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Ryan Crose

While assigned to USCG Ninth District Reserve Enforcement Duty in Cleveland, Ohio, LCDR Crose came upon a horrific traffic accident on the morning of 26 September 2017.

His citation reads “Lieutenant Commander CROSE is cited for heroism, while selflessly risking his own life to extinguish flames that engulfed the driver of a semi-truck. He was first on scene at a horrific accident, caused when a tractor trailer veered and struck two other tractor trailers on the side of the roadway igniting the fuel spilled from a ruptured tank. Demonstrating exceptional bravery, he immediately approached a vehicle surrounded by fire and noticed a man engulfed in flames writhing around on the ground. Without hesitation or concern for his own safety, he entered into the flames and attempted to put the flames out with his own shirt. While retrieving a shirt from a bystander he fell and was soaked in diesel fuel. Disregarding the increased danger to himself he returned to the fire to continue extinguishing the burning victim. He ultimately extinguished the fire with a welding blanket provided by a bystander. Together they used the blanket to extract the victim to safety just seconds before the fuel tank exploded. The exploding fuel tank propelled a burning tire towards Lieutenant Commander CROSE and the victim, landing within feet of them. All other bystanders fled the scene while he bravely stayed with the victim and moved him further away from the inferno. Displaying superlative perseverance and fortitude, he remained with the conscious and severely injured driver until relieved by emergency responders.”

For his efforts in saving the truck driver whose body was 90% covered by third degree burns, LCDR Crose received the Coast Guard Medal for Heroism. He is only the 23^rd officer to have ever received the medal.

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.