Director's Message:

As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, please take a moment to remember the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.  Be safe as you enjoy the long weekend with family and friends.  Special thanks to our ships and aircraft in operational status over the holiday.


CAPT Lawrence T. Krepp, NOAA
Director, CPC

On the Horizon

05 Aug 2014 BOTC 124 INDOC

Approved Resignations, Separations and Retirements

CAPT Mark H. Pickett
01 June 2014
LT Kyle W. Ryan
15 July 2014
LT Paul M. Chamberlain
01 August 2014
LTJG Carmen M. Alex
01 August 2014
CAPT Jon D. Swallow
01 August 2014
ENS Katherine L.Doster
01 August 2014

NOAA Corps and USCG Commemorates Partnership

On Tuesday, May 6, 2014, OCS Class 2-14 and BOTC 123 presented RADM Stosz and RADM Score with a Joint Service Training Center brass benchmark to commemorate the partnership between the USCG Officer Candidate School and NOAA Corps Officer Training Center.  The eight-inch, round survey marker, emblazoned with a seal that blends the emblems of the U.S. Coast Guard with that of NOAA was designed and gifted by BOTC 122 and OCS Class 1-14.  On Wednesday, May 7, 2014, Dr. Sullivan and RADM Stosz, alongside RADM Score and RDML Bushman, placed the benchmark in its permanent home at the United States Coast Guard Academy in Robert Crown Park.

From the Assignments Desk

Junior officers will be reviewed collectively for their first land assignment billet to encourage interest in all assignments available during scheduled rotations.  This will streamline the assignment process when first reporting to a vessel by enabling junior officers an opportunity to focus on earning their OOD underway qualification prior to pursuing forthcoming assignments.

Expected Timeline:

Upon 14 months out from scheduled rotation, officers will receive a message from the Assignment Coordinator indicating available billets and point of contact. 

Upon 13 months out from scheduled rotation, officers should update assignment preferences and contact the Liaison Officer of their top three billet preferences.

Upon 12 months out from scheduled rotation, officers will be given their forthcoming assignment. 

Currently:

BOTC 120 and BOTC 121 are being reviewed for first land assignments.
BOTC 122 has recently received email (ahead of schedule secondary to the Assignment Coordinator’s rotation) indicating which assignments are available.

Future Dates:

July 2014: BOTC 120 and 121 will receive forthcoming assignment letters
December 2014: BOTC 122 will receive forthcoming assignment letters
April 2015: BOTC 123 will receive an email from the Assignment Coordinator indicating available billets.

Aviation Assignment Board

There will be two Aviation Assignment Boards held this summer to select officers for initial flight training and heavy aircraft.  Please see below for additional information:

Initial Flight: 

The Board will select up to three officers from the fleet who are interested in transitioning to aviation during the 2015 calendar year.  Start dates for flight training will be determined based upon the needs of the service and current rotation date of the officers selected.  Flight experience is encouraged but is not required for this opportunity. If you are interested in initial flight training, please send an email to Sherrita Irby (sherrita.irby@noaa.gov) by COB, Friday, May 30, 2014, to express interest. You will be provided with detailed application instructions.

Heavy Board:

An Aviation Advisory Board will convene during Summer of 2014 to make recommendations for the next P-3 and G-IV pilots.  The Board will consider all aviators in the rank O-4 and below with a minimum of 1,500 hours of total flight time and 100 hours of NOAA Aircraft Commander time.  Applicants must reasonably expect to meet the minimum qualifications listed above by the following estimated training start dates:

  • 1 G-IV pilot: May 2015
  • 1 P-3 pilot: June 2015
  • By COB, Monday, June 30, 2014, all interested officers should submit an email (one-page maximum) to Sherrita Irby at sherrita.irby@noaa.gov, with the following detailed information:
  • Explain how your experience and expertise will benefit the Programs and missions in which the aircraft support
  • Desired platform (if any)
  • Aircraft ratings held
  • Positions held by aircraft (both AOC and other) and current flight times in those capacities
  • Anything additional that will highlight your accomplishments and performance

Please note, official boards convened by the Director, NOAA Corps, members will have access to Official Personnel File. Ensure that your file and assignment preferences are up to date.
Aviators with specific questions regarding these positions may contact either CDR Gallagher or LCDR Price. 

Requests for Uniform and Awards Board

The current term for the Uniform and Awards Board (UAB) is coming to an end; CPC is seeking new membership.  The current UAB structure enabling virtual board members has been fruitful; therefore, the Director is opening membership up to officers outside of the local area in the rank of O-2 and above. The NOAA Corps UAB provides the Director, NOAA Corps, with recommendations for decorations, medals, and uniforms.  The UAB is comprised of no less than three active-duty officers appointed by the Director. The membership typically consists of 8-10 officers.  A senior member of the UAB is appointed the Chair and is responsible for arranging, organizing and taking minutes of the meetings.  UAB duties primarily include reviewing and making recommendations to the Director on the nominations of qualifying uniformed service members for NOAA Corps Commendation Medals, NOAA Corps Achievement Medals and NOAA Corps Director’s Ribbons.  The UAB convenes once a month; membership is for 18 months.  Additional UAB duties are outlined in NOAA Corps Directive, Chapter 10, Section 10010. If you are interested in joining the UAB, please contact Katherine Raymond at (Katherine.raymond@noaa.gov) by COB Friday, May 30, 2014.  The next UAB members will convene in August for an overlap Board with the outgoing team.

Message From the Recruiting Branch

The NOAA Corps Recruiting Branch would like to thank everyone who helped out during Spring's recruiting cycle.  Collectively, 34 career fairs across the country and 55 interviews were successfully conducted. The board worked countless hours reviewing 76 applications for BOTC 124, from which 15 candidates were selected.  Interviews for BOTC 125 will begin in June.  Recruiting is anticipating help with this upcoming endeavor.  Should any recruiting opportunities exist in your area and you would like to attend, please let the Recruiting Branch know.  Thank you again for all your hard work during the last months.