Volunteers with the 14th Coast Guard District Auxiliary of Hawaii, along with the 30,000 auxiliarists across the nation, celebrate their 70th anniversary today.

The Auxiliary is an all-volunteer organization formed by Congress in 1939 that dedicates countless hours to aid Coast Guard units through nationwide programs such as America's Waterway Watch, public education campaigns for National Safe Boating Week, waterway security zone patrols, and free vessel safety checks.
The 400 members of the 14th Coast Guard District Auxiliary, formed in 1974, dedicate an average of 3,500 hours per month to the many missions of the U.S. Coast Guard, which include maritime mobility, maritime security, maritime safety, national defense, and protection of natural resources.
“I didn’t expect to be this involved,” said Rod Oishi, an 11-year Kaneohe flotilla commander and 2008 District Fourteen Auxiliarist of the Year said in the Coast Guard's Web site. “I’m in the Auxiliary to serve my community and country; it’s a great organization.”
Twelve flotillas assist in the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, Saipan and Japan and employ 38 surface and 10 air assets.
“Members volunteer to use their private vessels and aircraft to aid in Coast Guard missions,” said Luke Bailey, deputy director of the Auxiliary here. “They create a force multiplier and are an intricate part of the Coast Guard’s response capabilities.”