A Bit of History
The Coast Guard reserve, now Auxiliary, was created in 1939 by Congress for boaters to assist the Coast Guard with reconnaissance along our shores, especially the Atlantic and Gulf where German U-Boats preyed on shipping and landed spies on our shores. It was cheaper and effective to use private vessels for this purpose since a U-boat Captain would not give away his presence to sink a pleasure or fishing boat. After WWII was over there was a need for a Coast Guard Reserve made up of former active duty personnel. so the name Coast Guard Auxiliary was born.
Today the Auxiliary is under the Department of Boating Safety and performs it’s duties on 3 key areas: Public Education, Vessel Examinations and Operations. Of course our fourth cornerstone is Fellowship. Since we do not get paid we do mix fun with our duties. Since 911 the duties of the Auxiliary have expanded greatly to the point where some members do crew augmentation on Coast Guard bases and cutters.
The Coast Guard is nicknamed the “Gold Side” and the Auxiliary the “Silver Side” corresponding to the color of the stripes on our shoulder boards, but we are all a proud part of TEAM COAST GUARD.
Flotilla 15-2 is based in Yankeetown FL and is home to 132 types of sand gnats, affectionately known as no-see-ums. Having a boating breakdown and being forced to stay nearshore up here can be a real painful experience, so we have become an Operations Oriented Flotilla specializing in Search and Rescue. The offshore waters to our north are very shallow and with the good inshore fishing in the area our skills get called upon frequently to locate folks who have broken down.
Our Coast Guard counterparts of Coast Guard Station Yankeetown have few reservations about utilizing us to assist in many missions. Most of our vessels are able to maneuver in these shallow waters and our local knowledge is extremely useful to them. Often times a disressed party can be seen, but the big question is how do we get there from here?
We also teach Public Education courses more or less on a demand basis. Yankeetown / Inglis is a small community with a stable population so our clientele does not change as much as in other areas of Florida. Each year we teach courses at the Yankeetown School as a part of the science curriculum to prepare students to be able to obtain their Florida Boaters Card, required of anyone under 21 operating a vessel of 10 Hp or more.
Another popular course we teach is SOP (Seat of the Pants) Navigation which usually follows our 8 hour Boating Safely course. It teaches local chart reading, GPS utilization and trip planning. We design an advanced part of it to meet the individual students needs. Additionally, we have found that using local charts allows the student to better relate to what is being taught than using standard practice charts from an area where most of the students have never been.
SO YOU WANT TO BE AN AUXILIARIST
The Boating Public is served by the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and in many parts of our country are the only Coast Guard presence ever seen by the average boater. Our primary mission is Boating Safety which is accomplished in 3 ways: Public Education, Vessel Examinations and Operations.
In the past the ASSIST, be it a SAR or Come Upon, was the jewel that operations personnel looked forward to. I can remember getting 3 per patrol and occasionally more; that's more than I get in a year now.
Why you ask? Possibly it is better boater education and the other reason is the Professional Towing Services which have matured in the U.S. Presumably on inland lakes and rivers these services not be as prevalent as in high traffic areas.
Many boat crew personnel complain about not getting any "business" and wonder why they should subject themselves to the rigors and expense of maintaining their status as well as a facility. Our mission has evolved since 9/11/2001 and many doors of opportunity have opened for some Auxiliarists; we have resumed the original patrol task of protecting our nations ports. Marine Safety Patrols take on two aspects: counter terrorism and environmental hazard locating. Generally the MS patrol is a Harbor patrol wherein the Auxiliary becomes the trained eyes of the Coast Guard; the radio and cell phone are our weapons.
What is the reward? No, it's not the immediate satisfaction of an assist, but in the event you do spot something going on even if it's mischievous vandalism there is satisfaction just as there is satisfaction for a vessel examiner in spotting a potentially dangerous fault on a vessel. We are in the PREVENTION business now more than ever since the end of WW II. Don't let anyone fool you - your observations are extremely valuable to the Coast Guard.
I've heard it said, "There is no greater gift you can give than to lay down your life for another", but I'll modify it to, " There is no greater reward than the satisfaction of being willing risk your life for another, but to succeed and walk away together". Besides it's too much paperwork if you fail!
Americas Waterway Watch is our revised version of the WW II slogan "Loose Lips Sink Ships". We are now proactive in vigilant observation of our waterways and highways. A trained observer does not "turn himself off" when away from the water. All citizens are encouraged to participate in AAW, but the Coast Guard Auxiliarist can become trained in specifically what to look for. An analogy would be that most any citizen can spot someone with a heart attack, but only with CPR training can they effectively do something about it.
