February 19 is formally recognized as the birth of the Coast Guard Reserve while June 23 is recognized as birthday of the Coast Guard Auxiliary

History Of The Coast Guard Auxiliary

On June 23, 1939, Congress authorized the creation of a Reserve component for the Coast Guard. At the time, the Coast Guard Reserve was made up of civilian volunteers, but later Congress acted to make the Reserve a bona fide branch of the Armed Forces just like the Air Force Reserve, Army Reserve, etc.

That act, known as the Auxiliary And Reserve Act of 1941, established the Coast Guard Auxiliary alongside the Reserve.

The newly created Coast Guard Auxiliary would basically be tasked to perform in the same way the original Coast Guard Reserve had, utilizing a non-military and all-volunteer force to serve in America’s waterways, the high seas, and other “navigable waters”.

Those who served in the earlier Reserve and later with the Auxiliary often owned their own vessels, but today’s service requirements for Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers does not necessarily include boat ownership.