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Home / Cadet Blogs / Puddle Pirates Takeover! Service Academy Exchange Part 2

Puddle Pirates Takeover! Service Academy Exchange Part 2

Junna Castel | May 12, 2023
Junna Castel

Back again with more stories from my semester exchanging at the Air Force Academy!

Towards the midpoint of the semester the Air Force Academy hosted the Naval Academy in an Air Force versus Navy show down which Air Force dominated, ‘Go Falcs’! On the other hand, during the week leading up the football game, the Navy, and Coast Guard Exchangers (not sure why the Coast Guard got looped into it because we are not currently the navy…) were the targets of many spirit missions. My Squadron stole all my uniforms and replaced them with a shark, pirate, creeper, and fornite fish costume for me to wear on each day of the week as well as stole my bed so I had to sleep on a couch in the common space. While I begrudgingly wore the various costumes, I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy the attention even a little bit. In retaliation, I decided to flood the Squadron hallway (no long-term damages were caused) by covering the Squadron area with upside down red solo cups with water underneath so that the only way to remove the cups was to lift the cup and consequently flood the hallway. The week culminated in me leading formation in my fornite fish costume that has since gone viral on the internet. That sure left a mark on the Air Force Academy.

Another highlight of my time at the Air Force Academy was being able to play on the Air Force Rugby team. To this day, there are Air Force Rugby players that send shivers down my spine thinking about their bone crushing tackles that have left laid out on the field. I would not have had it any other way, however. Those girls the Air Force Academy my home away from home, and once a Rugger always a Rugger, something that rings true wherever you go! I still remember the first time I played on their team. It was a B-side game for the 4/c cadets and … me! One of the 4/c or Doolies thought it was a great idea to look at her Chemistry test grade right before walking onto the pitch, looked at her test grade – a 30 – and proceeded to walk to the starting line sobbing. What a great start to the game, I remember thinking, but she was a fellow teammate who I helped direct during the game. We got destroyed but I felt such a strong camaraderie that kept me hooked.

Finally, Towards the end of the semester, Ryan (one of the other coasties) and I went “T-zo Sailing.” “T-zo sailing” is sitting on some sort of cart and holding out a bed sheet to catch the bind and sail forward on the cement quad at the center of the cadet area. That night, the winds were ripping through the campus at 90 knots, and we knew this was our chance. Ryan and I grabbed my roommate’s cart and extra bed sheet as well as his helmet for an extra measure of safety. Then, we joined the army of Doolies (no upper class except for Ryan, Zach (another Coastie), and I to be seen) in attempt to “sail” across the t-zo. I was skeptical that it was going to work but as soon as Ryan sat down and held out our bed sheet, he sped away with me attempting to take a shaky video behind him. We took turns until my roommate’s cart broke in half and her bed sheet ripped…oops. So much fun and a bucket list item to do to truly live the “cadet experience.

I am throwing the towel down for this blog, but this does not even scratch the surface in terms of stories I have from my experience on exchange. If you have any more questions about exchange, please email me at junna.a.castel@uscga.edu or text me at (512) 461-5283 if you have any questions!

About Junna

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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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