Coast Guard is looking for a few good grads

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Posted by: Christopher Lagan

Coast Guard members talk with students and parents about opportunities available in Coast Guard and through the College Student Precommissioning Initiative. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.

Coast Guard members talk with students and parents about opportunities available in the Coast Guard and through the College Student Precommissioning Initiative. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.

Post written by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.

Every day, Coast Guard recruiters travel the nation to help high school and college students make one of the toughest decisions of their lives, what comes next?

Earlier this week, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Eddie Lesane and Lt. Lushan Hannah found themselves at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Career Expo in Charlotte, N.C., talking to students and parents from thirteen historically African-American insitutions about considering a career of service to their country as they look to the future after graduation.

Specifically, Lesane and Hannah were onhand to educate students on the opportunities presented by the Coast Guard’s College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative – commonly known as CSPI.

This rare scholarship program pays for up to two years of tuition, books and fees. After graduation, CSPI students are accepted to the Coast Guard’s Officer Candidate School in New London, Conn., where upon completion, they earn a commission in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Lesane has a strong personal connection with the program as a CSPI graduate from South Carolina State University, one of the nation’s oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Lesane knows firsthand that many students at the expo at one point or another experience some financial challenges during college.

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Eddie Lesane talks with a college student about opportunities available in Coast Guard and through the College Student Precommissioning Initiative. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Eddie Lesane talks with a college student about opportunities available in Coast Guard and through the College Student Precommissioning Initiative. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.

“As a young man, I knew I wanted to go to college but wasn’t sure I could afford it,” said Lesane. “CSPI gave me a chance to get my degree and become a Coast Guard officer. I never looked back and hope some of the kids here today will seriously consider the program.”

In other cases, Lesane said students know very little about the Coast Guard.

“Fear of the unknown – not knowing what the Coast Guard does, makes students hesitate about joining the military,” he said.

That is why the career fair is so important, according to Hannah, also a CSPI graduate participating in the expo.

“I came here today because I believe in service and to help spread the word about the opportunities in our service,” said Hannah. “From search and rescue to environmental protection to law enforcement, the Coast Guard is full of great career opportunities for every American.”

Lesane said each Coast Guard participant at the expo has a success story to share about their career in the military.

“If we can educate students on the opportunities and what the Coast Guard can do for them, then that is a victory,” said Lesane.

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  • Coastie Chris

    I wish CSPI reached out to ALL students of all races and creeds…rather than limit itself to “Historically Minority Colleges.” Rather than getting students based on the content of their character, CSPI is only reaching out for students of minority races. I was in CSPI and earned my commission several years ago, and became angered when my university was removed from the list because it is not “Historically Black/Hispanic/Indian.”

    Anyone who says I am wrong in that the program reaches out to people on race, answer me this. Why is it now only limited to Historically Minority colleges? Its a nice way to skirt around the discrimination laws and instill Affirmative Action into the Coast Guard.

  • TPB

    Same here. I was ready sign up for the pre-commissioning program my sophomore year, but my university didn’t meet the 25% minority requirement. Graduated two years later and now I’m enlisted. Oh, well…

  • Rube1247

    i live in Jersey Village tx, my kids attend jersey village high,u see the other arm branches but not the COAST GUARD, whats up

  • CWO Scott S Carr

    Rube1247 – You bring up an interesting point worth clarifying. The U.S. Coast Guard only has 84 recruiting offices nationwide, and this year the service only has job openings for 3,200 young men and women throughout the entire country. While the Coast Guard does have a recruiting office in Houston, the office only has three to five recruiters. Houston is a large city with 31 high schools and another 8 charter high schools presenting a significant challenge for our recruiting force.

    If your kids are interested in joining the Coast Guard, they will need to seek out the Coast Guard and convince the recruiter that they are a good fit for our service. The best start is to visit to research the missions, job positions and find a recruiter in your area.

    Good luck!
    CWO Scott Carr
    Public Affairs Officer
    Coast Guard Recruiting Command

  • Cecilia Robinson

    Coastie Chris and TPB,

    The Coast Guard recruits officers through a number of different programs, including the College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI). The CSPI program is a scholarship program available to persons of all races and is focused on those attending minority serving institutions in direct support of Presidential Executive Orders 13256, 13230 and 13270. The focus on minority serving institutions has been in place since February 2009 in keeping with Coast Guard core values and goals related to diversity – ethnically, racially, as well as by gender and geographic representation, to ensure our service is led by the best possible pool of officers from across America.

    Specifically, CSPI recruits officer candidates from Historically Black Colleges or Universities, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (more specifically Hispanic Servicing Institutions), tribal colleges or universities, and the following colleges or universities located in Guam, Hawaii and New Mexico:

    a) University of Guam
    b) University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hilo, and West Oahu
    c) Argosy University-Hawaii
    d) Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture

    For more information on officer career opportunities in the Coast Guard, please visit: ”

    Respectfully,
    LTJG Cecilia Robinson
    CSPI Program Coordinator
    Coast Guard Recruiting Command