Office of the Rear Commodore

8th Coastal Region

Woody Simpson, RCO-W

919 Wind River SE

Albuquerque, NM 87123

DATE: December 6, 2006

Greeting from the US Coast Guard Auxiliary

We are writing to you from Division Two, Eighth Coastal Region, representing the State of New Mexico and part of West Texas. Your name has come to us because of an interest in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.

For over sixty years, tens of thousands of men and women of the Coast Guard Auxiliary have spent millions of volunteer hours helping the Coast Guard carry out its missions. Auxiliarists are probably best known for educating the public through their boating safety classes and Vessel Safety Checks. Yet, they do much more and have been doing even more since the passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996. The purpose of the Act is to allow the Auxiliary to assist the Coast Guard, as authorized by the Commandant, in performance of any Coast Guard function, duty, role, mission, or operation authorized by law. The Coast Guard Auxiliary was authorized by an Act of Congress on June 23, 1939.

We are an organization of volunteers that supports many of the missions of the active duty Coast Guard. As with most volunteer work, there are many rewards and recognition and always some responsibilities.

In a nut-shell, most of our activities can be grouped in three areas:

  • Boating Safety
  • Public Education
  • Operations on the water, in the air, and on the ground.

Division 2 currently has about 67 members and that number may fluctuate on a yearly basis due to retirements, resignations and recruitment of new members while is always a continual objective. We are organized into four flotillas. We have Flotilla 21 in El Paso, TX, Flotilla 23 at Navajo Lake area, Flotilla 24 in Albuquerque, and Flotilla 25 at Elephant Butte, NM. Flotilla 24 is the largest flotilla with about 28 members, and the rest have 10-13 members each. Our leaders are elected by the members of the flotilla and Division. The operational mission involves: Life saving, search and rescue, towing boats, and safety/regatta patrols. Our members offer their private boats or airplanes that are used as Coast Guard “facilities” when properly inspected, qualified, and placed under official Coast Guard travel orders. Many members do not have boats and airplanes so they serve as crew members and non-operational support which is essential to fulfilling the missions expected by the Auxiliary. We partner with NM State Parks and the Corp of Engineers.

The Auxiliary is well-organized and works within well-documented policies and procedures published under the authorization of the Coast Guard. This sort of strong organization makes the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary the “go-to” people during times of disaster. We wear Coast Guard uniforms when attending meetings and on-duty functions but remain civilian volunteers.

There are many jobs requiring many different skills needed in the Auxiliary. Most people want to know what would be expected of them in terms of time and expenses. Here are some of the requirements and expectations.

  • Seventeen years of age and a US Citizen
  • Annual dues of $34.00
  • Attend monthly meetings
  • Provide your own uniforms (initially, one uniform will cost about $100)
  • Within the first year, some work is expected of the member and you may be offered a staff officer job depending on your background and interest. If a member is interested in the operations side, training classes are held at a member’s house during the evening or on weekends until the training is completed and on-the water qualifications are performed. Becoming fully qualified as a crew member will take several months depending on a candidate’s boating experience. Training by the training staff officer is also conducted for those interested as a Vessel Examiner, instructor, or program visitor. After a member joins, some “C-schools” are available for a member to attend under reimbursable Coast Guard orders.
  • Annually, members should expect to contribute hours from attending the monthly meetings, performing in a specialty (operations, VE, instructor) and performing duties associated with a staff officer position. There are many ways a member can contribute depending on their availability and commitment to the organization. Skills in teaching, computers, public affairs, organizing events, parades, attending boat shows are just some of the special jobs outside of the “operations” jobs. Everyone can contribute and is expected to find a niche where their skill and interest fit. Although social events are very much a part of the culture, the Auxiliary is a working organization.
  • Since 9-11, all members are required to submit a part of the application for a security package. There are two levels. The top security level is required of all elected officers. Because we do not interact with the day-to-day operations of the active duty Coast Guard, all other members will complete a less rigorous application that authorizes a general background check. This personnel security investigation package is no different from the Coast Guard and similar to other federal agencies that conduct background checks. All applicants must be granted a security clearance before becoming a qualified member of the Auxiliary.

There are 4 flotillas in Division 2. Each flotilla meets monthly at a fixed time and location in their area. Often a prospective member may attend one or two meetings to get an idea if the CG Auxiliary and a certain flotilla meets your expectations. You can attend more than one flotilla meeting if you wish. It is difficult to attend meeting out of town though because our state is so large and transportation becomes a real issue. There is no rush. We want you to be completely comfortable with the Auxiliary before you make application. We have many of our members whose spouses are also members. This is a real asset for the Auxiliary and the members. Often, both members of the household are operations qualified because another crew member is required on all patrols and this arrangement makes it very durable.

At the beginning of the letter, we mentioned awards. Every member brings something different to the Auxiliary and everyone takes away a different satisfaction. Some enjoy teaching or patrols, rescue, helping boaters in distress, earning awards by completing training and examination in seamanship or navigation. There are a number of various Coast Guard training courses a member may take to expand their personal knowledge. They are free to members. There are many ways you can help us and we never have enough members to handle all the staff officer jobs a flotilla must fill.

One of the four “cornerstones” of the Auxiliary is “Fellowship”. Camaraderie and social events are part of the reward for your service to the community.

If the sense of belonging to a well-organized, highly-qualified, mission-oriented group of people interests you, then the US Coast Guard Auxiliary may be just what you are looking for. We are the largest volunteer organization in the country with over 34,000 members.

Please visit the Coast Guard’s web site at In the left-hand column under “Our People” you will find a selection for “Auxiliary”. The section under “Join the Auxiliary” will give you even more information. Our local web-site is Click on any of the four flotillas to gain additional information.

Best wishes and congratulations for your interest in volunteering for good of the community. Hopefully, the US Coast Guard Auxiliary can be your avenue for service and personal growth.

Semper Paratus (Always Ready)

Woody Simpson

Rear Commodore-West

District 8 Coastal Region US Coast Guard Auxiliary

Mailing address: 919 Wind River SE

Albuquerque, NM 87123