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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)
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By John Saran, Auxiliary Public Affairs Specialist 1, District Captain — Area East,
Ninth Coast Guard District Auxiliary (District 9WR)
What does an icebreaking tug do on the Great Lakes during the summer after six months of icebreaking operations? Sailing races, festivals, cadet training, and visiting world class cities, of course (in addition to supporting the Coast Guard’s law enforcement and search and rescue missions).
It is no wonder that over the summer, the decks of the Coast Guard Cutter Katmai Bay (WTGB-101) are filled with visiting Sentinels from across the country. How could they pass up the chance to experience Chicago in July, with the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac or the fanfare and festivities of the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival and Sturgeon Bay Maritime Week?
On July 16, the Katmai Bay arrived at Chicago’s Navy Pier for nearly a week of liberty and events supporting the 2023 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.
Prior to the race weekend, the cutter’s commanding officer, Lt. Michael Overstreet, and crewmembers attended the Warning Gun Party at the Chicago Yacht Club. Overstreet received a race pennant signed by this year’s racing captains as a show of appreciation from the Mackinac Committee and the Chicago maritime community for the Coast Guard’s support of the event.
The following day, Overstreet took part in the skippers’ meetings to augment the planning for the event, reinforce emergency procedures and answer any questions from the sailors.
As the cutter prepared to cast off on race day, July 22, “Go Cubs Go” by Steve Goodman blared over the loudspeaker. One of the crew manning a cleat for cast off was Aidan Wiecki, an auxiliarist in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program at Maine Maritime Academy. Wiecki, joined the Auxiliary in late 2022, is a rising senior from the Virginia-D.C. area who aspires to attend Officer Candidate School. Wiecki expertly handled the lines and made casting off a 140' tugboat look seamless.
“Our cadets and auxiliarists have spent part of their summer living and working onboard the Katmai Bay, earning in port and underway watch qualifications that they will be able to use anywhere in the cutter fleet,” said Overstreet.
The cutter steamed out of Navy Pier, and the crew stowed lines and human-sized fenders and raised a pennant from the U.S. Life-Saving Service to judge the wind.
On the bridge were familiar faces including Executive Officer Lt. j.g. Bryant Giorgi (who supported the 2022 Chicago Air and Water Show) as well as Lt. j.g. Kylie Vaverek, Ensign Lauren Hatfield and Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcos Madrid (who all assisted with the Chicago Christmas Tree Ship Event in December 2022). Three Coast Guard Academy cadets were also aboard, including Myles Gustavo DeCoste, a member of the Class of 2024.
The cutter was soon close to its anchorage location right outside the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. The crew conducted a briefing and risk assessment before they dropped anchor, and then settled at the center point of a safety zone to protect racing participants and waterside bystanders. Coast Guard and Auxiliary vessels supported by local agencies manned the safety zone and actively kept boaters from encroaching on the race.
Once enough vessels departed, the cutter raised the anchor and made course for Mackinac Island. The cutter followed the sailing vessels for the duration of the journey, and provided a close SAR response unit and reassurance to the 2,069 sailors.
After crossing the finish line with flags flying, the crew of the Katmai Bay was invited to attend the post-race festivities on Mackinac Island.
The cutter’s summer break did not end at Mackinac Island, and the crew began preparations immediately to take part in the Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival and Sturgeon Bay Maritime Week.
Sturgeon Bay Maritime Week lasts through Aug. 12, with Katmai Bay open for free tours through the afternoon of Aug. 11. Check Door County Maritime Museum’s Facebook page for tour times.
If you would like to join the Katmai Bay or any other cutter on the Great Lakes next summer, reach out to your chain of command. Auxiliarists, contact your flotilla commander or another member of the Auxiliary chain of leadership.
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Photo by Brian Krotser
June 16, 2023
Joint operations event sees active duty and Auxiliary crews prepare for a busy SAR season
By John Saran, AUXPA1, District Captain — Area East, Auxiliary District 9WR
The SAR alarm sounded, beckoning active duty and Auxiliary crews to the Station Michigan City’s communications room. “We have a report of a vessel that just made the trip from New Buffalo to Michigan City and noticed they are missing one passenger. That means you have 1 PIW about a mile offshore and they could be anywhere in that 10-mile stretch. How do you want to proceed, and do you need the assistance of a 45’ RBM?”
