The Academy Introduction Mission (AIM)
The USCGC EAGLE Soars
New SOP Issued
Coast Guard Tech Talk: Systems Engineering and Technology Management
Coast Guard Tech Talk: Overview of the United States Weather Balloon Program
Coast Guard Tech Talk: Understanding Electronic Nautical Charts and Their Uses
Coast Guard Tech Talk – 08/27: Lessons Learned from Boating Accidents
Coast Guard Tech Talk – 7/23: US Coast Guard Helicopters
Coast Guard Tech Talk – 6/25: Satellites and Weather
Coast Guard Tech Talk – 5/28: AUXPAD—Paddle Safe: Evidence Based Padding Safety from the American Canoe Association, Part 2
Welcome!
Sea Scouting is the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s official youth program and is a Scouting America’s program for young men and women, ages 14 (or 13 years of age and completed eighth grade) through 20. Sea Scouts provide a program for religious, fraternal, educational, and other community organizations to use for effective character, citizenship, and mental and personal fitness training for youth. As part of this training, Sea Scouts are expected to develop personal religious values, learn the principles of American heritage and government, and acquire skills that will prepare them to become successful adults.
The advancement scheme for Sea Scouts places an initial emphasis on nautical skills before encouraging the youth to take a major role in planning activities in the unit. Young men and women ages fourteen through twenty who are willing to abide by the requirements of BSA membership, including agreeing to live by the ideals expressed in the Scout Oath and Law and Sea Promise are eligible to join a Sea Scout Ship. Ships are administered by volunteers with the assistance and support of some paid professional staff.
Any Sea Scout who is at least 17 years old or Sea Scout leader may also choose to become full members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary by following the normal application process.
We also participate in a program to recognize all BSA Eagle Scouts, Venturing Summit Award recipients and Sea Scout Quartermasters as well as Girl Scout Gold Award holders. See their respective pages for more information.
The national Auxiliary-Sea Scout Youth Development (AUXSCOUT) Program Standard Operating Procedures (revised 15 JAN 26) outlines how Auxiliarists are to work with Sea Scout youth and adult members, whether or not they are also Coast Guard Auxiliarists. National program oversight is provided by the Auxiliary’s Youth Programs Division. All Auxiliary Districts have District Staff Officers – AuxScout (DSO-AS), most divisions have Staff Officers – AuxScout (SO-AS), and flotillas that have direct, sustained, and constructive engagement with a counterpart Sea Scout Ship have Flotilla Staff Officers for the AuxScout Program (FSO-AS). Organization support details and job descriptions for AuxScout are available on our Resource page.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available HERE. Any questions not answered on this website or the SOP may be directed as follows:
* Questions from District Commodores and District Chiefs of Staff should be directed to Ron Blaisdell, Youth Programs Division Chief, DVC-SY
* Questions from all others in Northeast District – Northern Region, Northeast District-Southern Region, Eastern District – Northern Division, Eastern District – Southern Division, and Southeast District (D1N, D1S, D5N, D5S, D7) should be directed to Holly Johnson, BC-SYA. Be sure to copy your DSO-AS and DCOS on your email.
* Questions from all others in Heartland District – Coastal Region, Heartland District – Eastern Region, Heartland District – Western Rivers Region, Great Lakes District – Central Region, Great Lakes District – Eastern Region, and Great Lakes District – Western Region (D8C, D8E, D8W, D9C, D9E, D9WR) should be directed to Paul Fernandez, BC-SYW. Be sure to copy your DSO-AS and DCOS on your email.
* Questions from all others in the Southwest District – Southern Region, Southwest District – Northern Division, Northwest District, Oceana District, and Artic District (D11N, D11S, D13, D14, D17) should be directed to Bruce Williams, BC-SYP. Be sure to copy your DSO-AS and DCOS on your email.
* Questions about starting a Sea Scout Ship should be directed to Rob Landquist. BA-SYSA.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Youth Programs
YouTube Channel
Coast Guard Engineering Systems School
A comprehensive school for the education on MTU diesel engines found on newer generation Coast Guard Cutters
Machinery Technician First Class Austin M. Vinson
Electricians Mate First Class Zaid N. Seder
2026 08 16 Youth Programs All-Hands Meeting
Coast Guard STEM Opportunities: Coast Guard YARD Supporting the Maritime Industrial Base
Our speaker is James Calvert who serves as the Yard’s Engineering Division Chief within the Industrial Department. He supervises a staff of 35 across three branches with a portfolio of $7M/year. The Engineering Division specializes in detail design to support major maintenance availability, and also completes concept, preliminary, and other detail design efforts.
Brought to you by the National Sea Scout Committee and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary Youth Programs Division
Basic Fire Science and Prevention
In this month’s episode of Coast Guard Tech Talks we will learn about the chemical reaction of combustion that we know as fire. We will explore the basics of what causes fire, the behavior of fire, how to effectively put it out, and most importantly: Prevention.
Our speaker is PJ O'Neill. PJ joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary in 2012 and has held various elected and appointed positions at the flotilla, division, district, and national levels. He has helped organize and participated in Safety at Sea events at Curtis Bay (Baltimore). Specific areas of service include Marine Safety and augmenting Coast Guard crews on several cutters.
