Join the Fun - Join the Auxiliary!

Who can join?

Membership is open to all US citizens of the United States and its territories who are at least 17 years old. You can learn about joining the Coast Guard Auxiliary by contacting us. We will answer any questions you may have and explain the benefits and rewards of membership. Qualification for membership is a simple process that will quickly have you out on the water providing service to your community and receiving advanced seamanship training available nowhere else.

Why Volunteer?

• Be part of the action & help save lives. Since the recreational boating population in the United States is growing rapidly, the Coast Guard Auxiliary needs a few good men and women like you. As an Auxiliarist, you will have the opportunity to select and participate in one or more of the Auxiliary's major programs. If you feel strongly about the rewards you can get from serving your community, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is the right place for you! Either through on- water Operations, the Auxiliary's Public Education Program, Vessel Safety Check Program, Radio Watchstander, Coast Guard Recruiting, Marine Environmental Protection or Coast Guard Administration.
• Increase your skills. The Auxiliary and the Coast Guard provide specialized training on all aspects of boating, as well as leadership and administration. Auxiliarists receive valuable training in seamanship and related skills, and enjoy the sense of confidence of knowing that they are better and safer boaters.
• Support the Coast Guard. Auxiliarists provide direct operational and administrative support to many local Coast Guard units. You can wear the Coast Guard Auxiliary uniform and become part of Team Coast Guard. When you qualify through training, you can take part in Search and Rescue operations, stand radio watch at the Coast Guard Station, work with the Marine Safety Office on pollution matters or work in the Recruiting Office.
• Service to your community. Auxiliarists aren't paid with money, but with satisfaction. We furnish and maintain our own equipment and can choose to participate at a level tailored to our individual capabilities. We provide boating safety classes for youth and adults and examine recreational vessels for safety equipment to ensure that our neighbors will be safe on the waterways.
• Enjoy fun and fellowship. In all activities, enjoy fellowship -- the good company of other Auxiliarists at meetings and training sessions, on patrols and other missions, and at ceremonies and social events. One of he Auxiliary's trademarks is good old-fashioned hospitality. Friends, neighbors and interested members of the public are always welcome to attend one of our flotilla meetings. In addition, dedication to boating safety provides the atmosphere for getting together to swap boating experiences and participate in cruises and rendezvous. You'll find a special camaraderie among Auxiliarists that's hard to beat. There's time to relax and have fun at Auxiliary outings, training sessions, patrols, VSCs, classes, and conferences. Auxiliarists make lasting, meaningful friendships. Knowing that you belong to a special group of people and directly participate in helping save lives gives your Auxiliary membership a special meaning.

Rewards of Volunteering in the USCG Auxiliary

You have an opportunity to increase your knowledge of boating safety and acquire special training through advanced classes or by taking correspondence courses from the Coast Guard Institute. Instruction in navigation, meteorology, marine engines, communications, and search and rescue operations enhances the value of you to the Auxiliary, while adding to your own boating pleasure. You will find great personal satisfaction in providing a valuable public service to the boaters. The possibility of saving lives - even one human life - is always in your path as an Auxiliarist. Dedication to boating safety provides you with the atmosphere for getting together to swap boating experiences and participate in exercises, group outings, etc. You'll find a special fellowship among Auxiliarists that's hard to beat. There's time to relax and have fun at Auxiliary outings, rendezvous, cruises and conferences. Auxiliarists make lasting, meaningful friendships.