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Congress honored the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary with a proclamation read by Rep. Nick LaLota recognizing the significant and enduring contributions of Auxiliarists across the nation. Lieutenant Chris Booth from the Office of the Chief Director of Auxiliary at Coast Guard Headquarters described the proclamation as, “Truly unforgettable recognition that serves as a fitting tribute to the selfless volunteerism continuously exhibited by Auxiliarists as they educate America’s recreational boating public and augment important Coast Guard missions.” This special acknowledgment highlights the unwavering dedication and impact of our volunteers supporting Team Coast Guard.
Link to the full video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kaE-rB1O9U
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6 ways Auxiliarists can support their local units
By John Saran, AUXPA1, District Captain East, Auxiliary Ninth Western Region (CG District 9)
John Saran is an active member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Here are his suggestions on how best to integrate Auxiliary members with operational active duty units. These suggestions will also be presented during an Auxiliary segment at the 2024 Sector Lake Michigan CO/OIC Conference.
Below are the top six general pathways that Auxiliarists should explore to support local boat stations:
Search and Rescue (SAR) & Training Support – Trained and qualified Auxiliary crews (coxswains and crewmembers) can provide additional SAR and training support for local boat stations. For example, Chicago Division 35 provided such support in July 2023 for Coast Guard Station Chicago. Over the course of two weeks, Auxiliary crews spent over two hundred hours conducting patrols and being on SAR standy, resulting in the prosecution of numerous SAR cases. Careful planning of patrols can ensure that Auxiliary operational time is optimized for lifesaving missions.
Auxiliary boat and air crews can also provide training support to local boat stations, whether it’s providing boat facilities for two-boat training, conducting AUXAIR fixed-wing aircraft operations or engaging in formal SAR exercises. For example, this past summer, on Lake Michigan in the Ninth District, there were three SAR-related training exercises involving several units. Coverage of the first event at Coast Guard Station Michigan City can be found here. The second event occurred on the same weekend in early June at Coast Guard Station Charlevoix in the Traverse City, Michigan area involving Team Coast Guard personnel (including Ninth Central Auxiliarists) and four members of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. The final event occurred at Coast Guard Station St. Joseph and Coast Guard Station Michigan City in September and involved active duty, reserve and Auxiliary (Ninth Western Region) crews from three states that manned six surface facilities and one AUXAIR aircraft.
Watchstanding – As stations might rotate personnel and prioritize active duty watchstanding capabilities for certain SAR and other lifesaving missions, there may be opportunities for Auxiliarists to fill in as watchstanders. Not only would this provide greater coverage for active duty operations, but also help ensure that Auxiliary operations occur.
Culinary Assistance – Small boat stations with galleys may have culinary specialist personnel gaps that Auxiliary culinary assistants could fill. Qualified members could help maintain station morale by supporting the culinary mission and provide liberty and/or training time for active duty culinary specialists. In the Ninth District, Auxiliary culinary assistants cooked meals during SAR exercises at Coast Guard Station Michigan City and Coast Guard Station St. Joseph, provided galley coverage at Coast Guard Station Grand Haven during the Coast Guard Festival so that personnel could engage in training and hosted a chili cookoff at Coast Guard Station Chicago.
Seasonal Station Smalls – Since crews at all seasonal station smalls will be transferred to their parent commands, there could be opportunities for the Auxiliary to have a presence at such seasonal stations. Such presence could range from holding meetings, public education events, fellowship events, open houses and other activities to utilizing such stations for Auxiliary patrols. A good example of this occurred in the Ninth District, where nearly 50 Auxiliarists, led by the District Staff Officer for Operations, District Captain and local AUC, supported the active duty personnel in keeping Station (Small) Wilmette Harbor operational. This Auxiliary team provided 18 patrols that supplemented the active duty’s coverage and held events at the station to maintain a presence.
Public Affairs – Many stations engage in public affairs activities, whether it’s hosting open houses, participating in community events or maintaining an active social media presence. Use of social media is important now more than ever. Auxiliarists can assist stations in covering the accomplishments of their shipmates to assist in retention, showcasing Coast Guard missions as a recruiting tool and providing important information to the public. However, public affairs and social media manager duties are collateral to other duties around the station for personnel. Accordingly, stations could look to qualified Auxiliarists to support their station’s public affairs mission.
