The US Naval Institute is again having its annual Coast Guard Essay Contest. I would have provided a link to the USNI page about the 2018 contest, but there does not seem to be one (I keep getting 2017 contest info), so I am repeating information from my print copy of Proceedings below.

The Challenge: Advance new thinking about the U.S. Coast Guard’s critical role in the 21st century. No issue is too big or too narrow as long as it makes the Coast Guard stronger. This does not mean author’s cannot be critical and take on conventional wisdom and current practices. In fact, we encourage you push the “dare factor.”

The Reward:

—$5,000 First Prize

—$2,500 Second Prize

—$1,500 Third Prize

Eligibility + Submission: Open to all contributors–active-duty military, reservists, veterans, and civilians.

Deadline: 30 June 2018

Email to: essay@usni.org with “Coast Guard Essay Contest” in subject line

Include: Word count on the title page. Provide bio and contact information in separate attachment.

Winners will be announced in July and published in a future issue of Proceedings.

Word Length: 2,500 words maximum, excluding notes and sources.

If you are interested you might want to take a look at the advice offered here: “Writing for the National Security Audience–From the Heart”