Coast Guard Auxiliary Change of Watch Ushers in First African American Commodore
U. S. Coast Guard
February 22, 2005
SEATTLE - One thousand six hundred and twenty-one volunteers serving in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon will have the opportunity to witness history when their Coast Guard Auxiliary leadership holds its Change of Watch on Feb. 26, in Silverdale, Wash.
Certainly their will be the pomp and ceremony associated with the tradition of a naval-style tradition where current Auxiliary Commodore Dan Niederhiser will be relieved by Fred Bell. What makes this hand off of the leadership mantle even more interesting is that Bell's assumption of the leadership position will mark the first time that an African American will call the shots of the organization in the Northwest region known as the Coast Guard's Thirteenth District.
Bell will be running his regional volunteers as part of the larger 38,000-member organization that, since 9/11, has taken on a broader role within the Coast Guard concentrating not only on the 214-year-old parent agency's traditional missions, but the newest ones brought onboard over the past few years. Auxiliary assistance stops short of direct participation in law enforcement activities.
"The Coast Guard Auxiliary is already the preeminent volunteer organization in Department of Homeland Security. This year the Auxiliary is aggressively seeking new members to extend the Auxiliary's enhanced missions in support of Recreational Boating Safety and Maritime Domain Awareness," said the spry 72-year-old Bell, a retired IBM senior manager born in Monongahela, Pennsylvania.
Serving as Bell's deputy, in a position known as the Vice Commodore, will be 57-year-old Bruce Miller of Seattle who works as a part-time college instructor and an internet services manager for the Coast Guard. Miller, who survived Polio as a two year old, has been active in the Auxiliary since 1991 despite being a paraplegic and relying on a wheelchair for mobility.
Bell and Miller offer themselves as examples of one of their volunteer organization's goals -- that being the development of a diverse membership, one that represents the true face of America.
Miller explained that he senses a lingering perception of what a typical Auxiliarist is; that being a person who is both wealthy and a boat owner.
"That couldn't be further from the truth," said Miller. "There was a time when boat ownership was necessary but those requirements where changed some time ago to meet our broadening mission."
Miller, who once owned and operated a 27-foot sailboat for the Auxiliary, added that fully two-thirds of members in this region are not vessel owners. "Some of our volunteers serve without ever spending time aboard a patrol vessel." he added.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary was established by Congress in 1939 to assist the Coast Guard in promoting boating safety. It includes members from all walks of life who receive special training so that they may be a functional part of Coast Guard Forces.
Auxiliarists volunteer more than two million hours annually to benefit other boaters and their families. On an average day in the United States, 56 mariners in distress are assisted by the Auxiliary while the service saves more than a life a day. Membership in the organization rose ten percent in the years following the September 11th attacks.
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