[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE TWIN CITIES DIVISION OF THE COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

 Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 
Afton, MN, flotilla of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, which is 
celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Established in 1941, this 
flotilla is the oldest in Minnesota.
  The volunteers of the Coast Guard Auxiliary dedicate their time to 
making sure our community's lakes and rivers are safe. As the Land of 
10,000 Lakes, flotillas in Minnesota have a fulltime job. From 
performing search and rescue operations, to teaching boating safety 
courses, for 75 years, the Afton flotilla has helped to ensure that 
Minnesota waterways are safe and accessible.
  Over the years, when our State has faced natural disasters such as 
flooding of the Mississippi River and the Red River, the Afton flotilla 
has worked side-by-side with local, State, and Federal authorities to 
aid in search and rescue operations, evacuations, and emergency 
communications. When the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in 
Minneapolis tragically collapsed in 2007, the volunteers of the Afton 
flotilla were ready to work with emergency response teams and helped 
catalog the countless amount of debris examined during the 
investigation. Even after the disaster was over, the flotilla monitored 
boater safety once the river was finally reopened.
  Even more than responding to disasters, the Afton flotilla works to 
prevent disasters on the water, making sure that river navigation tools 
are in working order and patrolling during regattas and other events. 
There is no way for us to know just how many lives were saved over the 
past 75 years through the hard work of the Afton flotilla volunteers.
  I join all of my fellow Minnesotans in applauding the Afton 
flotilla's momentous anniversary and the dedication of its volunteer 
members over the past 75 years. I would also like to thank all of the 
auxiliary volunteers in Minnesota and across the country who keep our 
communities and waterways safe.

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