[SEPT. 22, 2005]
As Hurricane Rita drives its way to the Texas Gulf
Coast, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary units in the region have been
busy repositioning surface and air assets, as well as preparing
their personnel to be ready to respond after the storm has passed.
The Texas gulf region is part of the same Coast Guard Auxiliary
district as the New Orleans region that was devastated by Hurricane
Katrina.
Ken Boncic, a division captain in the Houston area, was a key
component in the auxiliary's aviation response to Hurricane Katrina.
Since Aug. 28 he has been consumed with the hurricane and relief
work. Now, with Hurricane Rita in his own backyard, he is organizing
his fellow Texan auxiliarists to respond to Rita.
"Many of our trailerable boats are in the process of moving
inland for safekeeping, to be redeployed back to the coast to assist
the Coast Guard," Boncic said.
The auxiliary's aviation unit has also moved its airplanes to the
north to be ready to redeploy once the weather clears, so they can
do the early damage assessments for the Coast Guard's integrated
command.
Coast Guard Auxiliary communications personnel are also preparing
for deployment of radio communications facilities throughout the
Galveston Bay area, south of Houston, to facilitate communication
with aircraft and vessels in the area.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed,
nonmilitary volunteers who assist the Coast Guard in all of its
varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement.
These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the
air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing maritime domain
awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public
education.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an act of
Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the
auxiliary in 1941. Its 31,000 members donate millions of hours
annually in support of Coast Guard missions.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed,
nonmilitary volunteers who assist the Coast Guard in all of its
varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement.
These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the
air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing maritime domain
awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public
education.