Organization of The Corps of Cadets
The Corps is organized as one regiment divided into eight companies, each of which is composed of about 120 cadets of all classes. Although the Corps of Cadets is supervised directly by the Commandant of Cadets (a Coast Guard officer with the rank of captain), the academy operates on the concept of "the Corps leading the Corps."
The Corps of Cadets is largely a self-directed organization that follows a standard military chain of command:
- 1st class cadets lead the Corps
- 2nd class cadets are cadre in Swab Summer training
- 3rd class cadets are mentors to 4th class cadets
- 4th class cadets are followers
The highest-ranking cadet in each company is the Company Commander, a first-class cadet ("firstie"), equivalent to a senior. Although each company has some leeway in their standards and practices, every company commander reports to the Regimental Staff who plan and oversee all aspects of cadet life. At the top of the cadet chain of command is the Regimental Commander, the highest ranking cadet. Command positions, both in companies and on Regimental Staff, are highly competitive, and a cadet's overall class rank is often a deciding factor in who is awarded the position.
The eight companies are named for the first eight letters of the NATO phonetic alphabet. Each has a special focus in administering day-to-day affairs: Alfa company is in charge of health and wellness. Bravo company is in charge of trainings. Charlie company is in charge of administering the honor system, Delta company is in charge of drill and ceremonies. Echo company is in charge of transportation and logistics. Foxtrot is in charge of operating the cadet conduct system, organizing the watch rotations, and making the regulations. Golf company is in charge of supplies for cleaning and repairing damaged rooms within the corps. Hotel company is in charge of morale events, and so forth. To accomplish these missions, each company is divided, along shipboard lines, into three departments, each of which is divided into a variety of divisions. Divisions are the most basic unit at the Coast Guard Academy, and each has a very specific duty. Each division is commanded by a firstie and contains several members of each other class.
This organizational structure is designed to give every cadet a position of leadership and to emulate the structure of a Coast Guard cutter, in which the division officer and department head positions are filled by junior officers. Third-class cadets directly mentor the fourth-class in their division, just as junior petty officers would be responsible for the most junior enlisted personnel (non-rates). Second-class cadets act as non-commissioned officers, and ensure that the regulations and accountability are upheld. Firsties (like junior officers) are in supervisory roles, and are responsible for carrying out the mission of their divisions and ensuring the well-being of those under their command. Exchange cadets from the other federal service academies are also a part of the Corps, and take part in many activities alongside their USCGA counterparts.
Read more about this topic: United States Coast Guard Academy
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