Rear Admiral Ronald M. Polant USCG-Ret
RADM Polant graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in 1959 and was assigned to the USCGC Rockaway, where he served as Gunnery Officer and First Lieutenant.In 1960 then Lt(jg) Polant attended Navy Flight Training and upon designation as a Coast Guard Aviator (No. 879), was assigned to duty at CGAS Elizabeth City, NC until 1965 when he was selected for postgraduate education at the USAF Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. While there he earned a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1967 and was assigned to USCG Headquarters, first in the Avionics Branch and subsequently in the R&D SAR Branch.
From 1971 to 1974 he was Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Coast Guard Academy during which time then Cadet (now RADM) Jim Van Sice was one of his students. In 1974 RADM Polant returned to aviation duty with tours as Operations Officer, CGAS Barbers Point, HI; Executive Officer, CGAS San Francisco, CA, and Commanding Officer CGAS Savannah, GA. While at CGAS Barbers Point he finally became qualified as a helicopter pilot by virtue of surviving helo transition training at CGAVTRACEN Mobile, Al, with only one mishap, a crushed compression strut subsequent to a hard landing at the end of his first practice full autorotation. In 1980 he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, DC. While in attendance he earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration from George Washington University. In 1981 RADM Polant was assigned to CGHQ for an interminable period while he served sequential tours as R&D SAR Division Chief; Program Manager Patrol Boat Replacement; Deputy Chief, Office of R&D; Task Lead, Office of Acquisition Implementation; and lastly; as the first Deputy Chief, Office of Acquisition. In 1987 he was assigned as Chief of Staff, CCGD5, Portsmouth, VA. He was selected for Flag Rank in 1988 and returned to CGHQ as Chief, Office of Command, Control and Communications, where he served until he retired from active duty in 1992. He then accepted a position with ARINC, Incorporated, in Annapolis, MD, where he developed a strategic business plan for aircraft systems integration and was subsequently Senior Director, Quality Management. RADM Polant retired from ARINC in 2003 and accepted a position at OPTIMUS Corporation, McLean, VA, as Vice President, Quality Management. He retired from OPTIMUS in 2006. He is now a Florida resident, having disposed of his northern real estate, and enjoys hanging out with folks whose average age is deceased. RADM Polant has three children and six grandchildren, none of whom are married and thus he is not yet a great-grandfather.. |