Date: Sept 24, 2005

Contact: Aux. Wayne Spivak
Chief - External Communications
Public Affairs Department
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
http://www.auxpa.org
516-353-9155
Media@auxpa.org

 

 

Auxiliarists return to the Texas Gulf as Hurricane Rita moves out

United States Coast Guard Auxiliarists of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Eighth Coastal Region, who relocated their families, their facilities (aircraft, boats and radios) and themselves are moving back to their homes.

Auxiliarists retuning to their homes, after evacuation are beginning to augment damage assessment and Aids to Navigation and other functions in support of the Coast Guards efforts in this, the second major natural disaster to hit our Nation, and the same Coast Guard District in less than a month.

Auxiliary aircraft will begin, as soon as the winds subside, and it is safe to fly, to do over flights of the Texas/Louisiana landscape documenting the destruction during the assessment phase of the national response.

Auxiliary boat crews will begin to assessment the damage to the marine environment, as well as to the Aids to Navigation, which are crucial to the operation of the ports and harbors, and the economic life of many of the towns and cities in the affected areas.

Auxiliary radio operators and stations will be standing by to aid in communication, depending on the damage to the Coast Guard marine VHF system, to act as temporary remote repeaters/Watchstanders if needed.

Other Auxiliary members will backfill administrative and logistical jobs, to allow their Active Duty counterparts to take part in other operational activities or aid in these same activities.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed, non-military volunteer's who assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement. These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing Maritime Domain Awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in 1941. Its 31,000 members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions.

 

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The release is available at: http://www.auxpa.org/releases/auxaction/092405.html