Marine Safety

The Marine Safety field provides many programs that Auxiliarists can participate in including America's Waterway Watch (AWW), Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), inspections, port security, and safety/environmental education.

Update: The Trident Ribbon has now been approved and authorized to wear.

Details and Application at the "M" website. And "M" isn't the only one with a new ribbon. Public Affairs, (PA), after more then a decade of whining for chest candy is going to get it - although, if they were good at public affairs they should have been able to talk folks into it a lot sooner than that! The new design is here, although I don't see why they didn't go with one of the obsolete ribbons, guess because the old one was originally flotilla-centered. (and since I have a chart of old ribbons, might as well give a link to the current ribbons, uniforms, breast badges and insignia of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary...)

Requirements for the Trident Device:
Service Time:
A cumulative total of 4 years (need not be consecutive) with a minimum of 96 hours per year of MEP(28)/MS(70) hours in AUXDATA.

Courses: (must complete all 4)

In addition, there are numerous Coast Guard PQS that can qualify for the Trident. A list of qualifying PQS can be found in Volume 1/Chapter 7 of the Marine Safety Manual. (I say that, but there is confusion on whether that is actually true. It could be that auxiliarists may eventually be required to train in auxiliary versions of the PQS's on the active duty PQS list, thus, not really active duty PQS's. Time will tell.)

Coast Guard Auxiliary members completing the PQS requirements of the Trident Program are the core team of specialists in marine safety and environmental protection.

Our mission is to support the marine safety and environmental protection programs of the United States Coast Guard and to train and support members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary who join us in this effort.

► Conduct Maritime Observation Missions (MOMs) to protect the recreational boating public and the waterways environment.

► Educate and communicate with Coast Guard Auxiliary members about opportunities for service in marine safety and environmental protection missions of the Coast Guard.

The Trident Program is a key program of the Auxiliary "M" dept -- with its operation impacting just about every Division and Branch of the Department. There are several ways for Auxiliarists to augment in Coast Guard billets. This includes meeting minimum Personal Qualification Standards (PQS) such as those described in the various specialties in Operations and covered by the AUXOP Program), and may include additional PQS requirements determined by a local command.

In the areas of Prevention and Response the most common way to become qualified to augment and provide direct support to Coast Guard personnel in marine safety units is through completion of Trident Program PQS requirements in a particular specialty and being assigned to work in that specialty at a marine safety unit. The Trident Program PQS requirements for a particular specialty may be a prerequisite to any such assignment, and local commands may require additional qualifications (See Trident Update Bulletin 010.) This includes, if determined necessary by the assignment, gaining DO status through the PSI process.

To be awarded the right to wear the Trident "Marine Safety Device" (pictured above) on the Auxiliary uniform Auxiliarists must qualify in at least four of the specialties

in a four year period, including at least 96 hours documented (captured in AUXDATA) in M missions in each of the years ─ plus they must complete the "Introduction to Marine Safety (INTRO-MS/MEP), as well as the Advanced Course (ADV-MS/MEP) components. Individuals who have met this requirement are considered experts in Auxiliary marine safety programs.

Step by step instructions on the application process for the Marine Safety Device are contained in Trident Update Bulletin 005. Provisions for a "Conditional Award" of the Marine Safety Device for Auxiliarists who have met all requirements except the four consecutive years of service are contained in Trident Update Bulletin 008.

Becoming qualified to wear the Marine Safety Device is independent of actual assignment to a position covered by one or more of the 16 specialties. An Auxiliarist could conceivably meet this requirement, and maintain the right to wear the device whether or not they are currently assigned to work with the Coast Guard in any of the associated specialties.

However, to initially qualify in any of the specialties, an Auxiliarist must not only meet the published PQS requirements for the specialty, but also with any other requirements set by the particular unit taking on the responsibility of signing off on each PQS, and which are determined by the unit as meeting its needs. (See Trident Update Bulletin 010.) In short, the Trident Marine Safety Device is awarded in recognition of the knowledge and skills the Auxiliarist has attained in the area of marine safety. He/she is not a "free agent," and the services subsequently provided, or not provided, are determined by the Coast Guard and the particular marine safety unit.

The Content of these web pages is explanatory and not authority for action. Views and opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. Coast Guard. Information may be reprinted except news stories and articles republished from other sources. Commercial use of Coast Guard emblems, logos, or other graphics must be approved by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

NOTICE - DISCLAIMER: Links to non-Coast Guard entities are not under the control of the United States Coast Guard, or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, and are provided for the convenience of our customers. They do not, in any way, constitute an endorsement of the linked pages or any commercial or private issues or products presented there. We cannot make any warranty or representation concerning the content of these sites, or secondary sites from the pages to which they link. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE - PRIVACY ACT OF 1974 The information contained in this website is subject to the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, and may only be used for the official business of the United States Coast Guard or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Semper Paratus

Training Focus of the Trident Program

links to sources relevant to the Trident Program

National and District Auxiliary Websites

USCG Marine Safety Manual

Incident Command System (Now Being Required for all Auxiliarists)

Marine Safety (In General)

Hazardous Material

Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety

Dockwalker Program

State Emergency Management Offices

Environmental Protection and Sea Partners Programs