LTJG Joshua Williams
Hello! My name is Joshua Williams, and I am the Midwest Regional Admissions Officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. I am excited to work with you through the application process and help you become your best self.
Growing up with my father in the Army, we moved around the country before settling in Vermont. When it came time to choose colleges, I decided to look at the service academies given my family’s military background. Ultimately, I chose the Coast Guard because I felt it the best fit given the Coast Guard’s humanitarian focus, and the broad range of missions we cover. Looking back, I am glad I decided on the Coast Guard Academy for the friendships I have formed, the things I have been able to do that I would have never otherwise done and the strong foundation I have set up for my future, both professionally and financially.
After graduating in 2022, I reported aboard the CGC SPAR, a 225-foot sea going buoy tender based out of Duluth Minnesota. We worked to maintain the aids to navigations (buoys) in Lake Superior and the Northern portions of Lakes Michigan and Huron. This included making sure buoys were on station, properly painted and marked, and replacing the chain periodically as it wears down. During the fall and spring, we would also swap out buoys from larger, more visible ones for summer and more compact ones that can survive the icefields in winter. During the winter, we were also responsible for breaking ice, primarily in Duluth and Superior harbor but ready to be called elsewhere. Onboard, my primary responsibility underway was to be a deck watch officer, conning (driving) the ship on the bridge. I also had several collateral duties ranging from running divisions to coordinating urinalysis and everything in between. After that, I decided to return to the Coast Guard Academy to work in admissions both for the chance to be close to family, and because this is a job I am passionate about.
If you are looking for a college where you will be challenged, form lifelong friendships and experience things you would probably never otherwise get to experience, consider applying. Please feel free to give me a call or send a message if you are interested, it quite literally is my job.