Welcome to the Flotilla 8-1, District 8WR Web Site

The Illinois Valley Flotilla (East Peoria) of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed, all-volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. Marine Safety Programs, boating safety, and leadership training are an important who we are and what we do in our effort to support the Coast Guard in our assigned roles.

The Auxiliary was created by an Act of Congress in 1939, and has grown to over 32,000 members who daily support the Coast Guard in all its non-military, and non-law-enforcement missions.

Illinois Valley Flotilla members conduct safety patrols on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, assist in Search and Rescue, teach boating safety classes, conduct free vessel safety checks for the public, provide boating safety literature to dealers, as well as many other activities related to recreational boating safety.

Membership in the Illinois Valley Flotilla and the Auxiliary is open to persons 17 years of age and older. We concentrate on boating, boating safety, and boat crew training.  Our members just love boat crew training!  The Auxiliary is organized into 16 districts nationwide, comprised of 171 divisions with approximately 980 flotillas.

No matter where you live, there is a flotilla near you. To contact a member of the Illinois Valley Flotilla click on the "Contact Flotilla 1" link to the left.  Find the unit nearest your Zip Code by clicking on "Units" at the top of this page. And for dozens of reasons why you should join, visit "Recruiting". You will not be sorry!