In 1939, Congress established a "United States Coast Guard Reserve" administered by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and comprised of unpaid, volunteer citizens of the U.S. who owned motorboats and yachts. They were to aid the Coast Guard in promoting small boat safety. Congressional action in 1941 created a military reserve of the Coast Guard and the original volunteer reserve was renamed the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

During the years of the Second World War, the Auxiliary did many task the relieved active duty and reserve Coast Guard personnel for combat duty. These include offshore and harbor patrols, beach patrols, and dockside watches. There were many rescues of torpedo victims also the eastern coast.

Historically, the primary missions of the Auxiliary have been courtesy marine examinations, public education, and operations. These three missions, together with Fellowship, were known as the "Four Cornerstones." Through the years, these four cornerstones served the Auxiliary and the Coast Guard well.

However, as the Auxiliary has continued to grow, these four cornerstones have been found to limit our vision of the important role the Auxiliary can play in assisting the Coast Guard. The Auxiliary's purpose, as stated in the 1941 law, also is "to facilitate other operations of the Coast Guard." The Coast Guard's need for Auxiliary help has continued to expand in recent years. Today, this need goes well beyond what we envisioned when the original cornerstones were first established.

With the passage of the Auxiliary legislation in October 1996, the Auxiliary's role has been greatly expanded to enable Auxiliary participation in any Coast Guard operation authorized by the Commandant. In general, this law opens all the Coast Guard mission areas to the Auxiliary, with the exception of combat and direct law enforcement.

- New Member Reference Guide