These were the instructions and questions provided by the watch stander — Auxiliarist Ed Carroll — and the active duty Officer of the Day to Auxiliarist Paul Bornstein, a coxswain visiting from Chicago during a June 10-11 training exercise at Station Michigan City. Over the course of the two-day event, 25 auxiliarists from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan conducted three SAR drills and studied operations policy with their active-duty shipmates. A 45’ RBM, a 29’ RB-S II, one Auxiliary facility from a nearby Michigan City marina and two Auxiliary facilities visiting from Coast Guard Station Chicago all participated in these exercises.
Bornstein was made the on-scene coordinator and provided direction to an active-duty break-in coxswain, BM3 Oscar Garcia, to conduct the search patterns. The search started out with a real-life engine casualty for the RBM, which meant the Auxiliary boat had to proceed on its own. The Auxiliary crew started its track line search and ultimately recovered the person in water (PIW), who happened to be station officer in charge, Chief Petty Officer Steven Klika, in a dry suit. Later that day, BM3 Garcia conducted tow where the scenario vessel suffered a mock fire with PIWs. He had to coordinate with another Auxiliary facility, led by Auxiliarist Josh Zajac, to support his tow and pick up the PIWs. Little did everyone know, BM3 Garcia was having his check ride that he passed with flying colors.
“This was a great way to start the patrol season, and my crew from nearby units in Michiana was ready to jump right into it,” said Auxiliarist Todd Nitz, who coxswained a local Auxiliary facility during the event. His crew started off the exercise with a successful tow of a mock-disabled RB-S II — a task this brand-new facility had not completed before.
After each exercise, the joint crews debriefed, shared chow and engaged in fellowship. “Food is morale and the Aux culinary team kept our crews energized during the exercise. One of my BMs came up to me saying that the Aux are welcome any time, they left the galley cleaner than when they got there,” said Klika.
At the end of the event, Klika and BM1 Anthony Hanusiak provided a preview of new active-duty PQSs involving the RBM and RB-S II available at Station Michigan City for auxiliarists. Station leadership worked with Auxiliary national leadership to develop this pilot program.
“A special thanks to our active-duty shipmates at Station Michigan City. Everybody came together as Team Coast Guard over the course of the weekend,” said Auxiliarist Steve McCarty, commander of the St. Joseph Division.
It was early on March 1, 1968, when armed U.S. Army helicopters joined U.S. Coast Guard and Navy warships giving chase to four enemy trawlers making way down the South China Sea intent on resupplying Viet Cong forces with weapons. The combined intercepts and firepower proved timely and effective, with three of the trawlers destroyed and the fourth running for home.
Jim Messinger, one of the pilots in the nighttime combat, admitted, "I didn't know the Coast Guard was even in Vietnam." He shared that surprising realization of long ago with some of the 600 people gathered on June 25, 2022, for the grand opening of the National Vietnam War Museum outside Mineral Wells, Texas. One of the core former Army aviators who conceived the institution, Dr. Messinger, a retired college professor, served as the event's master of ceremonies.
In that role, he introduced Rick Koonsman, Flotilla Commander of Auxiliary Flotilla 81-05, Grapevine, Texas, and a former active duty gunner’s mate and coxswain. While admitting, "I missed Vietnam by just a few years," Koonsman noted that one of his instructors had served there and readily shared stories about his wartime experiences.
The Museum's purpose is to honor those service men and women, including 8,000 Coast Guard members – eight of whom were killed in action -- who participated in the far-away struggle. Museum volunteers are eager for all Coast Guard wartime artifacts to help underscore the fact that the service was very much a part of that controversial campaign.
By William Garvey, BA-AMSB.
Contributions provided by the Auxiliary History Division
A 300-foot long, half-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., bearing the names of all those service members killed in Vietnam – including eight U.S. Coast Guardsmen – graces one of the Museum’s gardens. Photo by the National Vietnam War Museum.
Rick Koonsman, Flotilla Commander (R) presents Jim Messinger (L) with a plaque containing the nine patches representing each Coast Guard unit that served during the Vietnam War. Photo provided by Rick Koonsman, USCG Auxiliary.
One of his priorities when Capt. Tom Walcott became Chaplain of the Coast Guard was to re-energize the Coast Guard Auxiliary chaplain program. From a small group of six Auxiliary Chaplains in 2017, the Auxiliary Chaplain Support (ACS) program has expanded remarkably. How fitting that the 100th ACS member is none other than its champion – Chaplain Tom Walcott.
“When I came on board as Chaplain of the Coast Guard, the ACS program was off to a good start but underutilized and not as well-known as it needed to be in both the Aux and Coast Guard,” Walcott said. “Our small group of ACS chaplains were doing good things but there was so much they could do, and that the Coast Guard needed them to do.”
