The Auxiliary Vessel Examination/Recreational Boating Safety Visitation Program Service Performance Award, or VE/RBSVP Service Award for short, traces its roots to the old Flotilla Courtesy Marine/Motorboat Examination Achievement Award. Unlike its predecessor, however, the VE/RBSVP Service Award is issued based on individual performance rather than on Flotilla goal numbers.
Vessel Examinations are a critical component of the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s mission of promoting boating safety, and the RBSVP program is likewise essential in making the public aware not only of the importance of boating safety, but also of how local Auxiliarists can help them learn and practice the fundamental practices necessary to ensure safe boating. Auxiliarists who are certified to carry out vessel examinations can inspect all types of vessels, from paddle craft to commercial fishing vessels and uninspected passenger vessels. RBSVP-certified Auxiliarists visit places with where they can expect to see members of the boating public—harbors and marinas, marine dealers, boating rental facilities, and so forth—and make information material readily available that makes the public aware of the various Auxiliary services they can access.
To qualify for the VE/RBSVP Service Performance Award, Auxiliarists must meet one of the following annual requirements:
Complete 60 or more examinations of vessels of any type, including Auxiliary surface facilities and commercial fishing vessels.
Complete at least 20 examinations of any combination of commercial fishing vessels, uninspected passenger vessels, and uninspected towing vessels.
Conduct a total of 60 more Recreational Boating Safety Visitation Program events (RBSVPs).
Conduct a total of 60 or more of any combination of RBSVPs and vessel examinations.