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Why Join?

Are you looking for adventure while serving your country and your community?

Consider joining Flotilla 82 of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Wherever your interests lie, and whatever life skills you have, chances are that the Coast Guard Auxiliary can offer you an area to serve that will enrich your life in ways you may not have imagined —

Since 1939 the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has safeguarded our Nation’s maritime interests in the heartland, in the ports, at sea, and around the globe.

You could find yourself saving lives, protecting the environment from polluters, guarding our shores from terrorists and much more. That’s our job – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We don't just train. We train and perform.

The Coast Guard's motto is Semper Paratus, meaning "Always Ready."

We are America’s Maritime Guardian: — "Always Ready: -- for all hazards and all threats.

The nearly 32,000 men and women in today’s U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary carry out an array of responsibilities touching almost every facet of the U.S. maritime environment. We contribute to the safety and security of our citizens, ports, waterways and coastal regions. We carry out our missions of Recreational Boating Safety and Coast Guard Support with Maritime Homeland Security and other challenges that emerge as a result of our growing understanding of changes required in the post-9/11 era.

Add Your Skills to Ours

We welcome and recognize your past experience, skills and talent. We challenge you to have fun learning new skills in the company of a very special group of volunteers. The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers a number of opportunities, but the tasks can generally be divided into three service areas:

Recreational Boating Safety:

Qualified members deliver Public Safety Boating Education to Sarasota's boating community. They offer boating training and classes, provide voluntary vessel safety checks, visit and educate local marine related industries, and reach out to the boating public through boat shows and other public venues and events.

Operations and Marine Safety:

The Auxiliary offers rigorous, hands-on training to qualify as either boat-crew or coxswain.

Qualified Auxiliarists perform regular safety patrol missions on Sarasota's waterways and support such on-the-water boating activities as regattas, fireworks & fleet visits.

Search & Rescue:

Despite our best efforts, mariners sometimes find themselves in harm's way. When they do, the Coast Guard Auxiliary has a proud tradition of immediate response to save lives and property in peril.

The Auxiliary also works side-by-side with their active-duty USCG counterparts in many other mission areas, including environmental protection, Commercial Vessel Safety Inspections, Port Security and Planning, Licensing and Documentation, and other vital operational roles. Auxiliarists receive training virtually identical to that of their active duty and reserve counterparts.

Mission Support:

The Auxiliary needs people with leadership, administrative and technical skills (such as web site design, computer server administration, graphic design, photography, videography, communications, public relations/public affairs, instruction and instructional design, and personnel services) to support those Auxiliarists involved in the recreational boating safety and operations & marine safety missions.

Thank you for inquiring about membership in Flotilla 82 of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Because the job we do is highly sensitive and could involve national security issues, Coast Guard Auxiliary members must pass selected security checks & background checks by DHS and the FBI.

Take the first step in the process

Call our office at (941) 388-1033 please leave a message with your name , phone number and email address. Our Human Resources Officer will contact you to respond to any questions regarding membership. We look forward to speaking with you soon.