Fellow NOAA Corps officers,
It is with great pleasure I welcome our new Deputy Director, Jason Merriweather, to the CPC team. Jason is a retired Coast Guard Captain with 26 years of operational and varied staff experience. His introduction to the NOAA Corps was back in 1995 while serving as Command Duty Officer at the Marine Safety Office in Galveston, TX, where he would interact with NOAA Corps officers serving as Scientific Support Coordinators based in New Orleans, LA. His last two assignments were at Coast Guard Headquarters where he served first as Executive Assistant to the Assistant Commandant for Human Resources, then as the Chief of the Office of Military Personnel. Jason was instrumental in the development of numerous key human resource policies to include accession and separation, revisions to the Coast Guard Pay Manual, and development and implementation of the Blended Retirement System policies. He brings experience in the full spectrum of personnel policy including workforce planning, pay, allowances, transportation, and travel as well as work on numerous diversity and inclusion initiatives. He will make a great addition to the CPC team and make an immediate impact to the service we provide to the NOAA Corps. Welcome aboard Jason!
CAPT Devin Brakob, NOAA
Director, Commissioned Personnel Center
| 11 Oct 2018 | BOTC 132 Billet Night |
| 16 Oct 2018 | Officer Assignment Board |
| 15 Oct - 02 Nov 2018 | REFTRA 85 |
| 20 Nov 2018 | BOTC 132 Graduation |
| LCDR David Cowan | 26 OCT 2018 |
| LCDR Brian Prestcott | 01 Nov 2018 |
| LT Kyle Salling | 11 Nov 2018 |
| LT Adam Ruckman | 15 Nov 2018 |
| LT Steven Loy | 15 Nov 2018 |
| LT Carmen DeFazio | 16 Nov 2018 |
| LCDR Tanner Sims | 19 Nov 2018 |
| CAPT Scott Sirois | 01 Dec 2018 |
| LT Felicia Drummond | 21 Dec 2018 |
| LTJG Sarah Chappel | 31 Jan 2019 |
In 1957 Rear Admiral H. Arnold Karo spoke at the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. In his talk he described how technology has changed between when he entered the Coast and Geodetic Survey and the (at the time) modern era:
"When I joined the Coast and Geodetic Survey Ship SURVEYOR 33 years ago, she was considered the most modern of surveying ships --- at the time the pride of our fleet. Her bridge contained a steering wheel, magnetic compass, whistle cord, and big brass spittoon! Last month we sold the gallant 38-year old lady as being obsolete and uneconomical to repair. She had gone through two world wars and had earned a rest. Yet at the time of her decommissioning her bridge contained a steering wheel, autopilot, gyro compass, automatic whistle, automatic direction finder, two radars, Sonar, Sofar, Loran, Shoran, EPI [Electronic Position Finder], IFF [possibly a radio identification system], three different types of echo-sounding equipment, numerous other small electronic gadgets, but -- NO SPITTOON!"
Do you remember the anticipation of finding out where you were being sent for your first assignment after BOTC? Want to participate in the excitement of seeing where the newest NOAA Corps officers will get orders to? Tune in this Thursday, October 11, 2018 to the live stream of Billet Night for BOTC-132 and OCS 1-19 to watch this milestone in our newest officers' careers. Billet Night airs starting at approximately 1830. Tune in here.
Please join me in thanking CAPT Michelle Pelkey, USPHS, for over 19 years of service to NOAA when she retires on December 1, 2018. She played an essential part in taking care of Wage Mariner employees, scientists, and NOAA Corps officers sailing aboard NOAA ships. Her clinical intervention and knowledge over the years directly saved lives and had a lasting impact on many people's career and quality of life. CAPT Pelkey played a big role in forming Marine Health policy over the years and also served as the NOAA PHS Liaison for many years, taking care of administrative support for PHS officers detailed to NOAA.
The OMAO Mid-Grade Leadership Training has been suspended until 2019 when the OMAO Training Command is staffed. The Training Command will re-evaluate the curriculum and format of the Mid-Grade Leadership Training to ensure the greatest benefit to the attendees and OMAO. We are hopeful to have the classes resume within 12 months.
An Officer Assignment Board (OAB) will be held on Tuesday, October 16, 2018. The OAB will be prepared to look at potential officers and assignments up to 18 months from now. Please ensure your assignment preferences are up to date, and contact the assignment coordinator, CDR Stephen Kuzirian, with any questions at 301-713-7694 or assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov.