Coast Guard Auxiliary remain busy
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is still carrying out its mission, even after observing its 75th anniversary last month.
Its 30,000 members continue to provide support to Coast Guard units and promote boating safety, including on Butler County waters.
“We patrol any body of water, Lake Arthur, Crooked Creek,” said Mark Draskovich of Gibsonia, 56, the current commander of Butler County Flotilla 7-3 of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Draskovich, director of pupil personnel and middle school principal in the East Allegheny School District, said the unit has 18 members on its roster and two active-duty vessels.
“We do safety patrols for the Butler Regatta, work fireworks safety zones, make sure speedboats aren't jumping right into the regatta,” he said.
“We don't do a lot of rescues, but we've towed disabled boats that could have been in worse trouble. We're preventing accidents rather than responding to accidents,” Draskovich said.
“We do vessel exams, making sure people take anchors. We teach boater safety courses at Lake Arthur,” he said. “We work closely with the (state) Dept. of Conservation, the park staff, the state Fish and Boat Commission.
“We are not law enforcement but if somebody is about to plow into a racing regatta, we will sound the siren,” said Draskovich, who has been with Flotilla 7-3 for nearly 20 years.
“We can also serve on Coast Guard facilities, too, and on active duty boats,” he said. “I teach leadership and management, it's not just operations. We aid the Coast Guard in any function they seek.
“We're more like volunteer firemen than paid firemen is how I look at it,” Draskovich said.
“There's a lot of ex-Navy, ex-Coast Guard and ex-Marines in the flotilla,” said Ray Nagy of Apollo, a six-year member of the group and a former member of the Coast Guard from 1956 to 1960.“We do a lot of boat inspections. And we spend a lot of time on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers,” said Nagy. “It's strictly safety checks. We don't have any arrest power or the power to write tickets.”The flotilla uses two of its members' boats in its operations.Draskovich said the boats are equipped with flags, a banner and amber and red safety lights.“Each is over 14 feet (long), and while we are under orders, the boat is actually considered a government facility,” he said.He added the Coast Guard will supply some of the equipment used on the boats, and members receive a per diem when they are under orders.Flotilla 7-3 meets the first Wednesday of the month at the Butler County Airport.“We are very excited to get new members if someone wants to join,” he said. “It's a good way to serve your country and do it with the time you have available.”Membership is open to citizens 17 and older who meet the requirements.“You cannot have committed a felony. To do operations, we have to do a background check to make sure you're not a member of the Taliban,” said Draskovich.He said prospective members have to take a new member course and exam.“As far as the physical part, you have to be able to do the job you are assigned to. You don't have to run 15 miles,” he said.Nagy said, since the Coast Guard was placed under Homeland Security after 9/11, the courses have gotten a lot more comprehensive.“For a crewman, you have to have a mentor, log so many hours on the water in day and night cruises, know navigation and read a chart,” he said.“With the government cutbacks, we are being asked to do more and more,” he said, estimating he spends an average of about 20 hours a month performing auxiliary duties.“You have to love people, love boating and love being on the water,” Nagy said.Those interested in auxiliary membership should e-mail mark.draskovich@cgauxnet.us.
