Coast Guard Question

[cntryboy0531]

Hopefully some of our current or former Coast Guard members (I.E.. CHEWY), can provide a little insight on this.

I was contacted by a friend of mine at work, and he's been interested in something for a while, and wanted to know if I'd do it with him. He has expressed an interest in joining the Coast Guard Auxiliary. After a bunch of reading on my end, it looks like an excellent volunteer opportunity. With the only down side being I'd have to buy my own uniforms. It looks like a great way to perform a volunteer function outside of Law Enforcement. Apparently they send you to different Coast Guard schools depending on what you want to do in the Auxiliary, and you work in direct support of the Coast Guard, and can perform many, many different functions from search and rescue, aircraft operations, port security. It said the only things they can not do is Armed Military operations and Direct Law Enforcement (fine with me, I get my fill at work).

What are your guys opinion of the group? Based on a lot of the District Websites it seems like a good operation. However, I don't want to get into it if its, for a lack of a better word, "wannabe's" that get their kicks wearing a military uniform.

Also, any more information you have on them would be great.

[Jim1348]

I was never in the active duty Coast Guard, but I was in a local Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla. I had always wanted to try both the Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. I had worked with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, too, when I was in Water Patrol at the sheriff's office I retired from. I really didn't find then to be a bunch "wannabe's" at all. In fact, the flotilla I was with was much more like a social club. Obviously, groups are going vary from place to place, too. I found all three Coast Guard units to be very helpful for special events on the Mississippi River; the active duty Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Reserve, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary knew their functions and performed them well.

My suggestion would be to simply attend one of the flotilla meetings or, better yet, if you have a few flotillas nearby, attend a meeting or two at several flotillas to see which seems to be a better fit. If you like one, just join. That is when you will see if you really like it or not.

As a side note, do you have a boat? I think when I was in it was because of my electronic communications background and I didn't own a boat, but most of the members were boat owners.

[cntryboy0531]

I was never in the active duty Coast Guard, but I was in a local Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla. I had always wanted to try both the Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. I had worked with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, too, when I was in Water Patrol at the sheriff's office I retired from. I really didn't find then to be a bunch "wannabe's" at all. In fact, the flotilla I was with was much more like a social club. Obviously, groups are going vary from place to place, too. I found all three Coast Guard units to be very helpful for special events on the Mississippi River; the active duty Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Reserve, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary knew their functions and performed them well.

My suggestion would be to simply attend one of the flotilla meetings or, better yet, if you have a few flotillas nearby, attend a meeting or two at several flotillas to see which seems to be a better fit. If you like one, just join. That is when you will see if you really like it or not.

As a side note, do you have a boat? I think when I was in it was because of my electronic communications background and I didn't own a boat, but most of the members were boat owners.

No, I don't own one. I'm actually more interested in the aviation side than the boat side. One of the ones near me operates with the Clearwater Coast Guard Airstation and they do operations on board the Helo's and C-130's. From all the reading and such I've done (I do a LOT of research before I dive into something), some Flotillas sound like more of a social club (particularly the older ones with more retirees [no offense guys LOL]) while others are active and do more work along side their active duty/reserve counterparts. Seems like the older retirees stick a lot to doing waterways patrols and safety inspections while the younger folks try to obtain the training needed to go on board Coast Guard Vessels/Aircraft and work operationally with Active Duty/Reserve units.

We are contemplating going to a couple different meetings and seeing how things go. Unless we really like the first one we are going to go to.

[chewy]

We had a great Auxiliary in Milwaukee when I was there. There are some that just lounge around and don't like to do any actual work but for the most part ours were mostly all gung-ho and ready to go. They actively played a roll in our day to day operations particularily on the weekends and holidays. As you stated, they can't play a direct roll in LE operations but we used them extensively for Search and Rescue, basic safety patrol and security operations. We even used our Auxiliary to supliment our station after a particularily long rescue where they would cover the station communications and the guys on the boats would patrol and respond to any non-LE related calls so our duty boat crew could get some sleep. Doing security perimiters for things like fireworks and other shoreline type events and helping with searches and rescues was the bread and butter of our Auxiliary guys and they were awesome. We worked really closely with our guys and we even had a couple that we used as communications specialists sort of and they would even help with communications and organization for some LE operations, they would just have to stay at the station or in our command truck. I joined for a short period after I left Active Duty Coast Guard but then moved and didn't have the time to continue.
I would strongly recommend joining and helping out, depending on your unit and area it can be a lot of fun and a lot of excitement.
One thing I can't speak on is aviation. We never used any Auxiliary CG with aviation, it was always just our active duty guys with the exception of occassionally using the Civil Air Patrol but not in our aircraft and not really that often as the nearest CAP was way up in Northern Wisconsin...

[cntryboy0531]

Thanks, I appreciate it. I went on a few Auxiliary forums and such and it appears the one that is out of Clearwater is very, very active. So, hopefully it'll work out well, and we'll have a good time in the process.

[cgchad]

Cntryboy,
I am an active member of the cgaux. Depending on exactly what you want to know, I may be able to help, or point you in the right direction. I have served as the flotilla commander for the air unit in our division, and am not one of the retired folks. I work a full time job outside of the aux.
I do augment quite a bit with the local station. (inland river) and am an auxiliary patrol commander (report to the captain of the port at the sector office)

I don't know if they dropped the DO requirement for being an air observer, but if your going for pilot I know it's a requirement. Basically it's a full SF-86 investigation. (security form 86- questionnaire for national security position) so if that's something that might be a problem, you might want to rethink things.

For aircrew you will go through the same training as the active duty pilots, except for the air to ground assault parts..

I usually tell folks thinking about coming in that if they are looking for a social club, the should consider the power squadron.

I can also vouch for some of the guys at Clearwater. I got to go up against them in the now defunct international search and rescue competition in 2007. They ended up winning overall, but we gave them a Good run for it.

Edit. Don't worry about the wannabes, they get weeded out quickly. We had one member disenrolled for running red and blue lights on his car. Huge no no. We constantly evaluate, and keep a tight reign on that sort I thing. It doesn't do anyone, active duty or auxiliary any favors to let it go unchecked.

My apologies if it is inappropriate for me to respond to his posting since I am no a Leo. It is an area I am entirely familiar with though.

[cntryboy0531]

Cntryboy,
I am an active member of the cgaux. Depending on exactly what you want to know, I may be able to help, or point you in the right direction. I have served as the flotilla commander for the air unit in our division, and am not one of the retired folks. I work a full time job outside of the aux.
I do augment quite a bit with the local station. (inland river) and am an auxiliary patrol commander (report to the captain of the port at the sector office)

I don't know if they dropped the DO requirement for being an air observer, but if your going for pilot I know it's a requirement. Basically it's a full SF-86 investigation. (security form 86- questionnaire for national security position) so if that's something that might be a problem, you might want to rethink things.

For aircrew you will go through the same training as the active duty pilots, except for the air to ground assault parts..

I usually tell folks thinking about coming in that if they are looking for a social club, the should consider the power squadron.

I can also vouch for some of the guys at Clearwater. I got to go up against them in the now defunct international search and rescue competition in 2007. They ended up winning overall, but we gave them a Good run for it.

Edit. Don't worry about the wannabes, they get weeded out quickly. We had one member disenrolled for running red and blue lights on his car. Huge no no. We constantly evaluate, and keep a tight reign on that sort I thing. It doesn't do anyone, active duty or auxiliary any favors to let it go unchecked.

My apologies if it is inappropriate for me to respond to his posting since I am no a Leo. It is an area I am entirely familiar with though.

No, probably won't be a pilot as I have no experience with flying (and vision issues, I wear glasses), and as a result no pilots license. The background check should not be an issue in the least for me.

I really would like to get involved and augment in the local base. I'm not looking for a social club. While I won't be able to volunteer a TON of time (work, personal constraints), I am definitely willing to give as much as possible, and be active.

You are more than welcome to post and reply here. The only place non Leo's can't, is in the Verified (secured) sections, and the Ask A Cop area. Thank you for the information. I may PM you with more in a little while.

[chewy]

Good luck. I hope you get in, as you know from my posts over the last several years, the Coast Guard was the best job I ever had! Great job, great people and a wonderful feeling to help people in distress!

[Norm357]

The CG aux does great work on Lake Lanier here.

[cgchad]

The time requirements can be tricky. As you earn qualifications you end up with more time requirements to keep each qualification.
Example, boat crew, coxswains, must do 12 hours a year on deck. Along with 1 hour per year of TCT, and an 8 hour every 5 years. You also have workshops that occur annually. Plus retesting every 3 or 5 years depending on which part it is.
NAVRULES is every 5, check rides every 3.
If you go into vessel safety checks, it's a minimum of 5per year. Into teaching, 4 hours a year.

Going into any of the operational quals takes on average 2years to qual. Lots of classes the first year with the mandates. We have to follow DHS guidelines on all training. If it's mandatory for active duty, it's mandatory for us. (suicide prevention, sexual harassment, etc.)

Then sometimes you run into issues with the active duty not trusting your training since your a "volunteer". The best part is, once they get a good trust of you, they ship out.
Other times things get really backwards. Last year I had a reserve senior chief assigned to me for 4th of July. Since I was qualled as an auxpatcom and a desigee if the COTP, and he didn't hold either, he couldn't do the mission without me being present.