U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Public Affairs

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 11 August 2008

Contact: Anthony Turner
Chief, External Communications Division
310-908-6950
anthony.j.turner@uscg.mil
http://www.new.auxpa.org/

Being Always Ready - Semper Paratus!

“Semper Paratus” is the motto of the U.S. Coast Guard. It means “Always Ready.” It is part of the everyday vocabulary of members of the Coast Guard - Active, Reserve, Auxiliary, Civilian and even Cadets at the Coast Guard Academy. The motto serves as a reminder of the Coast Guards's proud tradition of always being ready to respond to protecting, defending and saving the American public.

Semper Paratus is not just a catchy phrase spoken by Coasties. Instead it is an integral part of the Coast Guard’s guardian ethos culture. Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the Coast Guard stated in his “Coast Guard Day” message on August 4, 2008 that “The bravery and devotion to duty exemplified by our Active, Reserve, Civilian and Auxiliary personnel inspire the American public. You are their guardian”

Always being ready to respond as guardians with ability, confidence and competency requires constant training. This is true even for Auxiliary members of the Coast Guard, or “Auxiliarists”, who are all volunteers. On any given day Auxiliarists, just like their Active and Reserve counterparts can be found on our nation’s waterways, rivers and lakes conducting training exercises so that when they are called, they will be ready to respond.

Auxiliarists who serve as boat crew members undergo a comprehensive classroom and on the water training program before becoming boat crew qualified and it doesn’t end there. In order to maintain their crew member status they undergo periodic competency checks.

There is even a sort of “Top Gun” of search and rescue or “SAR” competition where Auxiliary SAR teams from the various Coast Guard districts compete. This year  the National Search and Rescue Competition (NSAR) will be held in Cape May, New Jersey on October 3-4, 2008.

Pictured above - August 9, 2008 - U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel "Hammerhead"  (bottom right) departs the small boat basin at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach to search for a person in the water, an "Oscar" (life-like simulated person) that has been placed at an undisclosed location just outside the Los Angeles Harbor. As part of the training exercise the crew of Hammerhead will search for the person in the water using a precisely calculated search pattern. (Photo by Anthony Turner, USCGAUX)

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the United States Coast Guard. Created by an Act of Congress in 1939, the Auxiliary directly supports the Coast Guard in all missions, except military and direct law enforcement actions.

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