Home / Academy News / Adventures In Alaska: Summer Assignment Series

Adventures In Alaska: Summer Assignment Series

Stefanie Senkow | August 17, 2023

She always wanted to see Alaska – and she was able to do so during her summer internship. First Class Cadet Hope Drake Duval worked at the Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK) in Juneau. MXAK does vessel monitoring and tracking using Automatic Identification System (AIS) to promote secure and environmentally responsible maritime operations. Being a government major with law school aspirations, Drake Duval took full advantage of this experience.

“I was interested in seeing how industry and the Coast Guard interact and how the industry can help to fix problems that our service might not be able to because of authority/jurisdiction issues,” said Drake Duval. “MXAK has over 150 land-based AIS receivers throughout Alaska and works closely with the Coast Guard, the State of Alaska, and the Alaska Chadux Network, an oil spill response organization. Their 24/7 watchstanders look for vessels of concern and other signs of distress and notify the Coast Guard,” said Drake Duval.

Drake Duval also travelled to several parts of Alaska to gain exposure to the maritime industry. From riding on “tug & barge” transit from Juneau to Haines and then on a 710-foot cargo ship from Anchorage to Kodiak, Drake Duval saw how the maritime industry plays a large role in the state’s economy.

“These trips gave me an opportunity to see Alaskan mariners and companies in a different way than if I had come across them as a Coast Guard officer. For example, the tugboat I rode on delivers food to very remote communities. If they fail an inspection, we must be willing to help them resolve the issue or else the grocery store shelves will be empty,” said Drake Duval.

Combining her work in Alaska with some downtime to sightsee, hike, kayak, eat Bowhead whale and experience Arctic culture, Drake Duval is sold on designating Alaska as a top choice for a future assignment after graduation.

“I knew before this summer that I wanted to be a part of the afloat community and hopefully go to law school, but the experience and the people taught me a lot and gave me new options to think about that I didn’t even know would be possible,” said Drake Duval.

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.