This is the first of an occasional series of articles by Division 6 members explining why they joined the Auxiliary.
Todd Brandt, Flotilla 66:
I have been in Scouting since kindergarten, when my friends and I signed up to be Tiger Cubs.
I continued to Boy Scouts, and on to Sea Scouts. I love Scouting for the adventure, camping, and leadership skills you develop outdoors. I became an Eagle Scout in Troop 711 of Costa Mesa in 2020, and am working on my last rank of quartermaster in Sea Scout Ship Del Mar, berthed at the Newport Sea Base in Newport Harbor.
When I started talking to Coast Guard recruiters because of my interest in commissioning after college, I very quickly found that Scouting and the Auxiliary share similar values: Development of character and leadership of American citizens. I am very excited to bring any of the lessons and leadership skills I have learned in Scouting to better serve the Auxiliary’s mission of Saving Lives.
I cannot wait to learn more about serving in the US Coast Guard by starting early in the Auxiliary. I look forward to getting to know each of you better as members of the best Flotilla in the district: 66!