Talk:United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

message: It is my opinion that the words "non-military" are important in the description of the Coast Guard Auxiliary because it is a non-military organization whose mission is to assist the Coast Guard in it's non-military missions. If the words "non-military" are left out of the description then the reader of the article might be left with the impression that somehow the Auxiliary is conducting military missions like the Coast Guard does. The Auxiliary is currently prohibited from armed defense or law enforcement missions by law. There could be some confusion about this in the readers mind because of the Auxiliary's history during World War II when Auxiliarists were sometimes armed and conducted military operations. In the current environment Auxiliarists assist in many of the day-to-day operations of the Coast Guard but they may not directly participate in law enforcement or military actions. This distinction is important. While Auxiliarists serve in a uniform it is not required that other military members practice military courtesies upon meeting an Auxiliarist though many do so. "Auxiliarists wear military rank-style insignia that signify their leadership position but do not hold substantive military ranks and are not typically addressed by their position title." Therefore, by logic, Auxiliarists are non-military because they do not have a rank structure. "The rank-style insignia sported by Auxiliarists doesn't denote authority in a military sense but rather identifies an individual's position within the Auxiliary." This statement illustrates again that the Auxiliarist does not have the same authority as a Coast Guard officer. Just because the Coast Guard Auxiliary is non-military does not take away from the fact that the Auxiliary helps the Coast Guard as a whole in savings of manpower and money each and every day. The Auxiliarist serves alongside Coast Guardsmen in all missions except direct law enforcement and military missions. There is nothing wrong with being described as the "uniformed, non-military volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard" and every Auxiliarist should be proud of that fact. Cuprum17 (talk) 13:45, 3 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Referring to the Coast Guard Auxiliary as "non-military" serves to emphasize their non-involvement in the military aspects of the Coast Guard, even though their name, "Coast Guard Auxiliary," inherently conveys their supportive and non-military nature. To avoid overusing "non-military," a more straightforward approach would be to describe their specific functions. While recognizing their historical involvement is essential, it shouldn't solely determine their present-day description; rather, their contemporary role is shaped by current legal constraints. It's worth noting that the repetition of "non-military" may suggest a negative perspective on the organization, potentially implying its lesser importance compared to the active-duty and reservist components of the Coast Guard.COASTIE I am (talk) 21:51, 3 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: The use of the term "non-military" is accurate and is used exactly once in the article United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. This is not an overuse of the term "non-military". The fact is that legally the Auxiliary is a non-military uniformed volunteer organization that supports the missions of the Coast Guard under the present laws that exist. The "non-military" nature of the Auxiliary mission could change if Congress so desires and the President signs legislation to that effect but that does change present day realities. In the lede of the article the mention of the term "non-military" is meant to help accurately reflect the definition of the Auxiliary and does in no way demean the Auxiliarist or the Auxiliary. To leave out the term "non-military" would be misleading to the article reader and it should therefore remain in the lede. Cuprum17 (talk) 12:37, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: In response to derogatory comments about the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the misconception that it is not a serious organization, it is crucial to emphasize the organization's significance and its unwavering commitment to serving the nation. The use of the term "non-military" in the article might not be the most effective way to characterize the Auxiliary, as it risks overshadowing its valuable contributions. Instead, the focus should be on highlighting the Auxiliary's mission, functions, and its pivotal support to the Coast Guard, which includes activities like Maritime Domain Awareness Air Patrols, Academy Introduction Mission (AIM), and various other critical roles. It's worth noting that in 1996, Congressional Legislation significantly expanded the Auxiliary's role, although it did not grant deputized law enforcement powers or involve it in military combat tasks. Reducing the Auxiliary's significance to the level of the Civil Air Patrol, primarily focused on youth, would undermine its vital contributions, especially in promoting recreational boating safety and its diverse involvement in activities such as search and rescue, marine safety and security, environmental protection and response, as well as some law enforcement and national defense-related tasks. Auxiliarists contribute by providing vessels and aircraft, directly supporting active-duty operations, managing radio stations, assisting with boat maintenance, handling administrative tasks, providing interpretation services, boosting morale, and fulfilling supportive roles at various Coast Guard units, particularly at small boat stations.COASTIE I am (talk) 13:33, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: No where in my comments have I been derogatory about the Auxiliary or said that the Auxiliary is not a serious organization. Additionally, better read up a little on the mission of the Civil Air Patrol. I only mention this because you keep bringing up the Patrol in your comments. CAP is a Congressionally chartered organization that exists as the Air Force's Auxiliary and while it does have youth programs, it also is the Air Force's main go to for search and rescue involving downed aircraft in the United States. The CAP also provides emergency services to government and non-government agencies. See Civil Air Patrol Emergency services. If the Coast Guard Auxiliary were also focused on youth programs they might actually be very similar to the Civil Air Patrol. Both are Congressionally chartered and both are civilian volunteer non-military auxiliaries of armed forces branches. They sound pretty much alike to me. No one is reducing the Coast Guard Auxiliary to the Civil Air Patrol's level...they are on the same level. Both serve their parent organizations and the general public in the same missions. Your lack of objectivity is noted. Cuprum17 (talk) 20:36, 5 November 2023 (UTC)

text: Do you have any prior published reliable sources about the "non-military" status? The Banner talk 12:55, 4 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: See United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. In the history section it tells of the conversion of the Auxiliary from military duties to that of non-military duties with the creation of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Cuprum17 (talk) 19:55, 5 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: With all due respect, that is not an independent source. And unfortunately, I can not see that website as I am outside the USA. But in general, it is about providing sources for what someone is writing. That is your duty, Cuprum17, but also the duty of Coastie. The Banner talk 00:34, 6 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: How is this for an independent source? Title 14, United States Code, section 821. Cuprum17 (talk) 01:17, 6 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Hmmm, it will do. The Banner talk 12:13, 6 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Of course it will do because it is the law and a reliable source. Cuprum17 (talk) 13:35, 6 November 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  "... uniformed, non-military volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard." 

message: The following list of redlinks was added to this tp header as requests/tasks for potential articles.
*Notable United States Coast Guard Auxiliarists
*Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
*United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Interpreter Corps
*Director of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
*United States Coast Guard Auxiliary National Commodore
*Missions of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
*United States Coast Guard Auxiliary National Executive Committee
*Coast Guard Auxiliary Association
I'm not sure how constructive this is, are these all potential articles on their own, or more likely to individual subsections or even just paragraphs within this article? 
Meanwhile, this was a large block of redlinks that that you don't typically see in a tp header. - wolf 06:52, 10 November 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: @Thewolfchild. Although during my service with the Coast Guard I worked with a few Auxiliarists, I really don't know a whole lot about the inner workings of the Auxiliary. In my opinion, Notable United States Coast Guard Auxiliarists could be a list article with some details about each notable Auxiliarist. Awards and decorations of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary would be a good resource for the reader. Missions of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary would be a good stand alone article but the proposed article United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Interpreter Corps should probably fall under the missions article. Coast Guard Auxiliary Association might stand as an article. The articles Director of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary National Commodore, and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary National Executive Committee, in my opinion, belong in one article about the leadership of the Auxiliary. I'm not sure what the best title of that article could be. Since I know only a little of the Auxiliary and I seldom write articles anymore I would leave that to editors that have an interest and some knowledge of the Auxiliary. My main interest in editing on Wikipedia is limited by my other non-wiki work/hobby life and the WikiGnome in me. I applaud your efforts to improve the understanding of how the United States Armed Forces fit into the everyday life of all Americans and your interest in improving those Wikipedia articles. Cuprum17 (talk) 13:02, 10 November 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Redlinks