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Nathaniel Johnson, Lieutenant Commander, USCG, M.A., M.A.O.L

Government, Deputy Department Chair, Instructor Department of Humanities

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LCDR Johnson is a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and a 2003 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. As an officer, LCDR Johnson served as a Deck Watch Officer, Gunnery Officer, and Weapons Department Head on USCGC Boutwell (WHEC 719) in Alameda, California and as a Maritime Homeland Security planner, Maritime Risk analyst, and liaison to U.S. Navy Third Fleet for Commander, Pacific Area from 2003 to 2007. From 2007 to 2010, LCDR Johnson served as a Command Duty Officer and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator for the Seventeenth District Commander in Juneau, Alaska. LCDR Johnson was then assigned as Enforcement Division Chief at Sector Buffalo, and was responsible for all maritime law enforcement operations on Eastern Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the U.S. side of the St. Lawrence Seaway, as well as operations with U.S. Border Patrol and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. From 2013 to 2017, LCDR Johnson served as the Command Center Chief and Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator for both the Eleventh District and Pacific Area Commanders in the combined PAC/D11 Command Center and, in that role, coordinated operations with multinational task forces, Department of Defense Combatant Commanders, and U.S. State emergency operations officials. LCDR Johnson is the 2003 recipient of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Humanities Award and has earned Master’s Degrees in Organizational Leadership and Philosophy, specializing in corporate social responsibility, ethics, and meta-ethics. His favorite hobbies include running and kayaking, woodworking, and building and playing stringed instruments. He lives in Madison with his spouse, CDR Maureen Johnson (Class of 2001), and children, Alex and Norah.

Education

M.A., Philosophy, University of Connecticut
M.A., Organizational Leadership, Baker University
B.S., Government, United States Coast Guard Academy

Courses Taught

Introduction to Moral and Ethical Philosophy
Moral, Ethical, and Political Philosophy

Contact Information

Phone: (860) 444-8669
Email: Nathaniel.K.Johnson@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.