Auxiliarist Kevin Gallagher, of Nashville, TN is a member of Flotilla 11-4 of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Eigth District, Eastern Region and is a Coast Guard Auxiliary Aircraft Commander. He recently spent a week at Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans helping out after Hurricane Katrina.

The base suffered wind and water damage and one building was condemned due to black mold growing inside.

Gallagher was able to assist the Air Station by acting as a Watchstander in Air Operations, as well as augmenting some of the collateral duties the local Active Duty pilots normally have.

Kevin, when not actively serving in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, is a commercial pilot with Northwest Airlines and also serves as a commercial boat captain aboard the Music City Queen, a 125-foot, 97-ton paddle wheeler.

Auxiliarist Gallagher’s presence enabled the Active Duty Coast Guardsmen to spend some of their off-hours taking care of cleaning up their own homes. These helicopter crews worked long hours under poor conditions right after the hurricane even though many had storm damage to their residences.

Several had lost just about everything when the city flooded.

"These helicopter crews can't walk on water" Gallagher said "but they come pretty close."

During a briefing the Coast Guard Commandant stated that the crews from the HH-65A and H-60 helicopters had saved over 6000 people - more than they would normally save in a 50 year timeframe!

The Coast Guard Auxiliary, a diverse group of trained professionals, volunteers working for the safety and security of our country, from recreational boating safety to maritime domain awareness, twenty-four hours a day, day in and day out.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed, non-military volunteer's who assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement. These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing Maritime Domain Awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the US Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in 1941. Its 30,000 members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions.

FMI: www.cgaux.org