In 18 years with the Coast Guard, LTJG Bryan Holland worked his way from electronics technician to an IT specialist, managing who has access to the cloud.
Then his career got a real boost. Last summer, Holland began regularly badging into Microsoft Corp. offices in Reston, Virginia – frequently for team meetings, other times for hackathons or to help NASA upskill its workforce in using Microsoft’s CoPilot AI and Power Platform.
“It’s been incredible,” he said. “Really a dream come true.”
Holland began working at Microsoft in August 2024 as part of a year-long fellowship with the C5I Industry Training (C5IIT) program. Together with the Naval Engineering Industry Training Program (NEIT), it’s one of two mission support industry training opportunities that offer Coast Guard members a chance to learn best practices from private companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Boeing.
“The idea is to give motivated members an opportunity to broaden their experience and knowledge working with industry partners and then bring back some of that knowledge to us,” said LT Timothy Sargent, who manages the C5IIT program.
Applications for the 2026 programs are due this Friday, May 9. But it’s also not too soon to start thinking of planning for next year.
How to apply
For either C5IIT or NEIT, you’ll need to submit an application, command endorsement, and any applicable waiver through Direct Access (DA). The current programs are open to members who are tour complete as of June 2026 and meet the eligibility requirements below.
- The C5IIT program is for C5I officers at the O-2 to O-4 level. Coast Guard fellows have worked with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Oracle, but any other industry partner of particular interest with CG-6 can work.
- The NEIT program is open to experienced officers with the CG-NEN10 specialty. Members have been placed with Boeing, Amazon, Ford and Microsoft, where a recent fellow worked on applications for tracking maintenance.
A panel will meet June 23 to June 27 to review applications and select this year’s fellows. In August, the new C5IIT fellow will begin looking for an industry partner, which can take a while.
“You have to do your homework,” said Holland, who spent a lot of time after he was selected 2023 doing research, going on LinkedIn to find people to talk to at the companies he pursued, and crafting a pitch on how he could provide value.
Unlike at some other C5IIT companies, it can be difficult to get an assigned technical role at Microsoft. “There was one Army fellow who came in with a business background and worked in the finance department,” Holland said. “But they’re not going to let you join a cyber intelligence or threat hunting team. So, my role at Microsoft has been more to be a learning sponge and find areas that interest me that I can dig into.”
Fortunately, Microsoft provided the flexibility and access to make that possible, allowing Holland to visit different offices and explore the company. “I was cold calling a lot of teams, which really boosted my networking skills,” he said. “This experience deepened my appreciation for the value of mentorship, and I am continually expanding my network of mentors at the company.”
Over time, Holland was able get involved in areas that interested him. At the Reston office, he became an assistant to the director of the Garage, Microsoft’s innovation space, and took part in hackathons. This not only taught him new skills but helped him redefine failure. “Not everything works out,” he said. “That’s true of the Coast Guard, and Microsoft also has had products that don’t work. I’ve learned to say, ‘You didn’t get the results you wanted but look at all the things you achieved along the way.’”
He also got insight into Microsoft’s business and where the company is heading. Holland has been able to learn more about data collection and AI and get AI certifications. In addition, he worked with other customer accounts, including NASA, gaining an understanding of issues other organizations face.
Holland’s stint at Microsoft wraps in July. After that, he’s excited to help the Coast Guard with its transformation in his new role as a requirements manager in CG-7. In addition to the technical knowledge and business acumen he’s accumulated, Holland believes he’s returning as a more well-rounded officer.
“I used to overburden myself with responsibility and had a habit of overanalyzing risks,” he said. “This experience really helped me lean into Microsoft’s growth mindset, to be curious, keep learning, work with great people and not shy away from tough problems. That mindset is something I plan to carry with me, no matter where I’m serving or what challenges come next.”
For more information about the C5IIT contact LT Timothy Sargent at: Timothy.D.Sargent@uscg.mil
For more information about NEIT contact LCDR Laurin Teegarden at: Laurin.M.Teegarden@uscg.mil.
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