Coast Guard Auxiliary At Your Service

Denis Monette of Massapequa sat at the table at  on Wednesday evening with fellow members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He fit right in with the group, gathered for the annual Change of Watch, a ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of members and welcome incoming officers for 2011.

"I enjoy helping people, especially when it involves boats," he said. Monette is a recent transfer to Flotilla 1-2, Division I. The unit, which works with the Coast Guard station on Fire Island, counts many Massapequa residents among its ranks.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the civilian component of the Coast Guard and is made of up of local volunteers who provide a variety of services to the community including education classes, patrols and communications.

Special guest CWO Zachary Cummings, Commander of Coast Guard Station Fire Island attended the event and thanked the Auxiliary members for their continued support of the "gold side" throughout the year. He was referring to the fact that regular Coast Guard members wear  gold buttons on their uniforms, while auxiliary members have  silver buttons. "We couldn't do it without your help," Cummings said. 

Auxiliary members come from a variety of backgrounds and include local business owners, educators, sales managers, engineers, computer consultants and some surprising occupations. One of the newest members of the Flotilla, Ed Volpat of Bellmore, attended with his wife Lisa. "I need to keep busy," said Volpat, a retired attorney whose wife works for the NYPD. Volpat said he's looking forward to completing the requirements necessary to become qualified in communications.

"Providing Boating Safety Education and training to the public, keeping our local waters safe and supporting the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard are paramount," said U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Commander John Gustaffsen. "All are welcome to join. It is an excellent organization and a great way to give back to the community."

Towards the end of the evening Monette was asked about his boating experience. "I have two boats and am a qualified coxswain," he said. "I spent nine days working for the Coast Guard during 9/11." He also mentioned that he had just returned from a trip to Israel where he was teaching. "I'm a specialist in Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism," he added quietly.

To find out more about the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary go to www.cgaux.org or contact incoming Flotilla Commander Tom Dodge at tjd.uscgaux@yahoo.com.