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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Government / Government Faculty and Staff / LCDR J. Matthew Hurtt

J. Matthew Hurtt, J.D., M.A., Lieutenant Commander, USCG

Government, Instructor
Department of Government

LCDR J.Matthew HurttLieutenant Commander J. Matthew Hurtt currently serves as a Law Instructor in the Government Department of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. LCDR Hurtt teaches Criminal Justice and Maritime Law Enforcement, among other topics, and is also the Academic Honor Officer in charge of processing academic violations of CGA’s core values.

LCDR Hurtt graduated with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Government in 2012. His first assignment was U.S. Coast Guard Cutter THETIS in Key West, FL where he served as a Deck Watch Officer and the Weapons Officer. In 2014 he transferred to Naval Support Activity Bahrain to serve as the Executive Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter ADAK, one of six forward deployed Cutters operating under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). After departing ADAK, LCDR Hurtt took command of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter HALIBUT in sunny Marina del Rey, CA and conducted search and rescue, counter-narcotics, and boating safety operations in both the littoral waters of Southern California and the international waters off of Mexico. Immediately prior to his current role, LCDR Hurtt was the Senior Special Victims’ Counsel and Disability Counsel in New London, Connecticut and was responsible for providing competent legal advice to any active duty, reserve, or civilian survivor of sexual assault at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy or across the Northeast.

LCDR Hurtt received a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College, both in 2020. He is licensed to practice law in the state of Connecticut.

His individual military awards include the Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal, the Coast Guard Commendation Medal with the Operational Distinguishing Device, Coast Guard Achievement Medal (2) with the Operational Distinguishing Device, and the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal along with the Cutterman’s Insignia and the Boat Forces Operations’ Insignia.

LCDR Hurtt and his wife Allison reside in southern Connecticut along the Long Island Sound with their dog, Basil. LCDR Hurtt’s hobbies include soccer, running, reading, and traveling with Allison.

Education

  • J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2020
  • M.A., Defense and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College, 2020
  • B.S., Government, United States Coast Guard Academy, 2012

Courses Taught

  • Criminal Justice
  • Maritime Law Enforcement

Honors and Awards

  • Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal
  • Coast Guard Commendation Medal, Operational Distinguishing Device
  • Coast Guard Achievement Medal (2), Operational Distinguishing Device
  • Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal
  • Cutterman’s Insignia
  • Boat Forces Operations’ Insignia

Professional Affiliations

  • U.S. Court of Appeals of the Armed Forces Bar
  • Connecticut State Bar

Contact Information

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.

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