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Commencement Week Schedule 2024

(Please check back as times & locations may be subject to change.)

Friday, 17 May 2024

Time	Event
1300	Cadet Commencement Rehearsal, Cadet Memorial Field and Leamy Hall
1700	Awards Ceremony Rehearsal, Leamy Hall

Sunday, 19 May 2024

Time	Event
0900	Catholic Baccalaureate Mass, Chapel
1030	Protestant Baccalaureate Service, Chapel
1130	“Gradfest” Class of 2024 Picnic, Leamy Hall Food Service until 1400 Activities continue through 1430) (Tickets Required)
1845	Coffee Service for Parents’ Association & Parade Officials, Henriques Room, Hamilton Hall
1930	Sunset Drill Review Parade, Washington Parade Ground

Monday, 20 May 2024

Time	Event
0715	2024 Cadet/Family Golf Tournament, Mohegan Sun Golf Club. 7 Dows Ln, Baltic CT (Advanced Reservations Required)
0900 – 1100	Classrooms & Laboratories, Seamanship and Sailing Center, and Chase Hall open to Parents & Guests
1100	Faculty Meeting, Leamy Hall Auditorium
1200	Officer Christian Fellowship Luncheon, Consolidated Club
1830	Commencement Dinner & Ball, Foxwoods Casino (Tickets Required) Social Hour begins at 1830 with dinner commencing at 1930)

Tuesday, 21 May 2024

Time	Event
0915	Reception for Prize Donors & Parade Officials, Henriques Room, Hamilton Hall
1000	Parade of Cadet Regiment, Washington Parade Field
1130	Luncheon for 1/c Cadets, Guests & Academic Awards Presenters, Cadet Wardroom (Tickets Required)
1300	Individual Academic and Military Awards Ceremony, Leamy Hall Auditorium (Mandatory for all 1/c award winners)
1430	Athletic Awards Ceremony, Billard Hall – Athletic Hall of Fame
1800	CGA Parking secured except for Commencement Day parking pass holders. Commencement Parking Plan in effect.

Wednesday, 22 May 2024

Time	Event
0615	Fair or Foul Weather decision made (approx time)
0630	Commencement Team in Place (as determined by OPS Section Chief) (approx time)
0730	Base open for guests. Shuttles begin running from remote parking lots.
0730	Cadet Memorial Field open for seating after clearance is granted by Security Team. (Approx time)
0915	GAO Reception (By Invitation Only), MJS Consolidated Club
1100	One Hundred Forty-Third Commencement Exercises (Tickets Required) Fair Weather: Cadet Memorial Field Foul Weather: Leamy Hall Auditorium All others – (live streaming to designated spaces on campus for all other guests) Parents and Guests are asked to be seated by 1030
1500	Base open to normal traffic (approximate time)

Events indicated that are onboard the CGA are open to cadets and their guests.
For those events that require tickets, they will be reserved and distributed by the cadets.
Cadets will be notified if they are to attend the Academic and Athletic Awards in person.

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.