The Coast Guard Reserve was founded by a 1939 act of Congress. It became an integral part of the United States Coast Guard and its rich and varied heritage of: the Revenue Service, the Life Saving Service and the Lighthouse Service. In 1941, the military Coast Guard Reserve was created by Congress and the civilian, volunteer group was renamed the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Joining the Auxiliary is an opportunity for people to serve their country. Auxiliarists have saved many lives and prevented countless accidents. With more than 32,000 members, the Auxiliary is almost as large as its parent organization - the Coast Guard. The  Auxiliary is part of Team Coast Guard, offering the best training available, along with many other benefits. Auxiliarists are congressionally authorized, unpaid volunteers who assist with many Coast Guard missions. Some of these missions, such as Search and rescue involve an element of danger.

In 1996, Congress passed the first major revision to the original statute which authorized the Auxiliary. The revisions were made when it became apparent that existing statutes were antiquated and changes were required to permit the Auxiliary to meet the needs of the service. These changes expanded the Auxiliary's missions. The Coast Guard now uses Auxiliary Resources in any mission with the exception of combat and direct law enforcement activities. The law also clarified the status of Auxiliarists and ensured that while on duty (under orders) they are considered federal employees. As a result, whenever an Auxiliarist is performing an authorized mission under orders, he/she is protected as any other federal employee from civil liability as well as for medical, disability and death benefit compensation.

Today, Auxiliary men and women are full-fledged partners of Team Coast Guard. These volunteers can be found at nearly every unit in the service doing much of the same work as active-duty members. The seamless integration into Coast Guard activities still allows the Auxiliary to lead in areas where it is most knowledgeable, such as boater education. With  the Coast Guard's small size, opportunities for the Auxiliary have grown. It is estimated that the Auxiliary provides millions of dollars in service to America.  Auxiliarists are in operations centers, administrative offices, on the water and in the air. They do all this for many reasons: for altruism, for the excitement, for the fun and for the camaraderie offered by an organization such as the Coast Guard.

Perhaps most impressive - Auxiliarists do these jobs willingly, enthusiastically and for FREE!

For more information about the history and background of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary please visit
U.S Coast Guard Auxiliary, National Historian's Office