“It’s AEPi’s fault that I am back in uniform again,” said Past Supreme Master Barry Schwartz (Cincinnati, 1974).

It has been a while since Brother Schwartz donned his Coast Guard uniform. He first served our country from 1971 – 1977 in both the Coast Guard active duty and the reserves. So, how – and why – is he back in the Coast Guard?

“I met this guy, Jonathan Javitt, at convention last year (2024 in Aventura) when he became an honorary initiate and he, like me, was once on active duty in the Coast Guard. As we’re talking, we realize that we both love to fly planes and he tells me that he now runs this flotilla through the Coast Guard Auxiliary and they’re starting an air division because the Coast Guard has a lot of ground to cover and they need more people.”

Brother Schwartz is a licensed pilot but sold his plane several years ago and hadn’t been piloting lately.

“He said to me, ‘Why don’t you get back in and get involved and we’ll get you back up in the air.’ He told me that I would fly missions in his plane.” Rush (recruitment) is apparently not limited to AEPi and continues for decades after college.

“I told my wife that I was going to pass my FAA test to fly again and she warned me that she was going to throw me out of the house if I tried to buy a plane…I’m making inroads there but it’s not a done deal yet.”

Brother Schwartz, a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management for UBS, is now going to meetings and training sessions as he prepares to support the regular duty Coast Guard members. “Most of the missions I will fly involves looking for illegal immigrants coming to Florida over the water. As a part of the Coast Guard auxiliary – which is all volunteer – we get no money, and we even have to use our own equipment. They pay for the fuel but that’s it. Once I get requalified, there will be a schedule and there are about 45 of us – mostly old people like me, who will be a part of this.”

“I had to pass a swim test like in the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman! Seventy-four-year-olds are not supposed to do this stuff,” he said chuckling. “I’ll have to start on the missions as an observer and then I can become a co-pilot and, eventually, I’ll be the chief pilot.”

“I have a lot of other things going on in my life – work, family and I’m on several boards, including at my Temple — and I ended up back flying in the Coast Guard because this AEPi initiate talked me into it!”

#ProudtobeaPi