U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Eighth Western Rivers District

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Eighth Western Rivers
District

Information

Public

Commodore Jack Gumb

Director of the Auxiliary
Eighth Coast Guard District
Western Rivers Region

On behalf of the members and staff of the 8^th Western Rivers Coast Guard Auxiliary District, I would like to thank you for visiting our homepage. Our District is very large consisting of thirteen states which include Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming, as well as major portions of Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin. We are an all volunteer organization. Our membership consists of 1,310 volunteers in 82 flotillas, 4 detachments within 13 divisions. Members participate in a variety of missions ranging from public education and vessel safety checks to safety patrols by boat and air along with many other missions as authorized by the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Our members completed over 17,000 missions and 14,000 patrol hours for the Coast Guard in 2005.

Congress established the Coast Guard Auxiliary in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in any and all ways except with military operations and law enforcement. Auxiliary members at the flotilla level provide public education courses, assist with search and rescue missions conduct safety patrols, support regattas and marine events, and offer free vessel safety checks for recreational boaters. Auxiliary volunteers played a prominent role by conducting post 9-11 Operation Noble Eagle maritime safety patrols and participating in other Coast Guard support missions. They are currently playing a key role in Operation Patriot Readiness III.

Membership is open to any citizen 17 years of age or older, who qualifies and the amount of participation is a member's decision. Background checks are required. Training is free and novice boat owners can develop good seamanship skills as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. However, boat ownership is not a prerequisite for Auxiliary membership and crewmembers, vessel examiners, public education instructors and other skills are needed. Many expenses associated with Auxiliary membership can be tax deductible.

I invite you to browse our website and learn more about us. You are welcome to visit any part of our website whether it be titled Public, Members or Director of the Auxiliary (DIRAUX). To enter the site select a link for any of the three categories shown. If you need more information than is provided within our website, would like to join us in our efforts to support Homeland Security and promote boating safely or wish to take advantage of the many services we offer please feel free to use our Contact Us link.