ALCOAST 056/20 - FEB 2020 USCGA ECLIPSE 2020

R 240851 FEB 20
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//DCMS//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N01000//
ALCOAST 056/20
COMDTNOTE 1000
SUBJ:  USCGA ECLIPSE 2020
A. USCG Strategic Plan 2018-2022
B. The Coast Guard's Strategic Vision for the Coast Guard Academy 2019-2023
C. ALCGFINANCE 042/16 2017 Travel and Community Outreach Guidance
D. Military Assignments and Authorized Absences, COMDTINST M1000.8 (series)
1. Per REF (A), the Coast Guard's strength resides in its people and the different
perspectives, talents and abilities they bring to the service. Equity-minded and
culturally literate leaders are needed to address the globally complex operational
and mission support challenges of the 21st century. Per REF (B), the Coast Guard
Academy prioritizes the development of service ready officers, critical to building
and maintaining a diverse organization that fosters an inclusive workforce and enables
everyone to thrive in a dynamic global environment. In support of REFs (A) and (B),
Eclipse 2020 will be held at the Coast Guard Academy 3-4 April 2020.
2. Eclipse is part of a cadet-run tradition established by the Coast Guard Academy
Genesis Council in the 1970s with a strong focus on diversity, inclusion, and
mentorship. The Coast Guard Academy invites the greater Coast
Guard community, local community members, and experts in diversity from across the
nation to participate in mentoring and inspiring cadets to excel and prepare for
lasting careers as inclusive Coast Guard officers.
3. This year's theme is "Foundation for a More Inclusive CG: Developing Equity-Minded
Leaders of Character." On Friday there will be two keynote addresses which include
speaker Jane Hyun, author of "Flex: The Playbook for Managing Across Differences" and
Dr. Kwame Anthony Appiah, author of "The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity."
Other events include junior and senior officer talk back sessions, regimental review,
cadet talent show, speed mentoring, and more. Coast Guard and community members are
invited to participate in all Eclipse events.
4. The greater Coast Guard community is encouraged to submit nominations for the
Eclipse Awards. Nominations should be written as a narrative no longer than one page
and clearly state the award the person is being nominated for. The following criteria
should be used to evaluate potential nominees. Please submit nominations to:
oid@uscga.edu by Friday 28 February. A list of past awardees can be found at:
https://www.uscga.edu/eclipse.
    a. The Manson K. Brown Genesis Award is given to a Coast Guard Academy cadet or
Alumnus whose forethought and commitment has fostered a community of inclusion by
establishing traditions and practices which promote comprehension of and appreciation
for diversity. Steadfast in the pursuit to create an inclusive space for
underrepresented minority cadets while also enlightening their peers, this motivated
leader has made sustainable contributions to the Corps of Cadets in an effort to
promote an environment free from bias and discrimination.
    b. The Merle Smith Pioneer Award is given to a member of the Coast Guard Academy
community who has accomplished groundbreaking firsts at the Academy. This person
has served as a beacon of inspiration among their peers to strive for the unimaginable
and forge new paths of greatness through an exceptional determination to succeed.
This award is a marker of the honor and courage required to lead, chart unfamiliar
territory and reach heightened levels of achievement in the face of adversity and
uncertainty.
    c. The JoAnn Miller Community Award is given to a member of the Academy or greater
New London community who has worked as an active liaison between the Academy and the
City of New London, building a bridge between the two entities. The efforts of this
recipient have made significant, lasting contributions to the Academy, the cadets,
and the New London community.
    d. The Frances Neal Humanitarian Award is bestowed upon a cadet, alumni, staff,
or faculty member who goes above and beyond to provide support for cadets and the
entire Academy through facilitation of an environment rich in community and comfort.
This pivotal figure demonstrates an incessant passion for the well-being of cadets
and instinctively strives to empower cadets mentally, emotionally, and/or academically.
