The overarching mission of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is to contribute to the safety and security of our citizens, ports, waterways and coastal regions.

We will balance our missions of Recreational Boating Safety and Coast Guard Support with Maritime Homeland Security and other challenges that emerge as a result of our growing understanding of changes required in the post-9/11 era.

Description:
Chart your own course for the future

As a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, you will be able to choose from many exciting opportunities for service. You can be challenged to learn, train and excel in areas and at levels you didn’t think you were capable of, all at your own pace and in your own time. And you will be formally recognized by the Auxiliary, the USCG and our country for your accomplishments.

Help save lives––Through boating safety instruction in the classroom, through Vessel Safety Checks, or in on-the water operations. Your direct contribution to boating public safety can, and often does, literally save lives.

Increase your skills––Take advantage of advanced training in surface operations, leadership, or one of the many courses available through the Auxiliary and Coast Guard. As a member of the Auxiliary, there are no fees for these courses.

You can learn or greatly enhance your boating skills. Once qualified, you can use your own boat if you have one and help train new crews and members of the future.

You can leverage your existing talents, skills and experience to gain new positions and qualifications as you progress in the Auxiliary.

Support the Coast Guard–– Become qualified to serve at Coast Guard units in radio watchstanding, marine environmental protection, Homeland Security, and other operational and administrative support.

Fun and fellowship–– Enjoy the company of fellow Auxiliarists during training missions, at meetings, or social events. We enjoy our work and we enjoy each other’s company!

Sharpen your leadership skills - Bring your leadership skills to the Coast Guard Auxiliary, or let us teach you how to be a great leader.

History:
Boating always has been one of America's favorite pastimes and entered the sport arena in the early nineteenth century. Rowing and yachting races were among the most popular spectator sports through the 1930s. The wealth generated in post Civil War America, along with the growth of railroads, spurred the development of resorts, country homes, and the suburbs–all places to go boating. The federal government began to construct large dams, reservoirs, and lake systems during the Depression, adding to waterways. With the development of the single-operator motorboat and the outboard engine at the turn of the twentieth century, the number of recreational boaters skyrocketed. In 1939, the Coast Guard reported that there were more than 300,000 boats operating in federal waters. In the previous year it had received 14,000 calls for assistance and had responded to 8,600 "in peril" cases–a record number. Boaters needed to be better trained in seamanship and federal law. At the same time, civilian yachtsmen were pressing the Coast Guard to establish a volunteer arm of the service.

As a result of these demands, on June 23, 1939, the Congress passed legislation that established the Coast Guard Reserve, its volunteer civilian component, to promote boating safety and to facilitate the operations of the Coast Guard. Groups of boat owners were organized into flotillas and these into divisions within Coast Guard Districts around the country. Members initially conducted safety and security patrols and helped enforce the provisions of the 1940 Federal Boating and Espionage Acts. Then in February 1941, a military reserve was created and the volunteer Reserve was renamed the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Following America's entry into the World War II in December of 1941, recruits flooded into Auxiliary flotillas in a burst of patriotic fever. June 1942 legislation allowed Auxiliarists to enroll in the Coast Guard Reserve on a part-time temporary basis. Throughout the war, some 50,000 Auxiliarists constituted the core of the temporary Reserve membership. These reservists, along with newly enrolled civilians, performed coastal defense and search and rescue duties. They patrolled bridges, factories, docks, and beaches. They fought fires, made arrests, guided naval vessels, and conducted anti-submarine warfare. As their ranks grew, thousands of active duty Coast Guard personnel were freed up for service overseas.

Following the war, by 1950 the four traditional Auxiliary cornerstone missions of public education, operations, vessel examination, and fellowship had been established. The public education program yearly trains tens of thousands of boaters in seamanship, piloting, rules of the road, and weather, among other topics. Specially qualified coxswain and crew members conduct search and rescue missions in their own boats and support Coast Guard missions. Auxiliary pilots and air observers search for boaters in distress, floating hazards, pollution spills, and ice-locked vessels. Communications watchstanders handle distress calls at Coast Guard and Auxiliary radio stations. Vessel examiners conduct Vessel Safety Checks under which recreational vessels are examined for properly installed federally required equipment and systems.

During the past decades, the Auxiliary has continued to grow in membership which today totals more than 30,000 members in the United States and its territories. Training is held at every level from the flotilla to national training schools. Leadership and management training, award programs, and data management systems ensure a high level of professionalism.

Under legislation passed in 1996, the Auxiliary's role was expanded to allow members to assist in any Coast Guard mission, except direct law enforcement and military operations, as authorized by the Commandant. Thus, Auxiliarists can be found examining commercial fishing vessels, flying in C-130 aircraft, working in Coast Guard offices, and crewing with regulars. The three components of the service–the active duty Coastguardsmen, the Reservists, and Auxiliarists–truly constitute TEAM COAST GUARD.

In any given year, Auxiliary members work an untold number of hours, as they largely administer their own organization. In 1998, their assistance to the public resulted in 445 lives being saved, 12,760 persons being assisted, and a total value of $36.4 million dollars in volunteer services being provided for a range of specific missions. Since 9/11, members have been integrated into the Department of Homeland Security and perform a variety of port security functions. In 2006 on any given day, the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary: saves 1 life, assists 28 people, completes 62.5 safety patrols, performs 299 vessel safety checks, educates 369 people on boating safety, participates in 100 Coast Guard operational support missions, attends 70 public affairs functions, and more. The 32,950 members of the Auxiliary field 4,971 vessels, 2,873 personal watercraft, and 226 aircraft and man 2,641 communications stations.

Over the years, Auxiliary programs also have kept pace with boating trends. Members helped implement the provisions of the 1958 Federal Boating Act. In the 1970s, they formed flotillas in sole-state waters to meet local demands for water safety. They introduced new courses such as those for sailors and personal water craft (PWC) operators as their numbers increased.

The U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the largest volunteer marine safety organization in the world and has fostered similar ones in foreign countries. During its sixty years, it has lived up to its motto of– "A Proud Tradition, A Worthy Mission."

Contact person: JOEL HAMMER, Staff Liaison, (email)
Main office number: (415) XXX-XXXX

Address:

1 Yerba Buena Road San Francisco, CA 94130 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.flotilla17.org

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?
	French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish
What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?
	17
Is your agency wheelchair accessible?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?
	Yes
Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?
	Yes