The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was established on June 23, 1939 by an act of Congress as the United States Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary on February 19, 1941. It is a volunteer uniformed component of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and works with the rest of the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions with the exception that Auxiliary Members (Auxiliarists) may support the military and law enforcement mission of the Coast Guard but do not directly participate in it. As of 2012 there are nearly 32,000 active Auxiliarists nationwide. The Chetco River Motor Lifeboat Station was established in 1962 with an area of responsibility(AOR) from Point Blanco south to the California border. Auxiliary Flotilla 56 was established in 1972 and currently has 32 members. The auxiliary supports the coast guard with direct assistance but also teaches boating safety courses, conducts vessel safety examinations, gets underway with marine safety patrols, distributes marine safety literature, and conducts burials at sea. For those interested in being part of this proud tradition contact us for further information. semper paratus

Flotilla 56 meets at 0900 on the second Wednesday of the month. Visitors are Welcome

Last Updated: 03/14/2013