SO-AN Responsibilities
Each division is expected to develop their own aids to navigation program plan to meets the needs of their AOR. Development, promotion and execution of the division plan is the responsibility of the Division Staff Officer - Aids to Navigation (SO-AN) with the active involvement of the Division Captain (DCP).
History has proven that the best programs were developed jointly by the local Auxiliary division with the involvement of the local AOR Coast Guard
Cutter. These programs have mutually agreed-to and well-defined plans, activities and schedules, and most often yield timely "mission accomplished" results. The developers of these division programs must be knowledgeable in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary policies and procedures at the national and district levels.
Development of the division aids to navigation program plan, or update of the prior year's plan, is an annual process under the leadership of the SO-AN with support from the DCP and members of the Division Board.
The ADSO-AN is a valuable asset to involve in this planning process as well. Planning includes:
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Reviewing the prior year's plans and accomplishments. What needs to be changed to improve the timely performance of the mission?
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Understanding the division's AOR by river mile with Bridges
and PATONs identified. Note: The DSO-AN is responsible for maintaining a current online copy of the Aid Verification Work Lists and
Night Verification Forms for all Bridges and PATONs to be verified.
In the January – March time frame, each SO-AN should use the online
Aid Verification Working Documents by AOR as the information base for early planning.
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Involving the AOR Cutter as you refine the division's plans and to determine how you might utilize Coast Guard
or other resources:
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Which extents of the AOR will be covered by the Auxiliary? (Many extents of the inland rivers do not have the access or recreational facilities for Auxiliary vessel or radio facilities.) The cutters need to identify up front the private aids that they will have to inspect.
If there are PATONs in your AOR that you know you will not or might not be able
to verify, then notify the Cutter in whose AOR the PATON is located as
soon as possible, but no later than 15 June. (Note: Cutters do not verify or inspect bridges.)
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How can the cutter and Shore Side Detachment (SSD) resources be utilized for an Aid Verifier Workshop? (Will the SSD or station provide classroom space? Is a lighted aid trainer available to practice timing of lighted aids? Can Coast Guard personnel be present and/or participate in the training?)
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What additional mission activities or reporting procedures are required to meet local needs?
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What is the checkpoint schedule to assess the actual performance? (When will the SO-AN and cutter Officer-in-Charge (OIC) compare notes on what verifications have yet to be done and who will do them?)
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Determining Aid Verifier resources required to accomplish the division's aid verification mission.
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Working with the Division Staff Officer - Operations (SO-OP), you should assure that adequate operational facilities and coxswain and crew personnel will be available. Identify areas where land mobile radio facilities would be
of benefit in improving risk management capabilities.
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Scheduling and logistics for Aid Verifier Workshop classroom training. Typically the SO-AN or the Assistant District Staff Officer - Aids to Navigation will act as the Class Manager and assure arrangements are set (e.g., scheduling, location, audio-visual materials and equipment, instructors, course announcement and promotion, reporting attendance, et cetera).
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Obtaining commitments from Aid Verifiers for aid verification mission coverage of your entire AOR. Make sure newly certified Aid Verifiers are able to participate.
Have your plan in place before the start of the boating season. Then, during the year, focus on managing your AOR and achieving results:
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Assign specific sections of your division AOR to the Aid Verifiers in the spring. Provide Aid Verifiers with copies of the online Work Lists and Worksheets for their assigned section. Also provide any other information or instructions the Aid Verifiers will need to do the work.
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Request that the Aid Verifiers provide their tentative mission schedule. Then, follow up and track mission accomplishment. You must be personally comfortable that the tasks have been, or will be, completed on time.
Review Bridge and PATON Annual Night Verification Forms for quality and accuracy. Suggest improvements
that you may become aware of to the DSO-AN.
Checkpoint periodically with the AOR Cutter OIC to identify all
PATONs which have been verified and in what areas the Auxiliary should focus for the remainder of the season in order for the Coast Guard to achieve 100-percent in the AOR.
(This is a key to a good working relationship with the Cutter OIC(s) in your
AOR: How can you help the OIC achieve 100-percent accurate and complete
reporting in a timely manner in his or her OIC?)
