Good afternoon, fellow NOAA Corps officers,
I would like to take a moment and provide my congratulations to RADM(sel) Nancy Hann who, this past Tuesday, was confirmed by the full Senate to be the Director, NOAA Corps and OMAO! Presidential appointments, in this case to serve in a position of importance and responsibility in the Commissioned Officer Corps of NOAA, requiring Senate Confirmation are among the most senior leadership positions in the federal government. This confirmation is a testament to RADM(sel) Hann's character, her dedication to NOAA and the OMAO family, and her ability to lead our organization to a bright future. Bravo zulu, ma'am!
I would also like to thank everyone who has provided input and suggestions on the OPFOnline Improvement Questionnaire! We will keep the survey open for an additional week so please, if you have not already, navigate to the 11 question survey and provide your thoughts. There is a dedicated article about this initiative in this week's Cyberflash for more information as well as the link to the survey.
Also, and this is big, the Office of Human Capital Services announced new guidance on appointing NOAA Commissioned Corps officers to NOAA Civil Service positions. This implements the new authority to hire NOAA Corps officers through NOAA Merit Promotion competitive procedures that was put into law with the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020. We are sharing the announcement in this message as well as providing the link to Bulletin #1005, FY22 that will provide additional details and help to clarify how officers (including prior service and retirees) can take advantage of this new hiring authority. More information will be shared regarding this new authority in the coming weeks however please direct all questions to NOAA's Office of Human Capital Services as CPC is not involved with civilian hiring within NOAA.
Finally, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to say 'thank you' to all of you out there whether afloat, ashore, or in the air. I am consistently both humbled and impressed by all the ongoing activities that I notice coming across my desk and know that it takes a considerable effort to maintain such an incredible pace. Keep up the great work and remember to give thanks this coming Thursday. As a reminder, please continue to be mindful of COVID-19 as we are not out of the woods yet. Continue with the effective protocols of wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. If available, I also highly encourage everyone to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination booster. Your friends, family, neighbors, and the rest of the world will thank you.
Stay healthy,
CAPT Douglas MacIntyre, NOAA
Director, Commissioned Personnel Center
| 01 Dec 2021 | Officer Assignment Board |
| 09 Dec 2021 | Aviation Advisory Board (Initial Flight) |
| 19 Jan 2021 | Ops Working Group |
| LTJG Vanessa Oquendo | 30 Nov 2021 |
| CAPT Anne Lynch | 01 Dec 2021 |
| CAPT Catherine Martin | 01 Dec 2021 |
| CDR Frank Dreflak | 01 Dec 2021 |
| LT Lauren Jarlenski | 05 Jan 2022 |
| CDR Bradley Fritzler | 01 Mar 2022 |
| CDR Ronald Moyers | 01 Mar 2022 |
| LCDR Justin Keesee | 01 Mar 2022 |
The Commissioned Personnel Center (CPC) is planning to upgrade the OPFOnline application. As part of that process, we are requesting feedback from all NOAA Corps officers on their experience with the application and eliciting suggestions for improvements. Please take a few minutes and fill out this 11 question survey and provide as much information as possible.
Link to Survey
Please note that this is NOT an appropriate place for personal queries; it is for suggestions for improvement of the OPFOnline application. Personal queries (i.e., about your specific PCS orders) should be made through the OPFOnline application or by contacting the appropriate CPC staff member by phone or email, as listed on the CPC Contacts page.
Many NOAA Officers either have a Coast Guard MMC or plan to apply for one at some point in their careers. The USCG currently waives processing fees for active duty NOAA Commissioned Officers per CG-MMC Policy Letter No. 02-20 (May 26, 2020). The intent of today’s announcement is to let officers know of specific CPC resources and who to contact to fully utilize these entitlements the next time you renew, upgrade, or apply for an MMC. While CPC does not guarantee every officer’s eligibility for a CG license, there are four documents available to help make the process easier and more economical. Upon request, CPC can provide the following:
If you would like to learn more, please reach out to Lieutenant Stephen Moulton (Stephen.f.moulton@noaa.gov).
The
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2020 (among other
benefits) implements a new authority to hire NOAA Commissioned Corps
officers through Merit Promotion competitive procedures. A new Human Resources Guidance Bulletin explains the details and requirements to apply this new hiring authority.
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Marine Operations Leadership Summit (MOLS) 2021 will be the capstone event for the NOAA Fleet and will be held December 6th through the 10th. This project will incorporate strategic discussions, future planning, and execution for NOAA Professional Mariners, civilian and commissioned, and shoreside support leadership. Attendance will be approximately 220 people divided between 80 in person and 140 virtual. MOLS 2021 event has the opportunity to rise above previous years.
MOLS is designed to get ship and shore side personnel together to discuss topics related to Marine Operations. It is a time for the marine personnel (new and current) and shore personnel to meet and learn what one another does. It creates contacts for people to quickly solve problems in a time sensitive operational environment. Marine Operations also uses this event to discuss and implement their vision of a Respectful Workplace and review the annual Safety Climate Survey.
With supervisor’s permission, Marine Operations is looking for at least 15 Junior Officers from ship or shore assignments to support session facilitation as scribes. You will virtually sign into a designated session, take notes on a template, and post the notes to the MOLS 2021 website. This is a great opportunity for early career officers to gain organizational insight and learn Marine Operations leadership priorities.
Interested officers should contact ENS Timothy Montera, the MOC-A Operations Manager, at opsmgr.moa@noaa.gov. There will be a one or two hour familiarization session for scribes scheduled during the week prior to MOLS 2021.