since reservists will be working with Auxiliarists even more in the future, as they become an increasingly important component in the Team Coast Guard line-up.

When the Coast Guard "Reserve" was authorized by act of Congress on June 23, 1939, the Coast Guard was given a legislative mandate to use civilian volunteers to promote safety on and over the high seas and the nation's navigable waters. The Coast Guard Reserve was then a non-military service comprised of unpaid, volunteer U.S. citizens who owned motorboats or yachts.

Two years later, on Feb. 19, Congress amended the 1939 act with passage of the Auxiliary and Reserve Act of 1941. Passage of this act designated the Reserve as a military branch of the active service, while the civilian volunteers, formerly referred to as the Coast Guard Reserve, became the Auxiliary. So, Feb. 19 is formally recognized as the birth of the Coast Guard Reserve while June 23 is recognized as birthday of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

When America entered World War II, 50,000 Auxiliary members joined the war effort. Some Auxiliarists served weeks at a time with the Temporary Reserve. They guarded waterfronts, carried out coastal picket patrols, rescued survivors from scuttled ships and did anything else they were asked to do. Many of their private vessels were placed in service.

After the war, Auxiliarists resumed their recreational boating safety duties. The Auxiliary's four cornerstones - Vessel Examination, Education, Operations and Fellowship - were established and remain the Auxiliary's pillars in the 1990s.

The Vessel Examination program evolved into the well-known Courtesy Marine Examination (CME), a free examination available to any recreational boater. CMEs help boaters ensure their craft complies with Federal regulations.

As for education, the Auxiliary teaches boating safety to recreational boaters of all ages. The Auxiliary offers Boating Skills and Seamanship (geared toward power boaters) and Sailing and Seamanship (for sailboaters) as well as basic and advanced navigation courses.

The Auxiliary operates safety and regatta patrols and is an integral part of the Coast Guard Search and Rescue team. Auxiliarists also stand communication watches, assist during mobilization exercises, perform harbor and pollution patrols, provide platforms for unarmed boarding parties and recruit new people for the Service. During Olympic yachting events in Savannah, Ga. last summer, the Coast Guard Auxiliary had 29 boats and a CG Auxiliary aircraft on hand for security operations.

Today, as in 1939, Auxiliarists are civilian volunteers who are authorized to wear a uniform similar to the Coast Guard Officer's uniform. Distinctive emblems, buttons, insignias, and ribbons are employed to identify the wearer as a member of the Auxiliary. One such insignia is the letter "A" on the shoulder boards of an Auxiliarist. Despite their silver shoulder boards (versus gold for Coast Guard officers), Auxiliarists hold no rank. The shoulder boards symbolize the office and level to which an individual Auxiliarist has been either appointed or elected.

The Auxiliary has members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. Membership is open to men and women, 17 years or older, U.S. citizens of all states and territories, civilians or active duty or former members of any of the uniformed services and their Reserve components, including the Coast Guard. Facility (radio station, boat or aircraft) ownership is desirable but not mandatory.

Although under the authority of the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Auxiliary is internally autonomous, operating on four organizational levels: Flotilla, Division, District Regions and National.

• Flotilla - The flotilla is the basic organizational unit of the Auxiliary and is comprised of at least 15 qualified members who carry out Auxiliary program activities. Every Auxiliarist is a member of a local flotilla. Each flotilla is headed by a Flotilla Commander (FC).
• Division - For maximum administrative effectiveness in carrying out Auxiliary programs, flotillas in the same general geographic area are grouped into divisions. The division provides administrative, training and supervisory support to flotillas and promotes district policy. Each division is headed by a Division Captain (DCP), and Division Vice-Captain (VCP) and usually consists of five or more flotillas.
• District/Region - Flotillas and divisions are organized in districts comparable to the Coast Guard Districts and must be assigned the same district number. Some districts are further divided into regions. The district/region provides administrative and supervisory support to divisions, promotes policies of both the district commander and national Auxiliary committee. All districts and regions are governed by a District Commodore (DCO), District Vice Commodore (VCO), and District Rear Commodore (RCO), under the guidance of the Coast Guard District Commander. At this level, Coast Guard officers are assigned to oversee and promote the Auxiliary programs.
• National - The Auxiliary has national officers who are responsible, along with the Commandant, for the administration and policy-making for the entire Auxiliary. These officers comprise the National Executive Committee (NEXCOM) that is composed of the Chief Director of Auxiliary (an Active Duty officer), National Commodore and the National Vice Commodores. The current National Commodore is Everette L. Tucker Jr.

NEXCOM and the National Staff make up the Auxiliary Headquarters organization. The Chief Director is a senior Coast Guard officer and directs the administration of the Auxiliary on policies established by the Commandant. The overall supervision of the Coast Guard Auxiliary is under the Assistant Commandant for Operations (G-O), who reports directly to the Commandant.

Auxiliarists are dedicated civilians who believe strongly in the Coast Guard and its missions. A hearty thank you is the only pay an Auxiliarist expects. Personally, they receive tremendous satisfaction for a job well done. They have proven valiant throughout the years and take the oath of membership seriously. They contribute immeasurably to our Team Coast Guard efforts.

For membership information contact Human Resources Officer Jan Koleszar here.

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