The actions of this award recipient transform the Academy into an inclusive community
where all cadets can grow, be nurtured, supported, mentored and challenged to be
dynamic leaders of character.
    e. The Joseph M. Vojvodich Award is given to a Coast Guard member who has fostered
a community of inclusion by providing mentorship from the Coast Guard field to
historically underrepresented cadets at USCGA. This inspirational leader shows
evidence of sustained commitment to mentoring that resulted in career development of
three or more mentees and has supported the growth of each mentee's academic career
as well as providing opportunities to experience operational Coast Guard events that
move mentees toward establishing independence in their Coast Guard career. This
recipient helps mentees to develop and sustain a network of professional colleagues
who can offer advice, training, and help. The mentoring efforts of this individual
led directly to attracting and retaining a diverse Coast Guard workforce, dedication
of service to the Academy, and have helped foster an inclusive environment for all
to appreciate.
    f. The Dr. Hallie Gregory Award is given to any member of the greater Coast Guard
community who has excelled in actively demonstrating and promoting the unifying Core
Value of Respect. They are identified as a distinguished, unifying catalyst who best
exemplifies the Coast Guard tenets of teambuilding, teamwork, honesty, fairness,
dignity, civility, and respect. Exceeding what is expected, she or he creates a
thriving environment of compassion, value, and opportunity for all that is clearly
based on mutual respect.
5. In accordance with REFs (C) and (D), the Coast Guard Academy Office of Inclusion
& Diversity (OID) is the Coast Guard's coordinator for the event and has
responsibility to account for all attendance and overall costs to DHS. Coast Guard
funded attendance is limited. All approved requested travel related costs will be
covered by CGA. To request attendance, each district, area, and HQ shall nominate
one diversity and inclusion champion. Ideal candidates include active affiliation
with the following: Academy Minority Outreach Team (AMOT), Leadership Diversity and
Advisory Council (LDAC) Chair, or CG diversity stewards. Each nominee will submit a
TDY Travel Request Worksheet through their chain of command for unit-level approval.
Once command approval has been obtained, members will email their approved TDY request
to: oid@uscga.edu no later than 28 February 2020. OID will issue final approval to
attendees via email. Once attendees are notified that their attendance is approved,
they may register for the conference.
6. Commanding Officers/OICs are strongly encouraged to support the professional
development of civilian and military personnel.
    a. For military members, permissive orders are authorized IAW CH 2.a.10. of REF (D).
Attendance via permissive orders is unlimited for military members, but members must
notify OID via email to: oid@uscga.edu for accountability.
    b. For civilian employees, attendance including travel time is considered work time.
For civilian employees requesting permissive orders to attend, supervisory approval is
required. Reasonable amount of travel time must be indicated by email, and reflected in
the remarks section of the employee's timecard. The remarks must state the employee is
approved work and travel time to attend the Eclipse 2020 Conference during their scheduled
tour of duty from 3-4 April 2020. The employee's attendance at events outside of the
employee's scheduled tour of duty is not required and is at the employee's discretion;
therefore, overtime and compensatory time for work cannot be approved. Civilians attending
must notify OID via email to: oid@uscga.edu for accountability.
7. DHS requires a post-conference report to be submitted 30 days after the event.
To comply, all travelers on orders must submit a copy of their travel settlement to
OID via email to: oid@uscga.edu no later than 20 April 2020.
8. Conference attendance and registration information can be found at:
www.uscga.edu/eclipse. Pre-registration is required. Registration will open 01 March 2020
and close on 23 March 2020.
9. Districts, Areas, and CGHQ may nominate one person to be funded by CGA. All others
requesting to attend will be authorized permissive orders. Commanding Officers are
highly encouraged to promote award submissions and attendance at Eclipse 2020.
10. Questions regarding Eclipse 2020 should be referred to the Office of Inclusion and
Diversity via email: oid@uscga.edu or 860-444-8287.
11. VADM Michael F. McAllister, Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, sends.
12. Internet release is authorized.