The Flotilla is the basic building block of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. It’s at the Flotilla level that the Auxiliary engages with the millions of recreational boaters across the United States, providing them with educational materials and hands-on assistance to ensure they know and practice safe boating principles. And the Auxiliarists who save close to 500 lives and assist around 15,000 boaters every year are working under the auspices of their respective Flotillas.
Each Flotilla and its members work toward advancing the Auxiliary program and its goals, but the Flotilla Meritorious Achievement (FMA) Medal is reserved for those Flotillas who’ve made the most significant and noteworthy contributions to the Auxiliary program over the course of a calendar year. To even be considered for the award is an honor: It is given to just one flotilla per district or region, each of which can have scores of Flotillas. In the Southern Region of the Fifth District, for instance, there are over 80 flotillas located from Pennsylvania down to South Carolina, while the Northern Region has nearly 60 packed into a much smaller geographical space.
Choosing the FMA recipient for each district/region is the responsibility of the District Commodore and a Director of the Auxiliary; the Director is a Coast Guard officer, typically at the rank of Commander. While their evaluation is somewhat subjective—there is no hard-and-fast method for scoring contributions to the Auxiliary program—their combined years of experience and dedication to the service makes them well qualified to select a unit for this profound honor.
Auxiliarists who have been members of a Flotilla for a minimum of six months plus one day are eligible to wear the ribbon issued with the award, and they also receive a certificate verifying their authorization to wear the decoration.