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LCDR Laurence Chen

LCDR Laurence Chen

I am a first generation American, with both my parents being Jamaican of Chinese descent. At the Academy, I was one of the founding members of the Asian Pacific American Council, which is now the largest affinity club at the academy.

My high school in Miami, FL (MAST Academy) is home to the country’s first Coast Guard (CG) JROTC program. I participated in the program for four years and was exposed to the CG as a freshman in high school. This included wearing the CG uniform, learning CG history and traditions, and providing me early leadership opportunities. More importantly, I was able to regularly volunteer with local CG units such as Station Miami Beach and learned about the CG’s Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) community, which sparked my interest in joining.

Since graduating in 2007, I’ve been fortunate to have a very operational CG career. My multiple assignments have predominantly been dedicated to law enforcement and the CG’s Deployable Specialized Forces community, including two tours at both TACLET and Patrol Forces Southwest Asia in the Middle East. I firmly believe there is no more challenging but rewarding job for a young Junior Officer than being a Law Enforcement Detachment Officer in Charge at a TACLET.

The Academy is here to recruit officers not cadets. It is important that students apply to the CGA because they want to be an officer, not solely for the academic or other benefits. The earlier a prospective cadet can find what part of the CG sparks his/her interests and passion the better. This is what gives you motivation to get through all the challenges and obstacles you’ll be facing during those 4 years at the Academy. It is so important to always focus on the light at the end of the tunnel and what you want to do when you graduate. I really enjoy helping people find that.

Contact Information

LCDR Laurence Chen
Phone: (786) 525-3496
Email: Laurence.S.Chen@uscg.mil

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.