When key active-duty Coast Guard assets were damaged at critical junctures during and after hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast, Coast Guard Auxiliary members responded to the call for help with radio and boat assets, and the trained manpower to make the difference.

When the Coast Guard Air Training Center Mobile (AL) Operations Center lost their roof and communications capabilities from the high hurricane winds on Monday, August 29, a call was made to Auxiliarist Rene Stiegler, who is also owner of ShipCom LLC, a large marine communications service provider.

Stiegler prepared and provided ATC Mobile with a VHF radio, power supply and emergency antenna, establishing a communications link with ShipCom. Within the hour, Auxiliarist Stiegler and his engineer Mike Ramage had two ShipCom VHF receivers tuned to Coast Guard working frequencies and began communicating with Coast Guard aircraft traveling to ATC Mobile and from there to the areas affected by Katrina. Additionally, ShipCom tuned two transmitters to frequencies used by Communications Master Station Atlantic.

Hundreds of messages were relayed by Stiegler and Ramage. Coordinates of victims stranded on rooftops were relayed to rescue aircraft, and reports of their rescue were relayed back to the ATC Mobile command center. For three days, Stiegler and Ramage stood radio watch 24 hour per day, alternately taking short naps. Until late in the week, Stiegler said, the Auxiliarists, including John LaPointe, Palmore “Duke” Dupree and Jim Patterson and staff at ShipCom were the only communications available to the Coast Guard assets.

On Tuesday, August 30, the day after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island, located on a barrier island in southwest Alabama, was the only operational facility on the western part of the Gulf. Operating under generator power, they found themselves with no immediately available boats at the station to provide for Search and Rescue. Members of Flotilla 3-9 (Mobile, AL) were asked to bring a boat facility to the station to have available for SAR standby. Delmas Whatley and his daughter, Fairn Whatley, trailered Aux vessel 9580 (The Merry Sue), took it to STA Dauphin Island, and launched it for SAR standby. Merry Sue was on standby until the Station was able to launch its own boat.

On September 3, Coast Guard communications in the Biloxi, Mississippi area were still limited, with no ground facilities available from Houston to Mobile. Members of local flotillas were called upon to send a boat facility to the Biloxi area to provide communications relay for the Coast Guard active component. Flotilla 3-9 responded with Auxiliary facility ARGO. Daily patrols by Coast Guard twenty-five foot fast-boats were launched out of STA Dauphin Island, patrolling the Biloxi area, 2 hours away by water. Auxiliary Vessel ARGO, a facility within Flotilla 3-9, 8th Coastal Region, made its way onsite, (a 6 hour journey) to provide assistance to these patrols by means of facilities, meals, rest and water. The ARGO was also available to provide emergency fuel for the Coast Guard assets, if necessary.

The Bay of Biloxi was closed to all pleasure boating and the ARGO was also tasked by local law enforcement to be watchful for boaters that were not allowed in the area and to report them to law enforcement officials.

Members of Auxiliary Flotilla 3-9 that assisting in this mission were: Roland Patterson, Ed Hollowell, Ken MacRae, Larry Patrick, John Sumrall, and Fairn Whatley.

ARGO remained on station until September 6.

These are but a sampling of Coast Guard Auxiliary service during hurricane Katrina. Many, despite personal losses in the storm, continue to step forward.

Auxiliarist Lee Lechleidner of Pascagoula, Mississippi, despite losing his home in the storm and having his boat floated off his trailer by the flood waters, told his Division Captain, Bob Gibson, that he still had his boat and looked forward to putting it on the water to conduct patrols.

Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel and assets continue to assist in rescue and recovery efforts in the areas affected by this storm.

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