Chaplain Tom Walcott joins the Auxiliary chaplain rank
Walcott’s vision for the ACS program was in line with the Coast Guard Auxiliary role as a force multiplier for active duty and reserve Coast Guard members. With only 48 active-duty Navy chaplains and nine Navy reserve chaplains assigned to serve a total of more than 56,000 in the Coast Guard family, the need for qualified religious personnel who are Coast Guard Auxiliary members was evident. (All of the 48 active-duty chaplains are presently but not yet fully billeted.)
Under Walcott, the ACS program established rigorous pre-requisites for chaplains. Each chaplain must meet the same requirements the Department of Defense (DoD) has for its chaplains regarding education, experience, and endorsement from a religious organization recognized by the Armed Forces Chaplain Board. As Coast Guard Chaplain, Walcott was firm on ACS qualifications.
He has encountered that rigor of standards in his own application to become an ACS Chaplain. “Joining the Auxiliary and then ACS program is a time consuming and complicated process,” he admitted. He has completed all the required training. Once the challenges of retiring and relocating to Grandville, Michigan, where he and his wife, Jaci, will live, Walcott will take his place in the Ninth District. “I expect to start serving actively in December or January.” Just in time for good Coast Guard weather.
The irony of Walcott becoming the 100th ACS Chaplain has not been lost on Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan. The present Coast Guard Chaplain, Capt. Daniel Mode, reports that when Fagan was the vice commandant she would joke that Walcott could not retire “till we had our 100th ACS Chaplain.”
For its part, the Coast Guard Auxiliary embraced the renewed program in 2017 under Auxiliarist Doug Kroll, a retired Navy reserve chaplain. He has been succeeded by Phillip Poole in the newly created Auxiliary ‘G’ Directorate that recognizes the importance of the ACS program.
In the space of five years, ACS Chaplains have provided significant support for active duty Coast Guard chaplains. Poole says the list includes counseling and meeting religious needs of Coast Guard members, “including changes of command, funerals, burials at sea, retirements, baptisms, weddings, blessings of the fleet, official ceremonies, and hospital visitations.” Since March of 2022, Poole adds that ACS Chaplains have been assigned to support nine underway Coast Guard cutters. “Currently, we have three ACS Chaplains underway; one on Coast Guard Cutter Haley for 80 days, one on Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, and one underway in support of Operation Valiant Century.”
A particular advantage that ACS Chaplains offer is flexibility. Walcott points out that the auxiliarists are able to respond more quickly than reserve chaplains. That has freed up active duty chaplains to go to sea for longer stretches of time given land-based support by ACS Chaplains. He echoes Poole about sea duty for the ACS members, adding it is a new dimension for the auxiliary chaplains.
Beyond the ability to support active duty chaplains, Walcott points out a further benefit of the program, “usually the ACS chaplain knows the area and local resources better than the active duty chaplain and can make appropriate referrals more easily.”
Both Walcott and Poole envision a solid and important future for ACS Chaplains. “I see the ACS program assuming more and more roles for the Coast Guard family,” Poole declared. “The need for chaplain support at commands and units has never been greater.”
Walcott is rightfully encouraged about the growth of the ACS program that he jump-started. “Navy chaplaincy and Coast Guard leadership are totally on board. The program is widely known.” He adds there is a real force multiplier effect. “Where active duty chaplains are taking the time to train and utilize their ACS team the quality and quantity of ministry we can provide has skyrocketed.”
Mode is equally enthusiastic about the growth of the ACS Chaplain corps. “In the five months that I have had a privilege to serve as the Chaplain of the Coast Guard, I have had the joy to approve nine new ACS Chaplains, including my predecessor as our 100th chaplain.” He offered a further thought. “I am excited to see this vital program continue to grow and mature. Our Coast Guard family needs the religious ministry and care of chaplains now more than ever!”
Is there a projected number of ACS Chaplains? Hazarding a guess, Poole suggests that next year there may be as many as 120 ACS Chaplains.
The number just grew to 100 with the addition of Chaplain Tom Walcott to the ACS program. Welcome to the Silver Side, sir!
