USCGA or United States Coast Guard Academy, founded in 1876, is a certified academy for the undergraduate education of candidates for the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The academy is located in New London, Connecticut, United States, and is the smallest of the five federal service academies. It provides education to future Coast Guard officers. There are three core values of the academy –
• Devotion to Duty – All the members of the academy are professionals, who accept accountability, seek responsibility and are committed to the successful achievement of their goals.
• Respect – They value their diverse work force and treat one another with compassion, dignity and fairness. They encourage creativity through empowerment, and also encourage individual growth and opportunity.
• Honor – They demonstrate uncompromising moral behavior and ethical conduct in all actions. They are accountable and loyal to the public trust. Integrity is their standard.
Unlike the other federal service academies, admission to the academy does not require a nomination; it is based solely upon the merit. Application to the USCGA is free, online and completely secure. If you have not finished your junior high school, you cannot apply to the academy.
USCGA academic program focuses on the engineering and science subjects, but different courses of study are also available. It offers eight majors: Management, Government, Marine and Environmental Sciences, Operations Research and Computer Analysis, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering. Tuitions for cadets are fully subsidized by the Government in exchange for a contract of five years active duty service upon graduation. About 400 cadets enter the academy each summer with 200 cadets graduating. The USCGA Athletic Department offers 23 intercollegiate sports for students. The athletic teams usually compete in Division III of NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association).
Students are officer-in-training and are referred to as cadets. The Corps of Cadets is organized as one regiment, which is divided into eight companies. Each company consists of about 120 cadets of all classes. The Corps of Cadets follows a standard military Chain of Command –
- First Class Cadets – First class cadets, also called as 1/c, Seniors, lead the Corps. They fulfill roles as Division Officers, Department Heads, Company Commanders and Regimental Staff Officers.
- Second Class Cadets – Also called as 2/c, Juniors, are cadre in Swab Summer training. They provide leadership to third and fourth class cadets, and serves as Assistant Division Officers.
- Third Class Cadets – They are also called as 3/c, Sophomores and are mentors to fourth class cadets.
- Fourth Class Cadets – Fourth class cadets serve as followers. They are also referred as 4/c, Freshmen.
