History of the Auxiliary

In 1939, Congress established "a United States Coast Guard Reserve" administered by the Commandant and composed of unpaid, volunteer U.S. citizens who owned motorboats or yachts. In 1941, Congress created a military reserve and renamed the original volunteer reserve as the "Coast Guard Auxiliary."
	"The purpose of the Auxiliary is to assist the Coast Guard:
	(1)	to promote safety and to effect rescues on and over the high seas and on navigable waters;
	(2)	to promote efficiency in the operation of motorboats and yachts;
	(3)	to foster a wider knowledge of, and better compliance with, the laws, rules, and regulations govering the operation of motorboats and yachts;
	(4)	to facilitate other operations of the Coast Guard."