Fellowship – Many shipmates at small boat stations might be facing life-changing transitions, such as transferring to other units and re-located across the country. Auxiliarists can tap into their life experiences and provide fellowship support to these individuals as they navigate these changes. An informal cookoff event, as an example, might help provide a temporary reprieve and a taste of home for station personnel.
Auxiliary Unit Coordinators (AUC) should seek guidance from their active duty and reserve unit commands. While boat station needs will inevitably vary across the country, unit commanders and Auxiliary leadership should consider these opportunities for Auxiliary support.
-USCG-
Published in MYCG at 6 ways Auxiliarists can support their local units > United States Coast Guard > My Coast Guard News (uscg.mil)
The Charlevoix Flotilla, Glen Stolt FC, and Coast Guard Station Charlevoix sponsored the 2023 annual Boat School from June 9th through June 11th, 2023. The goal of Boat School is to get Crew and Coxswains with their PQS complete, qualified by a QE check ride. And those working toward these goals, advanced. It was a great success. About 40 total USCG Auxiliary members attended from Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, and throughout Michigan. Seven Flotillas in attendance were from District 91, Division 26, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 30.
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) participated again this year with 4 members and their facility “Kracken”. CCGA has sent a team every year since 2017. Working with the CCGA has been a bonus to both Auxiliaries. They are well equipped and very experienced with SAR. So, the information and techniques shared are interesting and valuable. The CCGA is the search and rescue for Canada – they regularly search forests for missing persons, go to the lakes to rescue mariners, they have well equipped facilities with tools to do their missions efficiently. During the Boat School patrols and fellowship time many real situations and solutions are shared with USCG Aux members. The Charlevoix Boat School offers a concise program to get their new members “immediately useful” by having such a broad spectrum of training in one weekend. The CCGA is a welcome always at our event and we have started conversation about working with them in Sault St. Marie.
The weekend starts on Friday about noon with lunch, orientation and safety briefing then Qualified Examiner checked rides on Friday and Saturday for those who were ready. All have daily Surface Training surface scenarios that will exercise the skill qualifications for Coxswain, Crew, and Trainees. Navigation, night operations, towing, anchoring, SAR patterns, 2 boat scenarios, knots, heaving line, firefighting and more are all offered. One scenario involved Aux Air Search and Rescue (SAR) missions utilizing a Traverse City Flotilla aircraft. The exercise involved locating a lost kayak and a person in the water and then directing a surface units for their recovery. Auxiliarists also spent time at the station performing refresher classroom training in SAR, Navigation, and Communications. Completing all the scenarios will also complete your annual currency requirements. Sunday is a backup day if weather does not cooperate or a travel day for our out of town guests. If you participate in all Boat School offers, you can complete your on water CRW/CX training sign offs!
This year’s addition was to include AUXCOM. Their Mobile Command Communication Trailer handled the event comms and advanced Aux members seeking TCO qualifications! Dave Montgomery, operated the Traverse City Mobile Command Communications trailer and qualified two members in Auxiliary Communication and advancing trainees. The trailer assumed all communication watch standing for Coast Guard Station Charlevoix over a 48-hour period. This initiative provided both real-world training for Auxiliary members and much needed-relief for Active Duty watch standers at Coast Guard Station Charlevoix. The communication trailer was acquired two years ago by a group of flotilla members and fitted with various radios to handle all communications. The mobile facility has operated at the Coast Guard Traverse City Air Station for air and surface operations during SAR training and training exercises in Elk Rapids, Michigan.
Boat School utilized six surface facilities from four Flotillas, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Upper Great Lakes, and one boat from the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, which has been actively involved for over five years. The facilities allowed for many additional towing evolutions, SAR training exercises, flotilla aviation support from the Traverse City Air Station, maritime training, and numerous crew overboard drills throughout the training weekend. In addition to all the extensive daytime training, Coxswains performed night operations to qualify crew and coxswain for their nighttime qualifications.
Auxiliary Culinary Assistants prepared over 200 meals in Station Charlevoix's galley. Lynda Stolt, Deb and Robert Kerr, and COMO Sue Thurlow cooked delicious foods and desserts for Coast Guard Active Duty, Reserve, Coast Guard Academy Cadets and Auxiliary members in attendance.
