In recent weeks CPC has received several phone calls and emails asking for information that is readily available via the CPC Website. I would like to take this opportunity to revisit what is on the CPC Website in an effort to help increase awareness of the resources available to you at any time and to help you be ready to form informed questions when contacting CPC directly.
Here are three excellent examples of resources within the site:
"How-To" Guidance - This page focuses on frequently asked about subjects, it includes How-To Guidance documents breaking complex personnel actions down into plain language, copies of PowerPoint Presentations made at 'Ask CPC' Webinars and Q&A documents.
Medical Requirements - A summary of all medical examinations and frequencies to remain physically qualified.
NOAA Corps Directives - The source for all personnel actions that CPC refers to in responding to most information requests. All officers should review, and be familiar with the Directives and refer questions of interpretation to CPC when unclear.
CPC is here to help officers when needed, and my intention is not to prevent officers from reaching out when there is confusion, or information is not available on the website. We are always looking for opportunities to improve the site and suggestions will be gladly accepted via the "Constructive Suggestions" link in OPF Online.
CAPT Lawrence T. Krepp, NOAA
Director, CPC
| 19 October - 08 November 2014 | REFTRA |
| 01-05 December 2014 | Mid-Grade Leadership Week 1 |
| 02-06 February 2015 | Mid-Grade Leadership Week 2 |
| CAPT Todd C. Stiles | 01 November 2014 |
| LCDR Brent J. Pounds | 01 November 2014 |
| LT Christopher W. Daniels | 30 November 2014 |
| LTJG Leslie Z. Flowers | 19 December 2014 |
| LT Erik Norris | 01 January 2015 |
| ENS Abigail Kernan-Schloss | 01 January 2015 |
| CDR Jeffrey Hagan | 01 January 2015 |
| LT Michael Davidson | 30 January 2015 |
| LCDR Guinevere Lewis | 31 January 2015 |
CPC has upgraded the OPF Online to include a new look and some new features. With these new upgrades there will be changes to document submission requirements for endorsed PCS/PCA Orders and Training/Qualification document submissions.
Endorsed PCS/PCA Orders Submissions
When an officer's effective PCS/PCA date is approaching and/or has passed, a notification bar will appear at the top of the OPF Online screen prompting the officer to submit his/her endorsed orders. To submit endorsed orders officers will:
Effective imediately, endorsed PCS/PCA orders will only be accepted through this method.
Training/Qualification Document Submissions
As with the PCS/PCA orders, training and Qualification documents may be submitted to CPC via the "Add Document" links in OPF Online. Officers should select "Training" as the document type and then submit.
CPC regrets to report the passing of Commander Burl Lynn Wescott, NOAA (Ret). CDR Wescott was appointed to the NOAA Corps as part of the 38th Officer Training Class. With a total of 23 years of service, CDR Wescott served 19 years in the NOAA Corps, and 4 years previously in the U.S. Air Force. Throughout his career, CDR Wescott served on six NOAA Ships and served as an integral coordinator during NOAA's response to the Exxon Valdez incident. CDR Wescott passed away September 7th, 2014, and his family is planning a memorial of his life, but a date has not yet been set. If you wish to offer condolences or attend the memorial please contact OPMD Staff Officer, LT Lindsay Morrison, at Lindsay.Morrison@noaa.gov.
LT Abitbol is an Inter-Service Transfer from the Navy with an aviation background. He is coming to NOAA with over 9 years of commissioned service and over 2100 flight hours. He is a 2005 graduate of the US Naval Academy and flew EP-3E Orions and S-3B Vikings for the Navy. His stops include an operational tour in Whidbey Island, WA and an aviation test tour in Point Mugu, CA before finishing his Navy career at Little Creek Amphibious base in Virginia Beach, VA. LT Abitbol is a native Floridian and is excited to be back home and proud to be flying with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters at AOC.
We are about halfway through the Fall Recruiting Season and would like to thank all of the officers who volunteered to recruit for the NOAA Corps at various events. NOAA Corps will be represented at 38 different events this Autumn and it would not have been possible without the help of those in the field. Long lists of interested students and potential applicants are arriving each week. We also appreciate the feedback regarding events and suggestions for recruiting efforts. We recognize the following officers for volunteering so far this season at several events:
BOTC 124 conducted the field portion of their STCW Basic Safety Training requirements at Survival Systems, Inc. in Groton, CT on Tuesday, September 30, 2014. Two USCG staff officers, LT Liz Oliveira and LT Brandon Schumann, joined in the training as well. The experience is quite unlike any other, conducted in harsh conditions of simmulated 40mph winds, rain, and smoke in the dark. While donned in immersion suits, BOTC 124 practiced abandoning ship into a life raft, litter basket rescue techniques, survival swimming procedures, and last but certainly not least, completed the full egress in the simulated vessel while it is turned upside down. The hands on training proved to be beneficial for both BOTC and REFTRA officers who have participated in the program. Take-aways include: increased confidence, the importance of maintaining situational awareness, and perhaps most importantly, learning to remain calm under pressure. The phrase, "ditching, ditching, ditching!" is sure to be engrained into the minds fo the trainees, along with the emergency procedures necessary to survive should they face a catastrophe. The OCs recently completed their ROTR exam and have the following STCW courses scheduled in the upcoming weeks: Basic Safety Training and Advanced Fire Fighting.
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The the annual web-based NOAA Employee Safety and Environmental Awareness Course for calendar year 2014. This awareness course is a key part of our on-going safety program requirement to maintain a safe working environment, and to promote improved safety and environmental compliance awareness by all NOAA employees and partners. You should access this course by going to the Commerce Learning Center at NOAA web site: https://doc.learn.com/noaa. You will see a tab for "Required Training". Click on 2014 NOAA Safety Awareness to launch the course.