Article by MYCG Staff (United States Coast Guard)
On July 6, 2022, Auxiliarist Michael Barth was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Ensign Barth made this transition after more than five impactful years of service in the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Highlights of his service include being named the Auxiliarist of the Year in 2019 and being featured as a special guest of the Commandant at the 2021 Coast Guard Festival. Throughout his Auxiliary career, Ensign Barth used his professional training and time management skills to navigate both a Wall Street career and his Auxiliary service, which in 2019 resulted in over 2,000 hours in public outreach and recreational boating safety activities in the New York City area. He also used his time in the Auxiliary to build a vast network of active duty, Reserve and Auxiliary contacts that prepared him for his journey to the Reserve. The Auxiliary Public Affairs Directorate caught up with Ensign Barth for an interview (that will be covered in future publications) prior to his initial reporting to Coast Guard Sector New York.
Auxiliarists with special skills and backgrounds can take the leap to help the Coast Guard fill critical Reserve personnel needs. This transition aligns with the Commandant’s intent for 2022 of transforming the Coast Guard workforce by leveraging talent and resources already within the organization. Seasoned Auxiliarists like Ensign Barth can more quickly adjust to a Reserve role given they already embody the core values, have existing institutional knowledge, and likely have served in augmentation roles with local units. Moreover, reservists can remain members of the Auxiliary which provides a bridge for Auxiliary units to better integrate within Team Coast Guard.
Interview of Ensign Michael Barth by John Saran, AUXPA1
Photo credit: Daniel Henry, US Coast Guard Public Affairs; United States Coast Guard Leadership Development Center; courtesy photos by Ensign Michael Barth
NEW YORK CITY — Ensign Michael Barth conducts his enlistment oath with Captain Zeita Merchant, Commander of Sector New York, in front of friends and family on May 3, 2022,at the Battery Park World War II Memorial. (Coast Guard Photo by Daniel Henry)
NEW YORK CITY – Ensign Michael Barth is joined by friends and active duty and Auxiliary members of Sector New York and the New York Recruiting Office for his enlistment oath ceremony. (Coast Guard Photo by Daniel Henry, US Coast Guard Public Affairs)
COAST GUARD ACADEMY – Ensign Michael Barth and other recruits engage in physical fitness training to correct deficiencies during Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination at the Coast Guard Academy. (Coast Guard Photo, Leadership Development Center)
COAST GUARD ACADEMY –Ensign Michael Barth returns the salutes of SN Michael O’Brien and AUX Alexander Rico after commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve on July 6, 2022. (Courtesy photo by Ensign Barth)
COAST GUARD ACADEMY – Lt. j.g. Benjamin Stern shakes the hand of Ensign Michael Barth on July 6, 2022. Lt. j.g. Stern served as Ensign Barth’s Assistant Platoon Officer throughout Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination. (Courtesy photo by Ensign Barth)
COAST GUARD ACADEMY – Ensign Barth shines brass on the Coast Guard Cutter Cuyahoga Memorial while serving as an officer candidate. The Cuyahoga was an officer candidate training vessel that sunk after a collision in which 11 officer candidates were lost. (Coast Guard Photo, Leadership Development Center)
WASHINGTON - Adm. Karl L. Schultz was relieved as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Adm. Linda L. Fagan during a military change-of-command ceremony presided over by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Wednesday at Coast Guard Headquarters.
Immediately following the change-of-command, Schultz retired from the Coast Guard after 39 years of service to the Nation. He was awarded the Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal from Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security.
“The men and women of the Coast Guard deserve all the credit for what we have accomplished,” said Schultz. “I’m humbled to have led the world’s best Coast Guard as Commandant during the last four years, which presented some unique challenges. Our collective resolve, bias for action, unrivalled devotion to duty, true grit and dogged determination burnished the Service’s brand and standing, both in the Homeland and abroad.”
Schultz became the 26th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on June 1, 2018. A component of the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast Guard is comprised of more than 57,000 active duty, reserve and civilian Coast Guardsmen and more than 25,000 volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliarists. Schultz’s visionary leadership raised the profile of the Service both here at home and across the globe as the Coast Guard experienced an unprecedented demand signal for its operational capabilities and partnering skills. During his four-year tenure, Schultz championed a compelling “Readiness Narrative” that raised the Service’s funding levels allowing renewed internal focus on the Coast Guard’s Mission Ready Total Workforce, as well as prolific shipbuilding, aviation asset recapitalization, and a signature Technical Revolution.
Fagan assumed the duties as the 27th Commandant following her service as the 32nd Vice Commandant. As Vice Commandant, Fagan served as the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for executing the Commandant’s Strategic Intent, managing internal organizational governance, and serving as the Component Acquisition Executive. Fagan is the Coast Guard’s first woman to hold the rank of four-star admiral. Today, she again made history not only as the first woman to lead the Coast Guard—but also as the first woman Service Chief of any U.S. military service.
