In Memoriam: Rear Admiral James A. Yeager, NOAA (Ret.)

RADM Yeager was appointed to the NOAA Corps' predecessor, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps in 1959. He retired from the NOAA Corps in 1994 after over 35 years of exceptional service. His ship assignments included the NOAA Ships Pioneer, Hodgson, Peirce, McArthur, and Mount Mitchell, serving as the Commanding Officer on the latter three. His extensive career ashore culminated as Director, Office of Marine Operations, and then Director, National Ocean Service Office of Charting and Geodetic Services. RADM Yeager passed away on July 22, 2019, and is survived by his wife, two daughters, two granddaughters, and his twin brother, as well as other beloved family. A memorial service will be planned for later this fall.

More information can be found here.

In Memoriam: Captain John T. "Jack" Moakley, NOAA (Ret.)

CAPT Moakley joined the NOAA Corps in 1976 and served for 28 years, retiring in 2004. He continued to add to his more than 40 years of federal service through a civilian career with NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). CAPT Moakley is remembered by many as the quintessential mariner with a rich career at sea, culminating in his tour as Commanding Officer of the NOAA Ship Albatross IV. CAPT Moakley was an outstanding officer, mariner, mentor, and friend. As a civilian at the NEFSC he mentored over 75 NOAA Corps officers assigned to billets in the area. He will be sincerely missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.

More information can be found here.

Association of Commissioned Officers Award Recipients

Bravo Zulu to the following officers for their remarkable accomplishments!

Junior Officer of the Year
LTJG Marybeth Head
For her many outstanding accomplishments during her billet assignment as Vessel Operations Coordinator at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS). Through innovation, hard work, and attention to duty, she significantly improved GRNMS vessel and dive operations and emergency planning; more than doubled the vessel's operational budget, authored a scientific paper, and assumed critical GRNMS leadership positions.

Junior Officer of the Year for Science
LTJG Bryan Pestone
For his support in the salmon recovery efforts of the California Coastal Office and contributions to the Remote Site Incubation Experiment, which successfully incubated hatchery produced fish in streams away from the hatchery. His notable contributions to the California Coastal Office promote the regional and national goals of National Marine Fisheries Service by helping to conserve and protect Coho salmon.

Junior Officer of the Year for Engineering
LT Charles J. Wisotzkey
In recognition of his tireless efforts leading to successful testing and implementation of high bandwidth mobile ad-hoc mesh wireless network systems aboard NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson during the 2018 field season. Successfully demonstrated deployment of a relatively low cost and robust data radio to enable remote system control, monitoring, and data transfer across multiple acquisition platforms in a large operating area.

New Promotion Training - Rollout on October 1, 2019

The new and improved promotion training curriculum for LTJG, LT, and LCDR has been approved by the Director, CPC and will go live on the Commerce Learning Center (CLC) on October 1st. CPC's Officer Career Management Division (OCMD) has spent considerable time and consideration in choosing the new courses. The new curriculum is about 30% shorter overall, and better focused on developing officers into leaders at the different stages of a NOAA Corps career.

The old curriculum will be taken down from the CLC on September 30, 2019. This means that you will lose credit for any classes already taken within that curriculum. We have already reached out to those who are close to finishing. For everyone who has completed their training but not submitted their final certifications, please do so at once by emailing the final certificate to cpc.training@noaa.gov. After September 30th, all officers who have not completed the legacy promotion training and submitted the documentation will need to restart the new promotion training curriculum.

As a reminder, if you have not (or barely) started on your promotion training, please wait until the new curriculum is available. It is a better curriculum, shorter, and your next few weeks will be considerably less stressful!

Thank you all for your patience with CPC as we work to improve your training experience. For questions or feedback on promotion training, please contact the Leadership Coordinator at cpc.training@noaa.gov or the Chief, OCMD at chief.careermgmt.cpc@noaa.gov.

"Is this a Required Training?....."

This is a common question. Often it is confusing which trainings we should be taking and when they're due. The CLC has provided a list of mandatory training and this comprehensive list can be accessed on the CPC website. It will soon be posted on the CLC website, replacing an outdated version.

Please note: all mandatory training is tracked by the department that requires that training. Therefore, do not submit these trainings to your OPF; they will be declined. As always, it is the officer's responsibility to ensure that all required trainings are completed on time. We recommend you retain a personal copy of any courses or trainings you take.

From Payroll

Note about Leave: a military member can carry a maximum of sixty (60) days Leave into the next fiscal year, which this year ends on September 30, 2019. If you have more than 60 days leave as of October 01, 2019, you will lose them. Please check your leave balance, it's better to use than to lose. Throughout the year, Leave should be submitted to Payroll for processing as soon as possible after your return to work.

Command Advisory Board: CO and XO Assignments

A CAB is scheduled on Tuesday, September 24, 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.

From the Assignments Desk: Billet #0050 – Executive Officer, NOAA Small Boat Program

The NOAA Small Boat Program (SBP) is seeking a highly motivated LT for the Executive Officer – NOAA Small Boat Program Billet (#0050) in Seattle, WA. This is a unique opportunity to work across all Line Offices, Office of Law Enforcement, and NOAA's Safety & Environmental Compliance Office on a daily basis. The NOAA SBP oversees approximately 900 operators and 450 small boats at 93 locations. The Program is comprised of two elements, the Small Boat Safety Board and the Small Boat Program Office. The Executive Officer works closely with the Safety Board and is responsible for the daily administration of the Program Office. XO-SBP is the primary point of contact for field personnel and assists in the review and development of policies, standards, and operating procedures for all NOAA small boats.

A strong background in NOAA small boat operations as either Officer in Charge or Vessel Operations Coordinator is highly recommended. Strong interpersonal skills are required, as the incumbent will have routine contact with a broad range of customers, including field personnel, Small Boat Safety Board personnel, Small Boat Program personnel, representatives from other agencies, and NOAA leadership.

The biannual Small Boat Summit is being held this year in St Petersburg, FL on November 5-7 and attendance for potential officers is encouraged. Please contact LT Brian Elliot, the current incumbent, at sbp.xo@noaa.gov or 206-553-7590 with any questions or to relay your interest.