U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard, established by Act of Congress on 23 June 1939 (originally the Coast Guard Reserve, renamed the Auxiliary on 19 February 1941). Its members carry out non-law-enforcement, non-military missions: recreational-boating safety education, free vessel safety checks, search-and-rescue support, safety patrols, and aids-to-navigation verification. Members use their own boats, aircraft, and radios. The Auxiliary is the public-facing arm of the Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Safety program and operates under Title 14 of the U.S. Code.