“The Coast Guard is a more ready, relevant, and responsive service thanks to the incredible leadership of Admiral Schultz,” said Fagan. “I thank Admiral Schultz and Mrs. Dawn Schultz for their selfless service over the last four years and wish them fair winds and following seas.”
A change of command is a time-honored ceremony that signifies the absolute transfer of responsibility, authority and accountability from one person to another.
Adm. Linda Fagan relieves Adm. Karl Schultz as the 27th commandant of the Coast Guard during a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard headquarters June 1, 2022. Fagan is the first woman service chief of any U.S. military service. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Magee)
Adm. Linda Fagan relieves Adm. Karl Schultz as the 27th commandant of the Coast Guard during a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard headquarters June 1, 2022. Fagan is the first woman service chief of any U.S. military service. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Magee)
Adm. Linda Fagan relieves Adm. Karl Schultz as the 27th commandant of the Coast Guard during a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard headquarters June 1, 2022. Fagan is the first woman Service Chief of any U.S. military service. (DHS photo by Benjamin Applebaum)
-USCG Bulletin-
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
Headquarters Public Affairs
Last December 2020, AUXAIR teamed with the Hawaii Wildlife Rehabilitation Center located on Hawaii Island to help save aLanaiIsland critically endangered fledgling Wedge-tailed Shearwater shorebird,offering transport capabilities. Actually, Kauai Island is the habitat of 90% of the remaining population. Ensuring a protected rich, diverse and sustainable ocean environment is part of the Team Coast Guard environmental protection mission.
* U.S. Coast Guard (L-R) Auxiliary pilot William Melhn and pilot Heinz Gert de Couet of the 14th USCG District Handing over a fledgling Wedge-tailed shearwater to Wildlife Rehabilitation manager Juan Carlos Guerra, at Upolu Point Airfield.
The flight aircraft, a Cessna 172C, originated from the Honolulu airport via Lanai Airport, Upolu Point Airport and ended 3.6 hours later returning to Honolulu Airport. The crew was greeted by Ms. Christina Donehowerwho accepted delivery of a fledgling Wedge-tailed shearwater in need of special care by the veterinary staff at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center near Upolu Point. Within a few minutes, the flight was airborne again in the direction of the Big Island.At Upolu Point, the crew was greeted by Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager Juan Carlos Guerra, who accepted delivery of the sick bird.
Auxiliary Flotilla 140-01-10 Hawaii has a robust air corps with 25 qualified pilots and 22 trainees. Roughly 16 pilots are very active. On average, the team conducts about 15 flights monthly in support of routine patrols, first light search and rescue, pollution response, and specialty flights for transport of injured or recovered animals and birds. The efforts of the air corps are a significant force multiplier for the local Coast Guard air station. As demands on the Coast Guard have accelerated, legislation expanded the Commandant’s authority to use the Auxiliary, and especially AUXAIR, to assist other Federal agencies, State authorities, and local governments.
By 2011, AUXAIR began integrating routine patrols into operations with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), flying within the National Marine Sanctuary along the Nation’s coastlines; the sanctuaries, part and parcel of the Coast Guard’s mission of Marine Environmental Protection.
These are but a fragment of AUXAIR responsibilities. As more missions and operations are integrated into Auxiliary Aviation’s area of responsibility, the need for pilots, and especially for observers, has become critical and recruitment has become a daily effort to enlist more observers.
*District 14 Hawaii has an amazing ecological diversity of aquatic, botanical adn bird species.
*(L) Wedge-Tailed Shearwater (C) Hawaii Wildlife Center Logo (R) Caring for an injured bird by specialists.
But with 200 aircraft and 300 personnel, Auxiliary aviators provide a dedicated force multiplier by increasing the number of aircraft available for the mission, or filling in when Coast Guard air is called away for more demanding missions. Routine operations for AUXAIR are air safety patrols flown week-to-week, month-to-month year-round. Auxiliary air patrols are requested by the pilots who fly them and must be approved by the Coast Guard air station to which they are assigned. “We’ve taken steps to minimize risk, and if for any reason our teams feel there’s unacceptable exposure risk to COVID-19, we’ll cancel the flight,” William Melohnpilot.
AUXAIR is an Auxiliary operational program with participation in various missions ranging from transport to search and rescue. AUXAIR aviators volunteer their aircraft for use as facilities, just as surface operators volunteer their boats. Member training and certification is available for pilots, observers and air crew.
For more information about the AUXAIR program, please visit
http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=R-DEPT&category=air