USCG Auxiliary

[Dkdoyle]

I only know one guy and he is also a member of our sailing club. He offers classes to everyone including youth sailing. He offers free boat inspections just call him.

[Dkdoyle]

Forget to mention boater safety classes are free online from boatus

[zeehag]

steve w--i am glad you had a good experience with them. i had some good experiences with occasinal and rare few. most i have seen has been th e propensity toward bullying and officiousness most seem to think they need, as they were not qualified for any branch of service, nor were they appropriate for a position of authority. interesting folks. but there ARE decent folks in the herd. i have met 3 who were decent folks. i have met many many uscgaux individuals. .

[rcmpegasus]

Zee is correct, you do not need to be US citizen to be in CoastGuatd or US military. Fairly substantial number of non citizens in military and many not from places like Canada or UK, but Turkey, Somalia, Israel or Yugoslavia.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by rcmpegasus

Zee is correct, you do not need to be US citizen to be in CoastGuatd or US military. Fairly substantial number of non citizens in military and many not from places like Canada or UK, but Turkey, Somalia, Israel or Yugoslavia.

On the USCG Auxiliary site, under the "requirements" section, it states very clearly that you have to be a US citizen.

[boborama]

I served in the USCGA from 1988-1991, at USCG Station Curtis Bay, which was co-located with the primary USCG shipyard just outside of Baltimore, MD. I was a member of USCGA Flotilla 14.

During my tenure there we performed several SAR missions. In three cases we located, boarded, and preserved vessels that were in danger of sinking or had personnel injuries aboard.

During one "Bay Bridge Swim", in which 1300 swimmers were attempting to cross the Chesapeake Bay, an unanticipated ebb tide swept several hundred of them down the bay. We plucked about 120 swimmers out of the water in three sweeps. There were so many that we had to have them lay down in the bilges of our 32 foot boat as ballast. One young lady suffered from hypothermia, and had to be airlifted by helicopter to Johns Hopkins. Good times. Watch out for the static electricity when the basket comes down.

We then spent several hours performing box patterns around the bay looking for strays. Luckily no one was lost at sea.

Didn't cost anyone a dime, except the owner and the crew of the boat.

The flotilla commander owned a J30, so many weekends we spent sailing triangles in the middle of the Bay acting as a radio platform, relaying VHF transmissions between those in need and those on the way.

I was very fortunate to receive excellent training at USCG Station Curtis Bay. Coastal navigation, piloting, navigation, fire fighting, SAR, helicopter operations, communications, survival training, engine maint, etc. I was recently out of USAF at that point, and I think the Coasties took pity on me, and let me serve as a deck hand/lookout on their own patrol boats a couple of weekends a month. At one point I got to jump off the boat into the Bay in February, and had to swim 400 meters to another boat. Luckily they gave me a Mustang suit first, and told me how to use it. A great experience, great training, and I learned a lot.

Desert Storm happened at about this time, and a lot of Coasties got dragged to Kuwait. So, I was able to fill in as I could in communications and on some boats.

So, to answer your question, I had a great experience with the USCGA. But that might have been exceptional, and it was awhile back.

[webejammin]

This weekend I'm surounded by CG Aux and there boats at my marina. There here to help patrol for the hydro-plane boat races just 3 miles up stream. Most of them are in there 70's maybe 60's but they look older, and accoumped by a couple teen boys who could not even through a dock line 6 ft or tie to a cleat but they were practiceing. I was told by the CG Aux guy who did our volinteer boat check a few months ago they carry beads to give girls who show there tits in the water on our 99 deg F weather and I guess it shows good will with the public at the hydro-plane races and keeps the on water party hopping.

[mainesail]

I've been a member for 12 years-active 1999-2001 and again 2009-2010. They were different experiences for sure. before 9/11 it was laid back-guys doing good works, (S&R for one) and lots of great education and training both for members and the public. They were definitely an asset to the Coast Guard which was perennially underfunded

There are always the type that join for the uniform and make something of it (and them-they think)- and those who just want to have an organization to fit into- but these were minor annoyances occasionally. I had a good time and got lots of great training.

I got re-activated in '09 and boy was it different in many ways, both obvious and subtle. First off, they are an official part of "Team Coast Guard", which is good in a way because they are finally recognized in a big way for the contribution they make. Everything has become more rigid in the organization. You have a serious FBI background check which takes months, they do patrols and training with active Coast Guard units and the feeling has become more military, now that it's under Homeland Security.

The training is great and FREE, you buy your uniforms at Coast Guard exchanges or through USCGA suppliers, they're not expensive and are easily offset by discounts at exchanges and a number of suppliers, like Mustang for PFDs etc. You get out what you put in.

Fair Winds.

[David M]

I think they do a great job at teaching people who are new to boating the basics. They are all good people with good intentions all trying to do the right thing. You cannot fault that.