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Home / Billet Night Excitement

Billet Night Excitement

Elizabeth Carter

I write today from the confines of my room, as a snowstorm closed base! Thankfully this means that there were no classes today, not even the virtual kind. Today has been a well-needed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of a typical spring semester. The major difference this spring semester is (and you probably guessed it) billet night! The long-awaited night is less than a week away, and the excitement, anxiety, and energy is tangible within Chase Hall. We are also steadily working through midterms, in the form of tests, papers, presentations, and speeches. I can certainly feel the stress and pressure amounting, as the finish line is just within sight.

Even though it feels like a sprint towards the finish line, my personal running career has come to an end. I made the decision to not compete for Outdoor Track and Field, and really focus on my last few months with friends and academics. The decision was not an easy one to make, as this sport has carried me through the past four years at the Academy. My Mom and Dad both ran for the Coast Guard Academy Cross Country and Track and Field teams, so the conclusion of my career felt more meaningful than I had anticipated. I have truly dreamt of running for CGA since I was about eight years old, when I first visited the Academy with my parents for their class reunion, and ran a lap around the lower field track. My final race was a 5k at the Springfield Indoor Track Invite, and I burst into tears as soon as I crossed the finish line, simply overcome with emotion.

I have a feeling that many more emotional events are about to take place, not only for me, but for my friends and family as graduation steadily approaches. This journey has been challenging, and yet the most rewarding experience of my entire life. And this is just the beginning of it! Next Thursday I will know my new home, and start my own moving process, of which I am all too familiar. My childhood consisted of six moves, and seven houses, so this will be a walk in the park! I won’t get into the specifics of my billet list, as just the thought of it gets my heart racing. I simply know that wherever I go, I will be ecstatic, jumping for joy on that stage.

I plan on concluding my Blog Club journey with this post, and as I sign off for the last time, I hope that everyone who has followed my journey got a little something out of it. If I can be of any help in the future, please do not hesitate to reach out. As much as the Academy has challenged me, I love it for the people and experiences it has brought into my life. Good luck to the Class of 2026 and all those interested in joining the Corps!

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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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