PJ is a grades 6-12 history and Civics teacher and is a firefighter for Exeter Volunteer Fire Department in Rhode Island. Additionally, he is a fire commissioner and on the fire district board of directors for the Town of Exeter.
Coast Guard Tech Talks are brought to you by the National Sea Scout Committee and the Coast Guard Auxiliary
New PFD classification system changes
The US Coast Guard has adopted new regulations and standards regard PFDs. Our speaker explains the difference between the old classifications of PFDs for example Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, etc. to the new classifications from 50 to 150 Newtons and why the change.
Our Speaker is Hiram Escabi, Jr., Branch Chief, Youth Programs STEM Training Branch, US Coast Guard Auxiliary
2026 05 17 AuxScout All-hands Training
Weather History to Future: Climate Regimes & Forecasting Milestones from the Hadean to the AI Age
This presentation by Aaron Poyer discusses the history of Earth's climate, the evolution of weather forecasting, and the diverse career paths within atmospheric sciences.
1. Earth's Climate Evolution
Aaron traced the Earth's climate from the Hadean (Precambrian) period to the present, highlighting how the planet transitioned from a molten state to various "Snowball Earth" glaciations.
• The CO2 Thermostat: Carbon dioxide levels have historically regulated global temperatures; high concentrations align with warm periods, while low levels trigger glaciation.
• Influencing Factors: Tectonic plate movements, the emergence of life, and greenhouse gases have driven major shifts and mass extinction events.
• Modern Era: Since 1970, global warming has accelerated, with CO_{2} reaching 420 ppm and the Arctic warming 3–4 times faster than the global average.
2. The Three Revolutions of Weather Forecasting
The presentation outlined three distinct eras that transformed our ability to predict the weather:
• Instrumentation (17th–19th Century): The birth of scientific measurement.
• Numerical Prediction (Early 20th Century): The shift from simple "persistence-based" forecasting to mathematical theory and numerical models.
• The Modern Age: The integration of satellite data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). • Accuracy gains: Reliability has increased from one-day outlooks to roughly 7–10 days. • Public Safety: Tornado warning lead times have improved to 13–15 minutes.
3. Operational Science and Technology
Aaron detailed the logistical side of how modern weather data is gathered and utilized:
• Data Collection: Information is harvested via NOAA hurricane hunters, sail drones, underwater gliders, and ocean models that track thermoclines.
• Collaboration: Forecasting is a global effort involving the National Weather Service (NWS), emergency managers, private companies (aviation/energy), and international partners like the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting.
• Specific Phenomena: The presentation touched on atmospheric rivers (moisture plumes causing California mudslides) and El Niño/La Niña (Pacific temperature shifts affecting global patterns).
4. Career Paths and Education
The document identifies six major career sectors: research/government, operational forecasting, technology/engineering, applied industry, education, and policy/emergency management.
• Skills Required: Success in this field requires strong STEM foundations, specifically in physics, math, computer science, and data science.
• Certifications: Professional standing is often reinforced by degrees in meteorology and certifications from the American Meteorological Society.
Our Speaker:
Aaron Poyer is a Physical Scientist and Program Manager in NOAA's National Weather Service, Modeling Programs Division. Aaron currently directs the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program (HFIP) and leads NOAA's response to the Consumer Options for Alternative Systems To Allocate Losses (COASTAL) Act, both of which are cross NOAA line offices. Previously Aaron has served as Acting Deputy Director at the NOAA's Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Hurricane Research Division (HRD) at the Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorology Lab (AOML). Prior to his most recent roles, Aaron spent 13 years as Test Director for the NWS Automated Service Observing System and Upper Air national networks, and he contributed to validating NWS operational readiness for GOES-R satellite data products in forecasting use.
Aaron is currently a PhD Candidate in Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, holds an M.S. in Environmental Biology from Hood College, a B.S. in Meteorology from SUNY Oswego, and an A.S. from Tompkins Cortland Community College. Additionally, Aaron has obtained a Master's Certificate in Program and Project Management from GWU and completed Federal Acquisition Institute FAC-P/PM Senior Level training. Outside of work Aaron is a USA Hockey Level 5 and Goalie Gold certified coach, and he can often be found tinkering with his collection of old Volvos or even older house.
Youth Programs & DSO-AS Training 20260419
Quarterly training for members of the National Youth Programs division and the District AuxScout Staff Officers—April 2026
Coast Guard Tech Talk: U. S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer School
This episode of *Tech Talk* presents an overview of the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer School and features guest speakers AST2 Keegan O'Leary and AST1 Gabriel Humphrey, who share their experiences and provide detailed insight into the demanding training pipeline. The speakers explain the multi‑phase process, beginning with initial interest and progressing through boot camp, the MAP (Mentorship and Preparation) program, the prep course, and finally ASTA school, which includes EMT training, the rescue swimmer phase, and aviation survival technician training. They discuss the high attrition rates (50–80%) and the rigorous physical fitness requirements, including specific PFA tests and the more demanding standards of the prep course. The presenters also share memorable rescue stories and offer advice to aspiring rescue swimmers, emphasizing the importance of gradually building physical fitness and developing strong water confidence.