AUXILIARY RECIPROCITY WITH U.S. POWER SQUADRONS FOR VESSEL EXAMINER AND INSTRUCTOR COMPETENCIES -003/18

united states coast guard

 

TO:         ALAUX

From:     CHDIRAUX

SUBJ:     AUXILIARY RECIPROCITY WITH U.S. POWER SQUADRONS FOR VESSEL EXAMINER AND INSTRUCTOR COMPETENCIES -003/18

 

1.  The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadrons (USPS) have long shared the vital mission of educating and assisting members of our Nation's boating public to safely conduct their recreational activities on the water.  Both the Coast Guard Auxiliary and USPS have leveraged their long-standing histories and experience to develop outstanding training programs that are used to qualify members of their respective organizations in competencies that are essential to successfully performing this mission:  Vessel Examiner (VE) and Instructor (IT).  Pursuant to discussion and agreement between U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary National Commodore Richard Washburn and U.S. Power Squadrons Chief Commander Louie Ojeda, it is therefore appropriate, prudent, and fitting for both organizations to extend reciprocity to their members who have achieved these competencies. 

 

2.  USPS Members Who Join the Coast Guard Auxiliary: Effective immediately, any USPS member who has achieved certification in the USPS VE or IT competency and subsequently joins the Coast Guard Auxiliary:

 

                a.  Shall have the Auxiliary VE or IT competency assigned to them without need to perform or have signed off any training or tasks associated with those Auxiliary competencies.  Based upon their USPS certification, the cognizant Director of Auxiliary shall credit them with completion of all tasks required for certification.

 

                b.  Shall be authorized to perform any VE or IT mission in their capacity as an Auxiliarist (including the conduct of Auxiliary surface facility inspections using the appropriate facility inspection form). 

 

                c.  Shall be recognized as currently certified in the Auxiliary as long as they maintain their certification and currency in accordance with terms of the USPS VE or IT program and provide proof of such currency to their Auxiliary Flotilla Commander no later than 15 January  each year.  In order to enable AUXDATA to reflect their sustained currency under these circumstances, the Flotilla Commander shall then notify the cognizant Director of Auxiliary who shall make the appropriate manual adjustments to AUXDATA in order to recertify them.  The VE or IT shall also inform their Flotilla Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations (FSO-VE) or Public Education (FSO-PE) when they notify their Flotilla Commander.

 

3.  Coast Guard Auxiliarists Who Join the USPS:  Effective immediately, any Auxiliarist who has achieved certification in the Auxiliary VE or IT competency and subsequently joins the USPS:

 

                a.  Shall have the USPS VE or IT competency assigned to them without need to perform or have signed off any training or tasks associated with those USPS competencies. 

 

                b.  Shall be authorized to perform any VE or IT mission in their capacity as a USPS member.

 

                c.  Shall be recognized as currently certified in the USPS as long as they maintain their certification in accordance with terms of the Auxiliary VE or IT program and provide proof of such currency to their USPS Unit Commander as the USPS Unit Commander may require.

 

4.  Currency Maintenance:  Any individual who is certified in the VE or IT competencies in both organizations shall be recognized as currently certified by each organization as long as they maintain their currency in accordance with terms of either organization's VE or IT program.  Proof of currency maintained in one organization must be provided to the other organization no later than 15 January each year.  For example, an Auxiliary VE who maintains their currency by performing five Vessel Safety Checks (VSC) by the end of the calendar year must provide proof of their Auxiliary currency to their USPS Unit Commander by 15 January in order to continue being able to perform VSCs as a USPS VE.  In effect, as long as VE or IT currency is maintained in one organization, it shall be recognized as current in the other organization.  Currency maintenance requirements must be met in whole in at least one organization.

 

5.  Workshops and Targeted Training:  Workshops or any other sort of targeted training that are mandated by either organization during any given year must be completed in order to perform that organization's VE or IT activities.  For example, if the annual Auxiliary VE workshop is mandated for completion in 2018, then it must be completed by any VE in order to perform VE activities in an individual's capacity as an Auxiliarist.  It does not have to be completed in order to perform VE activities in an individual's capacity as a USPS member.  Similarly, if a common workshop or any other sort of common targeted training is mandated by both organizations during any given year, then such workshop or training must only be completed once from either organization in order to maintain currency. 

 

6.  VE and IT program effort may not be double-counted.  An individual who is a certified VE or IT in the Auxiliary and the USPS must claim their effort in only one organization.  For example, an individual who performs VSCs pursuant to assignment to duty in the Auxiliary (e.g., in an Auxiliary uniform) shall only claim such activity in their capacity as an Auxiliarist.  Likewise, an individual who teaches a boating safety class as a USPS instructor (e.g., in a USPS uniform) shall only claim such activity in their capacity as a USPS member. 

 

7.  This reciprocity only pertains to each organization's VE and IT competencies.  All other respective membership requirements for each organization must be met.  For example, a USPS VE who joins the Auxiliary must undergo the Auxiliary background check process, have completed an approved boating safety course, and have completed Auxiliary Mandated Training in order to conduct VSCs as an Auxiliarist.

 

8.  These provisions shall be appropriately incorporated in any Coast Guard Auxiliary VE or IT program material revisions, and shall be memorialized in the next changes to the relevant Coast Guard Auxiliary program's Commandant instructions and manuals. 

 

9.  The purpose of this list is to keep Auxiliarists as well as all other interested parties abreast of current developments, policies, manuals, etc. All information contained herein and linked is OFFICIAL policy and Information.


10. Internet Release and Distribution is Authorized