ations , ▁Str ateg ic ▁Studies ▁Group ▁XXX ▁▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁- ▁M anson ▁K . ▁Brown ▁US CG A ▁' 7 8 ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁vice ▁adm iral . ▁▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁- ▁M anson ▁K . ▁Brown ▁US CG A ▁' 7 8 ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard . ▁V AD M ▁Brown ▁is , ▁thus ▁far , ▁the ▁highest ▁ranking ▁African - American ▁to ▁have ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Coast ▁Guard . ▁ ▁Life ▁in ▁the ▁cad et ▁bar ra cks ▁The ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁Academy ▁Corps ▁of ▁Cad ets ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 9 0 0 ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Europe , ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁the ▁Car ib bean , ▁each ▁purs uing ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Science ▁degree ▁and ▁a ▁commission ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁or ▁their ▁host ▁country ' s ▁military ▁service . ▁Sign ific antly , ▁the ▁Corps ▁of ▁Cad ets ▁is ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁cad ets ▁themselves . ▁ ▁Organ ization ▁The ▁Corps ▁of ▁Cad ets ▁is ▁organized ▁into ▁eight ▁companies ▁( Al fa , ▁Bra vo , ▁Charlie , ▁D elta , ▁E cho , ▁Fo xt rot , ▁G olf ▁and ▁Hotel ) ▁forming ▁one ▁regiment . ▁Cad ets ▁run ▁the ▁Corps ▁through ▁their ▁regiment al ▁chain ▁of ▁command . ▁ ▁F resh men ▁cad ets ▁are ▁called ▁“ sw abs ”. ▁If ▁they ▁surv ive ▁Sw ab ▁Summer , ▁from ▁July ▁to ▁August , ▁they ▁are ▁allowed ▁to ▁make ▁a