Provide a status report at each division meeting (the DCP should expect a report) on training, qualification and mission accomplishment,
forwarding a copy to the ADSO-AN. Depend on the division board for support and resources.
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ADSO-AN Responsibilities
ADSO-AN is a District staff position and, as such, provides staff support for the aids to navigation program within a defined area of responsibility (AOR). As ADSO-AN you are expected to:
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Know your geographic area of responsibility.
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Know your organizational area of responsibility.
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From an Auxiliary program viewpoint, you represent the DSO-AN and the Auxiliary goals, policies and procedures for the aids to navigation mission on navigable waterways as
well as state lakes and rivers in your AOR. You should be able to discuss and promote these Auxiliary goals, policies and procedures.
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From an AOR viewpoint, you represent the division AN staffs, the flotilla AN staffs and the community of Aid Verifiers in your AOR. Seek out and obtain assistance that they request or require to successfully accomplish their AN mission.
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All Auxiliary resources (people, facilities, budgets, etc.) needed to accomplish the AN mission rest with the elected officers in the divisions and flotillas. The division staff officers - aids to navigation (SOs-AN) work for the Division Captains (DCPs) and report to the Division Vice Captain (VCPs) as the division chief of staff. Your responsibility is to support, as requested, the SOs-AN planning and execution on AN-related activities including training and aid verification missions.
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Maintain communications with the DCPs, VCPs, SOs-AN and other Auxiliarists
on whom you depend on to achieve a successful AN program in your AOR. Let them know about your responsibilities to them and about your expectations. Review your program with them, and obtain their support. Ask the elected officers to what extent "aids to navigation" is on their "agenda" of activities.
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Enthusiastically promote the district aids to navigation program to all Auxiliary members. Demonstrate why Auxiliary support is so important to the Coast Guard. Commonly used "promotion vehicles" include division and flotilla meetings and publications.
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Provide guidance and support to the SOs-AN and solicit the involvement of their DCPs.
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Help the SOs-AN to determine the extent (numbers) and the location of Auxiliary resources (personnel and facilities) needed to accomplish the aids to navigation mission in their AOR.
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Take a lead role in developing, or assisting in the development of, an Auxiliary Aid Verifier training curriculum that will meet the needs of the Auxiliary in support of the active duty unit(s). Assist the SOs-AN in selecting appropriate charts from the training materials provided and in the development of new materials to address the mission requirements unique to the AOR.
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Encourage the DCPs and SOs-AN to start aids to navigation program planning early in the season. Help the SOs-AN with the logistics, scheduling, communication and execution of Aid Verifier training and qualification sessions as required to assure the necessary qualified personnel resources needed to accomplish the aids to navigation mission in their AOR.
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Encourage the DCPs and SOs-AN to establish and maintain ongoing, two-way communications with the active duty Coast Guard commands that share their AOR. Help the SOs-AN in obtaining Coast Guard participation and support (logistics, training aids, space, etc.) as needed. Promote active duty involvement in the training and qualification of Aid Verifiers.
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Help the DCPs and SOs-AN to understand the Coast Guard "expectations" of the Auxiliary AN mission in their AOR. Expectations vary by
Sector and Cutter. Make sure that you and the SOs-AN understand what is expected from the Auxiliary in your AOR. Encourage an active personal and team relationship with Coast Guard personnel.
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Coordinate and communicate multi-division activities in your AOR. Such activities involving more than one division are usually done for efficiency (time and cost) reasons and may include training and AN mission planning.
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Take periodic checkpoints with the active duty units in your AOR. You may want to hold an annual review of your program and plans for the upcoming year with them to assure their needs will be met. Periodically, measure their level of satisfaction with the support they receive from the Auxiliary and solicit their ideas on ways to improve support in your AOR.
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Communicate with, and involve, the DSO-AN as needed. You should expect the DSO-AN to serve and support you in the same manner as you are expected to serve and support the SOs-AN.
The key attributes of each ADSO area are unique. The geography is unique, the people are unique and the mission requirements may be unique. Further complicating this, these attributes change from year to year. With all that said and with the guidelines above, your primary responsibility is to create and periodically tune a successful aids to navigation program for your unique AOR.
