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Board of Advisors

The Engineering and Cyber Advisory Council (ECAC) provides external stakeholder review and feedback in order to monitor and improve the Coast Guard Academy’s engineering and computing programs. Membership and policies of the ECAC are established by the Superintendent.

The C5I subcommittee of the ECAC serves as the Board of Advisors to the Cyber Council and the Academy’s Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).

The Board provides external oversight of the Cyber Council, aligning Service and national objectives with Academy programs. The Board supports Council members and strengthens the governance process.

The Board’s governance instruction is under revision. The envisioned standing members of the C5I Subcommittee of the ECAC must, by law, be federal employees. They are:

Commander of CGCYBER
Assistant Commandant for C4&IT (CG6)
Chief, Office of Cyberspace Forces (CG-791)
Commanding Officer, C5I Service Center (C5I-SC)
Commanding Officer, USCG Research & Development Center (RDCEN)

In addition, the ECAC is permitted to have “episodic invitees” to solicit feedback from individuals with unique experiences relevant to the Cyber program. Such episodic members are appointed by the ECAC before scheduled meetings and provide tremendous value to the Cyber Program at USCGA.

Contact Information

Superintendent’s Council for Cyber Education and Training

CDR Joseph Benin

USCGA Cyber Council Chair
(860) 444-8282
Joseph.T.Benin@uscga.edu

LT Katelyn Waddle

USCGA Cyber Council Vice Chair
(860) 701-6528
Katelyn.E.Waddle@uscga.edu

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.