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March 21, 2025
Coast Guard Auxiliary serves community
By Charles R Manley IV
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
There’s a Coast Guard Auxiliary in the Texas Hill Country? Yes, yes there is; 33 members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary meet in the town of Castroville every third Saturday to discuss training and events to help protect the waterways of the community and to assist the Coast Guard with both administrative and operational duties. Here is a little bit about who the United Coast Guard Auxiliary is, who are these 33 that get together to serve our community, what they stand for, and how you can join.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was established by Congress in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in promoting boating safety. It boasts nearly 21,000 members from all walks of life who receive special training so that they may be a functional part of Team Coast Guard. Auxiliarists assist the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement programs such as public education, vessel safety checks, safety patrols, search and rescue, marine & environment protection and Coast Guard Academy introduction programs for youth. Auxiliarists volunteer more than two million hours annually to benefit other boaters and their families.
The 33 who are in the San Antonio area and the Texas Hill Country make up several different types of officers from Information Security to Marine Safety to Public Education. Every month, a team of instructors gets together to teach boating safety courses to the local community. They have ramp days at the different lakes to do vessel safety checks ensuring that a person’s boat is safe to take on the open water. They help cleanup the lakes, including Canyon Lake in New Braunfels, and team up with the beach community in Corpus Christi and South Padre Island to keep the beaches clear and safe to enjoy. There are also operational duties in boat crew, such as search and rescue and emergency management.
One thing about this small and mighty crew, is that they are always searching for people to help. Who can join the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary? Anyone above the age of 17 who has no felony convictions. Anyone in the Hill Country community with a desire to join is encouraged to email the Flotilla Commander for the San Antonio unit at [email protected].
We are excited to serve our community and Semper Paratus!
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was established by Congress in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in promoting boating safety. It boasts nearly 21,000 members from all walks of life who receive special training so that they may be a functional part of Team Coast Guard. Auxiliarists assist the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement programs such as public education, vessel safety checks, safety patrols, search and rescue, marine & environment protection and Coast Guard Academy introduction programs for youth. Auxiliarists volunteer more than two million hours annually to benefit other boaters and their families.
The 33 who are in the San Antonio area and the Texas Hill Country make up several different types of officers from Information Security to Marine Safety to Public Education. Every month, a team of instructors gets together to teach boating safety courses to the local community. They have ramp days at the different lakes to do vessel safety checks ensuring that a person’s boat is safe to take on the open water. They help cleanup the lakes, including Canyon Lake in New Braunfels, and team up with the beach community in Corpus Christi and South Padre Island to keep the beaches clear and safe to enjoy. There are also operational duties in boat crew, such as search and rescue and emergency management.
One thing about this small and mighty crew, is that they are always searching for people to help. Who can join the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary? Anyone above the age of 17 who has no felony convictions. Anyone in the Hill Country community with a desire to join is encouraged to email the Flotilla Commander for the San Antonio unit at [email protected].
We are excited to serve our community and Semper Paratus!