Charlevoix's 2023 boat school was another great success, with eight new Coxswains and Crewmembers and the requalification of seven previously qualified Crewmembers. Most Divisions and flotillas from District 91, Ninth Central, look forward to this annual program in Charlevoix, Michigan, pulled together throughout the year by Charlevoix Flotilla 26-02. The program’s training is always excellent; the fellowship and friendships created last a lifetime.
Planning has already begun for the 2024 Charlevoix Boat School. Again, seats will be limited to 50 and we will be looking for facilities that can trailer in. The primary mission of Charlevoix Boat School is to keep 091-26 OPS qualified but, all the extra seats are open to ALL AUX. Everyone should try attending; it is a fun and resourceful weekend.
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Dick Lavanture Flotilla Commander 261 Traverse City, Michigan and Glen Stolt, Flotilla Commander 262 Charlevoix, Michigan
CHARLEVOIX, MICH - Active duty and Auxiliary crews prepare to leave U.S. Coast Guard Station Charlevoix for two boat training on Lake Michigan. Photo by Marcus Calo
U.S. Coast Guard Station Charlevoix.
Auxiliary members, Mike English, Dick Lavanture, Sue Carter practice towing.
Bottom Right Photo: Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary members with U.S. Coast Auxiliary member Marcus Calo.
Christian Sandvig, Flotilla 185, Seven Detroit, and a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary member rescue Oscar during a search and rescue exercise. Auxiliary Photo by Chris Haley
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary members training together. Left to Right: Mike Walz, Canadian Auxiliarist, and Marcus Calo, Flotila Twelve Detroit.
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel, Krakus. USCG Auxiliary Photo by Chris Haley
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel, Krakus. USCG AuxiliaryPhoto by Richard Borth.
Pursuant to the Auxiliary Manual, all appointed staff officers are appointed and serve at the elected Auxiliarist’s pleasure. A staff officer’s appointment starts and expires with the term of the appointing leader unless the appointment is terminated earlier. Therefore the term of office of all appointed National Staff Officers expires on 31 October 2020.
The Standing Rules of the National Board of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary require that all persons desiring appointment or reappointment as an ANACO or National Director for the next two years must submit a resume and relevant information no later than 1 August 2020. Members desiring appointment must specify the office to which appointment is desired and shall submit the requested information to nationalstaffapp@cgauxnet.us It will be appreciated if applications are submitted before 1 July 2020.
Please note that invitations for applications for positions other than ANACO or National Director will be requested at a later time.
Congratulations to Sue Davies who has been appointed the DIR-U (IT User Support Services).
Source [Terry Barth, N-EA]
Congratulations to Jan Munroe who has been appointed the ANACO-IT (Information Technology).
Source [Terry Barth, N-EA]
Commodore Washburn would like to thank all Auxiliarists who recently applied for 2016 - 2018 ANACO or Director positions. There were a record number of resumes submitted from highly qualified Auxiliarists, making the selection process extremely difficult. All candidates were interviewed and considered for the positions they sought. Once again, thank you for your interest and continued support.
The following are the Assistant National Commodore (ANACO) appointments for a two-year term of office commencing 01 November 2016:
The following are the Director appointments for a two-year term of office
commencing 01 November 2016:
Congratulations to all!
National Commodore Mark Simoni is pleased to announce the results of the election for Vice National Commodore and the Deputy National Commodores. NACO Richard Washburn (e) announces the appointment of Deputy National Commodore Information Technology and Planning. Their term of office will begin on November 01, 2016.
The following are:
Vice National Commodore - Larry King
Congratulations
Source Terry Barth (N-EA)
Effective 1 August 2015 the following Senior Staff Change is in effect: Stephen A. Ellerin - Director-B (Recreational Boating Safety Outreach)
Congratulations Stephen!
Source [Terry Barth N-EA}
Effective 13 June 2015 the following Senior Staff Change is in effect:
Congratulations Robert!
Source [Terry Barth, N-EA]
As of June 8, 2015 the following Senior Staff change is in effect:
Congratulations Dalene!
Source [Terry Barth, N-EA]
As of 23 May 2015 the following Senior Staff changes are in effect:
Congratulations to all.
Source [Terry Barth, N-EA]
The following are the Director appointments for a two-year term of office commencing 01 November 2014:
Congratulations to all.
Source [Terry Barth, N-EA(s)]