Promotion News

Congratulations to LTJG Sean Digre who was promoted on March 4, 2019! It is with great pleasure that CPC announces the upcoming promotions of CDR (select) Rebecca Waddington and CDR (select) Paul Hemmick which will be effective April 2, 2019.

Bravo Zulu on your well-deserved advancements!

Officer Personnel Management Division (OPMD) Reorganization

OPMD provides the full spectrum of human resources services to NOAA Corps officers, retirees, and NOAA Corps families. We manage officer promotions, awards, records, transfers, appointments, benefits, retirements, separations, active duty pay, personnel actions, and entitlement programs; this Division manages each officers' entire career from the day they enter Basic Officer Training until retirement and beyond.

Effective immediately, your OPMD main point of contact has changed. In an effort to provide exceptional customer service and encourage more frequent and enhanced communication, officers will now have a single point of contact within OPMD to manage personnel actions, answer questions, and provide information. We have divided the alphabet between OPMD's three Human Resources Specialists:

Pay questions should continue to be directed to Carol Holley and Ron Cunningham at the NOAA Corps Payroll Unit. Assignment, OER, and Training points of contact within the Officer Career Management Division also remain the same. Please refer to the CPC website, for the updated Directory, and Who to Contact pages.

Officer Augmentation – Reminder

As the field season approaches, a reminder to officers to fill out the Deck Officer Availability form. The Google form populates the Deck Officer Availability spreadsheet which is instrumental for XOs attempting to fill positions required for sailing. Officers can also review the Deck Officer Augmentation Request spreadsheet to determine which request they may be able to fill. The ships may also include experience opportunities to further your knowledge of different ships and operations. If you see a request that you would like to fill, reach out to that ship's XO and offer your assistance!

For information on how the augmentation process works, see Fleet Augmentation Needs within the CPC website. Officers should NOT reach out to MO Crew for assignments or travel, all coordination will be with the ship's Command.

This information, as well as several procedures/information for other frequently asked questions, can be found within the "How To" link at CPC homepage.

New UAB Membership

Bravo Zulu to the 2017-2019 Uniform and Award Board; thank you for your service and support! CPC is grateful to have received response from many officers volunteering to take up the crucial role as the new Board. The following officers have been selected as UAB members effective March 1, 2019:

Congratulations and thank you in advance for your time and effort! UAB can be contacted with any of your uniform or award questions and concerns at noaacorps.uab@noaa.gov.

SOES Certification

Thank you to all officers who have taken action to certify their life insurance benefits online! If you have not done so, take five minutes to ensure your benefits are in order by clicking here. Certification within MilConnect is a requirement for all officers. If you are declining coverage, you will see your elections as $0, however, will not be able to "certify"; the system administrators are working toward a solution to allow full compliance with certification requirements. In the meantime, CPC is requesting a screenshot of your coverage should you decline, or the certification letter showing your elections.

Detailed instructions were provided in an October 15^th Message from the Director, CPC email. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact LCDR Laura Gibson at laura.gibson@noaa.gov.

Aviation Advisory Board Announcement

An Aviation Advisory Board (AAB) will convene in May 2019 to make recommendations for AOC's next G-IV and P-3 pilots. In contrast to prior Heavy Aircraft Selection Boards, the upcoming AAB will not have minimum Total Flight Time and Aircraft Commander experience requirements, however, these factors will be taken into consideration. Selections will be made for one G-IV pilot and two P-3 pilots. P-3 selections will consist of one current NOAA Aviator and one Inter-service Transfer (IST) officer. Rank and Years of Service will also be factors in the selection process.

By COB, April 23, 2019, all interested officers should submit an email (one-page maximum) to CDR Stephen Kuzirian at assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov, with the following detailed information:

• Explain how your experience and expertise will benefit the programs and missions which the NOAA heavy aircraft support
• Aircraft ratings held
• Positions held by aircraft (both AOC and other) and current flight times in those positions
• Any additional information that will highlight your accomplishments, performance, and potential for success as a G-IV or P-3 pilot

AAB members will have access to Officer Personnel Folders (OPF) so please ensure that your OPF and assignment preferences are up to date.

Aviators with specific questions regarding this AAB may contact CDR Brad Fritzler at bradley.fritzler@noaa.gov.

Command Advisory Board: CO and XO Assignments

A Command Advisory Board is scheduled for Wednesday, April 3, 2019, to make recommendations for Commanding Officer and Executive Officer assignments. Any officer within two years of rotation could be considered for these ship assignments. Please ensure your assignment preferences are updated to reflect your latest interest, and reach out to ship Commands and the Marine Centers to discuss possible CO and XO assignments. For any questions, please contact CDR Stephen Kuzirian at assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov or by phone at 301-713-7694.

Officer Assignment Board: O-4/O-5 Shore Assignments

An Officer Assignment Board (OAB) for O-4/O-5 shore assignments will be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. The OAB will be prepared to look at potential O-4/O-5 officers and assignments up to 18 months from now. Please ensure your assignment preferences are up to date, discuss potential assignments with the appropriate liaison officer, and contact the assignment coordinator, CDR Stephen Kuzirian, with any questions at 301-713-7694 or assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov.

From the Assignments Desk

The Office of Coast Survey is seeking applicants for two hydrographic training billets #7208 and #7206, located at the University of New Hampshire's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Center (https://ccom.unh.edu/education) in Durham, NH. The assignment opportunities will begin at the start of the fall semester, the first in August 2020 and the second in August 2021; the assignment has a 3-year duration.

Hydrographic training billets are rigorous technical programs, and undergraduate level courses in calculus and physics are required. Admission to the program also requires completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a successful application for admission to the university. Successful completion of the billet assignment will result in independent, novel research benefiting Coast Survey's mission and leading to a master's degree in Ocean Engineering or Earth Science. This program is one of only two Category A educational program in the United States certified by the International Federation of Surveyors / International Hydrographic Organization / International Cartographic Association (FIG/IHO/ICA). A strong background in hydrography or seafloor mapping is beneficial but not required. These billets are excellent preparation for operational and management roles in the hydrographic and ocean mapping communities.

Applicants must be an OOD-qualified officer or expect to receive OOD qualification by November 2019, have the educational prerequisites for entry into an UNH Ocean Mapping graduate program, and experience in hydrography, GIS, ocean mapping, ocean exploration, physics, math, or engineering. Hydrographer-in-Charge qualified, survey launch coxswain qualification, Navigation Officer experience, and NOAA working diver is preferred however, this is also an opportunity for an officer not exposed to hydrography to move into this field.

Selected officers may be required to sail as either the Navigation or Operations officer on NOAA Ship Ferdinand Hassler for one year prior or two years after these billets. Interested officers should contact the NOS Line Office Liaison, CAPT James Crocker (james.m.crocker@noaa.gov) for more information and to request an application package. The application submission deadline is COB, April 15, 2019.