Aerial view

Coast Guard Auxiliary Aviation (AUXAIR) serves many functions in the performance of its mission, including search and rescue (SAR), safety patrols and logistic flights. Since 9/11 the latest addition to AUXAIR’s mission statement has become Marine Domain Awareness (MDA) patrols.

In January 2001, Admiral James Loy, then Coast Guard Commandant, first coined the term Marine Domain Awareness in a speech at the Coast Guard Academy Leadership Development Center. It refers to the need to draw together data and information from all segments of Team Coast Guard to a central point for intelligence collection, analysis, and action.

The events of 9/11 made clear just how prophetic this observation was. Moreover, nowhere was this more evident than the Port of New York, given its size and activity and because it suffered the brunt of 9/11’s catastrophic events.

Coast Guard functions in this region come under the command of Activities New York, which includes three operating divisions with MDA responsibility, Marine Response (Surface Forces and Environmental Protection) Waterway Management and Prevention and Compliance.

According to Lt. Cdr. James Olive, Chief of the Surface Forces Branch at Activities New York, “the increased demands of port security after 9/11 left gaps in our SAR ability and surface patrols, both of which were backstopped by marine and aviation volunteers of the Auxiliary. The assistance supplied by the Auxiliary in those early days after 9/11 was invaluable to our effort.” Lt. Cmdr. Olive went on to say, “there is no question that we could not have done all we did without them.”

Observer Gatti and Pilot Kingsley

While the role of the Auxiliary’s marine effort is well known and respected, not everyone is as aware of the key role played by AUXAIR in the on-going responsibility for MDA.

In Auxiliary District 1-South (which includes New York), the responsibility for AUXAIR falls to Auxiliarist Frank Tangel, District Staff Officer for Aviation (DSO-AV) - Aviation Program Manager. Each month since 9/11 Frank schedules MDA patrols, safety patrols and as many SAR or logistic flights as required by the local Coast Guard units.

Auxiliary pilots and observers of District 1-SR volunteer not only their time, but also provide their aircraft to conduct these missions.

Recently, this reporter joined two such volunteers on an MDA Patrol. The pilot for that day, Robert Kingsley is the Assistant District 1-SR Aviation Staff Officer and Observer Lou Gatti is Flotilla Commander of Staten Island based Flotilla 14-3.

Early in the morning, we met at the Linden, NJ Airport, just a few miles south of Newark Airport. After clearing the flight with our controlling Coast Guard unit, Pilot Kingsley held a thorough briefing. There were no “special tasking” orders that day. Our patrol was to be general safety patrol over some New York’s waterways looking for anything unusual or suspicious.

Pre-flight brief

We were airborne shortly after the briefing and our flight path took us through the waterway separating Staten Island and New Jersey, and then up the Hudson River as far as Peekskill. Our return route took us down the Hudson, past the Statue of Liberty and back to Linden Airport.

Both pilot and observer flew this route many times and were able to point out situations and locations that might be unusual. According to Lt. Cmdr. Olive, “flights such as these, as well as our Auxiliary marine presence on these same routes are a great help. They augment the Coast Guard surface forces patrolling the many miles of New York’s strategic waterways.”

AUXAIR is an important part of the overall Coast Guard Auxiliary effort. Now, this latest role, supporting Marine Domain Awareness, adds another dimension to the ever-expanding use and value of Auxiliary aviation.

Last updated: May 01, 2004