There is a need for YOU in the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, be it as an Instructor, Vessel Examiner, Boat Crew, Radio Watch stander, Air Crew or supporting member. There are many Auxiliarists who work behind the scenes assisting the Coast Guard in innumerable tasks. We have become truly a part of TEAM COAST GUARD.
C W Morton
SO/OP 15
We had a multi vessel patrol in conjuntion with a fishing tournament off our coast. Here are some of us on the way back in.
Memorial Day Sunset patrol we checked the light, not there, on the buoy on the wreck of the Laura Lynn off Hernando Beach
NOTE the rigging booms directly over my head on the right picture are completely separated from the hull
We re -qualified for CPR, AED and First Aid at our March 2007 Meeting
In the meantme our former members Ernie ande Beverly Exner were doing their annual Anti Exposure suit drill so they would be ready when the ice melts off the water in Montana.
Want to check your status in Auxdata? Here is an easier way to do it. Go to
Member Status Auxinfo
PROTECTING OUR WATERS FROM UNWANTED SPECIES
Flotilla 15-2 is a participating partner with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Coast Guard encouraging users of the waterways to clean their boats and gear so as not to transport aquatic species form one body of water to another. It only takes a few minutes to rinse your gear and trailer off, don't forget the bilge water either. It is very easy to inadvertently transfer eggs, organisms and plants from one body to another if there is not sufficeint "drying time" or a quick cleaning done. Visit the website
http://www.protectyourwaters.net for more information.
POMS PATROL REQUESTS
Effective Immediately (2/13/06) Boat owners should request their own orders using POMS. A non owner Coxswain may only request the order if the Boat owner has given him permission to operate the boat when he is not on board.
It's easy - use the following proceedure.
1) LOG ONTO POMS
2) SELECT REQUEST ORDERS FROM TOOLBAR AT TOP
3) FILL OUT THE FORM -- USE THE TAB TO ADVANCE , NOT THE MOUSE
You only need to enter the Month and Date in the format MM/DD it will auto fill the year.
4) For time of day use : Morning, Midday, Afternoon or Sundown rather than exact hours, It's easier
5) Make appropriate selections from Dropdown boxes for STATION, PATROL AREA, and PATROL TYPE
6) IN THE COMMENTS LINE - put any special request -- 2 man crew etc.
7) PLACE REQUEST
AUXILIARY WEBSITE DIRECTORY
Your SO/CS has compiled this directory of useful Auxiliary sites. Many of these are duplicated in other areas on the website, but it's real handy if you are searching for something. It's complete with active links so all you have to do in click on the blue topic.
AUXILIARY WEBSITE DIRECTORY
AUXDATA access passwords.
If you should be locked out of AuxData due to lost password or not having signed in and your password has expired, please remember the “Chain”. It’s important that you contact Larry Berman for your password reset. There is specific information and verification that we submit to the DSO-IS in order for her to obtain your new password.
Please, sign in to AuxData once every ten (10) days or so OR change your password more frequently than once every ninety (90) days. The reason for this is that AuxData will notify you fifteen days prior to the expiration of your password validity period that you must change your password. AuxData will automatically lock you out of the database at the end of 90 days. You may change your password as often as you like, but, not less than once every 90 days.
SECURITY FORMS
All Auxiliarists must undergo a degree of Security check. What you choose to become involved in determines the extent of the background check.
There is no easy way to do this so I have tried to simplify the process by giving everyone a link to the forms. ALL BLANKS MUST BE FILLED OUT - you'll use a lot of N/A designations for not applicable.
You will need to complete the SF 85, SF 86, DHS form 11000, and OFI Form 86C plus be fingerprinted.
Click on the link below to go to the forms. Security Forms
Notice/disclaimer
Links to non-Coast Guard entities are not under the control of the United States Coast Guard or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, and are provided for the convenience of our customers. They do not. in any way, constitute an endorsement of the linked pages or any commercial or private issues or products presented there. We cannot make any warranty or representation concerning the content of these sites, or secondary sites from the pages to which they link.
This website contains links to other sites whose content is not the responsibility of Division 15 or it's webmaster. We do not link to any site that contains offensive material that we know of. If anyone has a content problem with a link they are encouraged to contact the webmaster, using the link at the bottom of this page, so that we may correct the situation.
Complaints, suggestions or comments and photos may be E-mailed by clicking on
Pray for our Troops wherever they may be! 
