TEAM COAST GUARD

Ron and Pauline Longnecker of Treynor have volunteered with the Coast Guard Auxiliary nearly 18-yr. They are among 150 Auxiliary members in the Omaha region. Pauline explained the Auxiliary is an important arm of the US Coast Guard and is now part of the Homeland Security mission. This means volunteers have increased opportunity and responsibility to observe and report unusual and suspicious activity particularly on the Missouri River. Auxiliary volunteers work closely with law enforcement agencies and fire departments on the river, especially with search and rescue, river patrols, water safety, safe boating, and education of the public engaged in water based activities. As Auxiliary Operations Officer, Pauline is responsible for scheduling river patrols throughout the boating season. This also means she and Ron are on call all the time for emergencies so that the proper response groups can be called to the scene of the reported problems. Ron noted that there is a lot of planning underway for the Lewis and Clark reenactment activities on the Missouri River this summer. There might be 50 thousand additional people and four hundred boats in the area because of the celebration. The Coast Guard Auxiliary and many local agencies are cooperating to make it a safe and enjoyable experience in this region during the four weeks of celebration from the middle of July to the middle of August.