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Secret Perks of Being a Cadet

Jack Brunswick

Being in the military brings lots of perks. If you are thinking about joining a military service academy or ROTC, here are a few unexpected perks that might be thrown your way.

Chipotle does a law enforcement discount, and technically, the Coast Guard is the only branch of the military with law enforcement authority. If you take 30 seconds to explain this to Chipotle, you can get 50% off your order.
Luxury credit cards come with lots of perks, including free access to airport lounges with free drinks and food, complimentary flight upgrades, and more. However, these credit cards also come with a $100- $500 annual fee. For AMEX, the fees for these cards are waived for military members, meaning you can earn awesome points, hang out in airport lounges, and earn exclusive discounts without paying a fee.
Access to websites like GOVX and other military discount stores. They provide cheap prices for a variety of products. Many brand name companies offer 20%-30% discounts on their products for military members, including Oakley and RayBan. You also earn access to the Coast Guard Exchange website, which does not charge tax on its products.
Military discounts for cruises, vacation packages, and more. Self-explanatory.
Lots of airlines allow military to check bags for free. Also, you’ll be upgraded to TSA precheck, making getting through security much faster and easier.

There are tons of other financial military perks for being in the military, but many of the best perks have nothing to do with money. For me, having a network of amazing friends and coworkers is the best part of attending a service academy. The skills, wisdom, and experiences you gain from being at a service academy or in the military are great too. Do your full research on all the benefits military members receive, as these are only the tip of the iceberg.

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.