Message from the Director

Fellow NOAA Corps officers,

Two important announcements, the FY2020 Officer Career Management Plan (OCMP) and the FY2019 End of Year Package (EOYP), have been released over the last two weeks via CPC Director's Messages. I wanted to highlight them once again here, as both of these are critical to the health of the NOAA Corps and important to NOAA Corps officers to ensure they are managing both their personal and professional lives.

The 2019 EOYP allows CPC to ensure we have the most up to date information. There is such a myriad of systems and processes that are required to be kept current. Your home address is required in several locations to ensure you can be reached in an emergency, your tax information is sent to the right location, and your housing allowance is at the correct level. Ensure your payslips are correct in terms of days of leave used, what kind of retirement system you are in, and current allotments which are just a few items to review at least once every year. Review your assignment history, training history, and augmentation history which are also necessary as this data is used by numerous personnel boards and working groups to make HR decisions for the NOAA Corps. NOAA Corps officers must be aware of their medical and dental status as well as approaching expiration dates, especially those individuals in the upcoming promotion zones.

The FY2020 OCMP lays out the plan for the rest of the fiscal year and into the next regarding accessions, attritions, and promotions. For those of you in a promotion zone, it is especially significant that you pay close attention to the EOYP so all of the necessary documentation the selection board will review to evaluate officers is in your Officer Personnel Folder (OPF) and is up to date. If you have any questions about your OPF in terms of the upcoming promotion boards you should reach out to the Officer Career Management Division Chief, CAPT Jeffrey Taylor, at chief.careermgmt.cpc@noaa.gov.

Thank you in advance for your attention to detail while completing the EOYP and good luck to all officers in the promotion zones.

Directors signature
CAPT Devin Brakob, NOAA
Director, Commissioned Personnel Center

On the Horizon

05 Feb 2020 Officer Assignment Board, O-4/O-5 Shore Assignments

Approved Resignations, Separations and Retirements

LCDR Russell Haner 01 Feb 2020
CAPT Keith Roberts 01 Mar 2020
CDR Jonathan Neuhaus 01 Mar 2020
LCDR Jonathan Taylor 01 Mar 2020
LT Matthew Bissell 15 Mar 2020
CDR Ryan Kidder 01 Apr 2020
CDR Justin Kibbey 01 Jul 2020

In Memoriam: Rear Admiral Eugene A. Taylor, NOAA (Ret.)

RADM Eugene A. Taylor, NOAA (Ret.) served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and continued his service to the country in 1950 when he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey. Over the subsequent 30 years he served in various roles ultimately culminating in his critical role as Associate Director of the National Ocean Survey (now National Ocean Service) Office of Fleet Operations. Throughout his career Rear Admiral Taylor exhibited the current NOAA Corps core values of Honor, Respect, and Commitment and we are so grateful for his service. Rear Admiral Eugene Taylor passed away on December 19, 2019, and services will be held in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on January 29, 2020.

More information can be found here.

BOTC 135 Indoctrination

BOTC 135 has successfully completed the Indoctrination Phase of the program and has been advanced to Junior Status, where they will continue to focus on mastering the skills of Leading Self: time management, attention to detail, proper wear of the uniform, and reaction to stress. This week marks the beginning of the classroom training which will continue throughout their time in BOTC, starting with Basic Seamanship followed by Compass and Aids to Navigation. Other classes in the near future include Navigation, Basic Safety Training, and Firefighting as the class prepares to embark on USCG Barque Eagle on March 8th.


Photo: Officer Candidate (OC) Abby Letts looks for her room number under the stern gaze of LCDR Larry Thomas,
Executive Officer of the NCOTC.

Promotion News

It is with great pleasure that CPC announces the promotions of the following officers effective January 15, 2020:

Lieutenant Bryan Brasher
Lieutenant (junior grade) Alexandria Andonian

Congratulations on your well-deserved advancement!

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 Wednesday, February 5, 2020. The OAB will be prepared to look at potential O-4/O-5 officers and assignments up to 18 months from now. If you are due to rotate to a shore/ground assignment in the next 18 months, 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: End of Year Package - Billet Description Updates

Now that the End of Year Package review has kicked off, I want to remind all NOAA Corps officers of our responsibility to keep billet descriptions up to date. Please take the time to check your billet description on the CPC webpage - Billet Description Index. Check the date on the signature page and if it is before 2018 work with your supervisor and line office liaison officer to make appropriate updates. Once reviewed and approved by your rating chain, please forward the signed copy to the Assignment Coordinator for approval at CPC. Electronic signatures are highly encouraged and desired. Blank, fillable billet description forms can be found here. If you have any questions please contact the Assignment Coordinator at 301-713-7694 or assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov.