Cook with the Coast Guard's Auxiliary

The general public impression of the Auxiliary's mission is to support the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in the safety and security of citizens, ports, waterways and coastal regions. That primary and important mission remains; but, in recent years, Auxiliary assistance is being carried out in ways not commonly known; such as office administration, storekeeper, data entry, accounting, personnel services, introducing students to the USCG Academy and cooking; that is cooking as in cuisine, catering, culinary and the galley.

The Coast Guard, through its Auxiliary Chefs Program, is recruiting and training Auxiliary members to augment its active and reserve personnel with volunteer parttime cooks at some of their stations.

Barbara and George Werner are an example of Auxiliary participation in this program in the Jersey Shore area. Once a month they prepare and present daily meals and, on occasion, host special events at USCG Station Manasquan Inlet in Point Pleasant Beach. The Werners are members of an Auxiliary unit that generally supports this station in water-related operations and now in this unique manner.

Their typical day at the station starts with preparing breakfast at 5 a.m. and finishing the dinner activities at 7 p.m. Duties include planning menus within a budget, shopping, cooking, serving and cleaning up. They go that extra mile by discussing with the station members their food preference even down to regional tastes because these service men and women are from a variety of geographical areas.

The Werner chef reputation is spreading and they, along with another Auxiliary chef, Ted Balin, hosted a dinner for the Commander at Cape May Coast Guard Training Station. To share their cooking talents, they have answered a request to train additional candidates for the Auxiliary Chef Program.

Even with busy schedules with their fulltime employment, Barbara and George joined the Auxiliary to give something back to their country's defense effort. The Coast Guard active duty and reserve personnel appreciate this volunteered time and in this case they especially enjoy that additional touch of home cooking.

The Auxiliary is looking for a wide range of skills to accomplish its mission.

For further information about membership in general and its roles in support of the Coast Guard, call the Auxiliary at 732-785- 2618.