Potential Homeland Security Taskings

[RiverAux]

Actually there is a growing program whereby CG Aux members work at CG health clinics as doctors, nurses, etc. 

[SARMedTech]

Actually there is a growing program whereby CG Aux members work at CG health clinics as doctors, nurses, etc. 

Yes, there is, but its not like a health care professional just wanders onto a CG Station and works in their clinic. There are higher security clearances required, etc. That being said, the USAF could take a page from the CG/AUX playbook.

[wingnut]

all members of the US Coast Guard Aux. must have a Homeland Security clearence, I think it is fairly close to a secret. Thus when it was implimented the USCGAUX lost between 30% and 40% of their members. Furthermore, Auxiliary members are 'Augmenting" regular coast guardsmen, USCGAUX members cannot and do not carry firearms and they are under the direct supervision of a regular Coast Guard member in most instances. read their regulations, although the USCGAUX has an aviation component it is teeny and a far far cry from the independent Autonomy of CAP.  By the way there is an MOU between the USCG and CAP for our aircraft to be used in Coast Guard SAR and other missions.

[SARMedTech]

all members of the US Coast Guard Aux. must have a Homeland Security clearence, I think it is fairly close to a secret. Thus when it was implimented the USCGAUX lost between 30% and 40% of their members. Furthermore, Auxiliary members are 'Augmenting" regular coast guardsmen, USCGAUX members cannot and do not carry firearms and they are under the direct supervision of a regular Coast Guard member in most instances. read their regulations, although the USCGAUX has an aviation component it is teeny and a far far cry from the independent Autonomy of CAP.  By the way there is an MOU between the USCG and CAP for our aircraft to be used in Coast Guard SAR and other missions.

The security check to join the CGAUX is basically just a routine criminal history check, complete with fingerprinting. If you are to work as a force augmenter on a station or facility, the you must apply for clearance with the 16-page long form. From there you receive a positive or negative determination, which is still not a clearance. Once you have the determination then you can be eligible to work on stations and facilities as needed and the clearance alloted to you is situational and based on the positive or negative determination, you may or may not receive the high level clearance. Regardless, no member going through the initial background check received secret clearance

[RiverAux]

SARMed is right except that even those CG Auxies who receive a favorable determination on the detailed background check would only receive an actual security clearance if someone in the CG requests it for the specific position they are working in.  For the vast majority of Auxies it goes no farther than getting the favorable determination, even those augmenting CG units.

And I think a 30-40% loss of members from the CG Aux is way too high an estimate for the effects of the security check.  But, it is hard to teas out since they, like CAP, were also on the downward trend due to people who signed up after 9/11 leaving.  I believe they were at about 36,000 before the check and by the end (after a multi-year implementation) the lowpoint was about 27,000.  There are major discussions over on military.com about this issue and I believe some actual figures are given there. 

And, CG Auxies augmenting CG units are not always under direct CG supervision.  I believe Aux radio watchstanders are often on their own and I know several folks who have qualified as Officer of the Day on CG cutters who end up being the only one on the cutter during their shift. 

[SARMedTech]

SARMed is right except that even those CG Auxies who receive a favorable determination on the detailed background check would only receive an actual security clearance if someone in the CG requests it for the specific position they are working in.  For the vast majority of Auxies it goes no farther than getting the favorable determination, even those augmenting CG units.

And I think a 30-40% loss of members from the CG Aux is way too high an estimate for the effects of the security check.  But, it is hard to teas out since they, like CAP, were also on the downward trend due to people who signed up after 9/11 leaving.  I believe they were at about 36,000 before the check and by the end (after a multi-year implementation) the lowpoint was about 27,000.  There are major discussions over on military.com about this issue and I believe some actual figures are given there. 

And, CG Auxies augmenting CG units are not always under direct CG supervision.  I believe Aux radio watchstanders are often on their own and I know several folks who have qualified as Officer of the Day on CG cutters who end up being the only one on the cutter during their shift. 

I think you have your numbers down cold and have a better handle on the facts than I do, since I have never been an Auxie. The only number that I differ with is that I think the CG says it currently has 39,000 total AD and Reserves and the same number of Auxies, though this may well not be true and I do know from my time in researching the CGAUX when I was thinking of joining that they have lost alot of  folks because of regulations changes, less autonomy on the part of flotilla commanders, etc. But yeah, your figures and facts are better than mine in this case.