Someone asked me the other day if I ever wrote about the Coast Guard Auxiliary in my columns. I realized that I really hadn't. Perhaps it is because I am so familiar with what we do, or perhaps because I thought everyone already knew about the Auxiliary. Or maybe it was just because there was so many good topics on boating safety that I wanted to cover first. What ever the reason, now is the time to rectify that oversight.
First the overview. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is a volunteer, civilian organization. No previous military experience required. We are part of Home Land Security, but we exercise no law enforcement authority. We are often referred to as a "force multiplier" for the Coast Guard, meaning that we relieve them of many of their duties, allowing their resources to stretch much further. We are structured into Districts, Divisions, and Flotillas. In Savannah, we are part of the 7th District, Division 10 and our local Flotilla is number 2 (referred to as Flotilla 10-2). In our same Division is Flotilla 10-1 (Beaufort, SC), Flotilla 10-10 (Brunswick, GA), and Flotilla 10-11 (Hilton Head, SC). The 30,000 members of the Auxiliary volunteer tens of thousands of hours in support of Coast Guard missions such as Search and Rescue, Boat Safety Checks, Safety and Security Patrols, Public Boating Safety Education, Marine Environmental Protection, and Maritime Domain Awareness.
Here in Savannah the 80 members of our Flotilla operate in an area that stretches from Little River Inlet, NC South to St. Augustine, East to Gray's Reef, and inland West to Jacksonville, FL and Augusta, GA. We patrol these waters with 15 boats and 4 aircraft. Yes, that's right... aircraft. If you hold a private pilot's license and own a plane, you can be trained to fly patrols and be reimbursed for your expenses. If you want to serve as co-pilot or air observer, we will also train you and you can volunteer your time and render a valuable service for home land security.
The same applies to boating, where our area of patrol extends south from the Savannah River to St. Catherines Sound. If you own a boat and want to volunteer the boat as a recognized "facility", you will be reimbursed for the expenses of running your boat on Coast Guard approved missions. We will train you first to be a Crew Member, then a Coxswain. As such, you can lead other crew members on patrols.
Do you need a boat or plane in order to join? Absolutely not. We need crew members, instructors for our Public Education efforts, Vessel Examiners to offer free Safety Exams; we need volunteers to spread our literature, stand COMMS Watch at Station Tybee, and report Aids To Navigation (ATON), bridge, and Private ATON (PATON) discrepancies. Annually, we elect our Flotilla Commander and Vice Commander who select Flotilla Staff Officers to serve in a number of capacities, such as: financial, communication, information services, marine safety, materials, member training, navigation aids, operations, public affairs, publications, public education, personnel services, public visitation, secretary, vessel exams, and webmaster.
We also meet for fellowship. Once a month, we gather at Barnes Restaurant on Waters Avenue for a fun dinner meeting. We enjoy good food and fellowship; members receive awards and ribbons for their accomplishments; events and training opportunities are announced; Coast Guard Liaisons share information; and occasionally we get to enjoy a guest speaker.
On a personal note, I want to add that some of the nicest, brightest, most dedicated, and serious-minded people I know in Savannah are members of Flotilla 10-2. It has been a real joy to meet and work with such an outstanding group of people. If you are looking for a group to party with on the water, there a number of fun groups in Savannah that offer that. If you are looking to make a serious commitment of time and training and offer your talents and abilities to a service organization that will return a sense of purpose and pride then please consider joining us. Stop by our booth at the boat show and say "hi", meet some of the guys and gals, ask questions, and pick up some of our free literature.