ENS Jacob “Jake” Skimmons
2021 Saratoga Fellow
Military Branch: United States Coast Guard Academy
Hometown: Gaithersburg, MD
College: United States Coast Guard Academy
Degree: Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Jake Skimmons is the Damage Control Assistant on USCGC POLAR STAR (WAGB-10), his first assignment after graduating in 2020 with a Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Originally from Gaithersburg, MD, the stories his father told of attending the U.S. Naval Academy and then serving at sea inspired him to follow a similar path. As a cadet, ENS Skimmons rowed with the crew team, led the cadet jazz band on saxophone, and was involved with the Officer's Christian Fellowship. During the summers, he spent time with USCGC MUSTANG (WPB-1310), held an internship at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, sailed with USCGC EAGLE (WIX-327), and earned a sought-after place in the Auschwitz Jewish Center's American Service Academies Program.
At the Saratoga Fellows Program, ENS Skimmons hopes to reflect on his own walk with Christ and become a more effective disciple. He wants to understand how Christian morals can manifest in American society and the military and build the knowledge base to teach others about it.