Good afternoon, fellow NOAA Corps officers,
I hope this Cyberflash finds you well and want to thank you for all you are doing for NOAA and the Nation. This past Monday saw the lifting of the evacuation order that went into place over two years ago and I would like to reiterate that while we entered the COVID-19 pandemic response posture with an emergency declaration, we are coming out of it in a purposeful, methodical, and slow manner. Be kind to your fellow co-workers and be kind to yourself. The path forward is looking bright and I encourage everyone to reflect, whether in the office, in the flight deck, or on the bridge, on OMAO's top priority of People Driven Performance. Showing up everyday matters and we can't do all of this without you. While success may be measured in different ways, getting out there and putting your best effort forward is worth more than most may realize. As I have become fond of doing, I will leave you with a quote from our 26th President that speaks to the power of showing up:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man [or woman] who points out how the strong man [or woman] stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man [or woman] who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself [or herself] in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he [or she] fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his [or her] place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
- Theodore Roosevelt
Stay healthy,
CAPT Douglas MacIntyre, NOAA
Director, Commissioned Personnel Center
| 13 May 2022 | ACO Award Nomination Deadline |
| LT Kelsey Jeffers | 01 May 2022 |
| LT Anna-Elizabeth Villard-Howe | 01 May 2022 |
| ENS Christine Sealing | 01 May 2022 |
| LCDR Lindsey Norman | 18 May 2022 |
| LTJG Anna Hallingstad | 01 Jun 2022 |
| LCDR Rebecca Shaw | 14 Jul 2022 |
| LT Alyssa Thompson | 31 Aug 2022 |
| CDR Patrick Didier | 01 Sep 2022 |
At some point in every officer’s career we are likely to have a supervisor that isn’t intimately familiar with the intricacies of managing NOAA Corps Officers. Below are a number of resources out there that can help you communicate our unique needs. The primary initial resource is the Supervisors Guide to NOAA Corps Officers and the Letter of Guidance to Civilian Supervisors You should ensure your supervisor has a copy of these documents. The Supervisor’s Guide was recently updated to include guidance on shipboard augmentation.
In addition to NCD Chapter 4, Part 4, the OER page on the CPC website has a number of different resources, such as the Officer Evaluation System Instructions, links to forms, and tips for completing OERs. Additionally, back in July of 2021, OCMD gave a training presentation to NOS civilian supervisors covering the OER process and important OER considerations in-depth. The recording of this presentation can be found here. This is a great resource for anyone that wants a better understanding of how to write effective OERs, but is aimed at those less familiar
As NOAA Corps officers, we give 100% effort to all we do, and trust that our supervisors will recognize our outstanding performance with solid evaluations and awards. That’s how it is supposed to work, right? Well, not every supervisor is familiar with our awards process, and sometimes a delicate and respectful education could be helpful to ensure you, and those that follow you, are appropriately recognized for your superior performance. This document on the “how to” page on the CPC website has some useful guidance. Note: The example nomination text provided on the document has not been updated to reflect the format of the new awards form. As part of your career development conversations with your supervisor, you should ensure they are aware of the existence and importance of NOAA Corps awards.
One of the drivers behind the generation of the new NOAA Corps Augmentation Policy was to provide officers with something concrete to take to your shoreside supervisors to indicate the importance of augmentation while on your shore tour. Primarily, augmentation is critical to the sustainable operation of the fleet. Additionally, your augmentation history is viewable by Promotion Boards and Command Advisory Boards, and can be seen as an indicator of your continued maritime professional development and willingness to support the fleet.
Continued training is an important piece of an officer’s professional development. All officers are eligible to receive training offered through their parent command, whether assigned to an OMAO unit, or in a different Line Office. Additionally, the OMAO Training Division has been periodically advertising for competitive training opportunities for all OMAO employees. These courses, including associated travel, are funded by OMAO. As NOAA Corps Officers, you are eligible to compete for this training regardless of which Line Office you are currently attached to. I would urge every officer to apply for this training when it is announced.
Some of you may already know this, but there's been a change of leadership within the Office of Health Services. After five years of steadfast leadership, Captain Christian Rathke departed OMAO to take on his next challenge, and we wish him fair winds and following seas.
OMAO is in the process of hiring the next Director, OHS, but in the meantime, a familiar face is serving as the Acting Director. Commander Jesse McAllister, most recently the Director of Marine Medicine, assumed leadership of all OHS. CDR McAllister's journey started back in undergrad at Michigan State University, and his assignments have included providing medical support to military personnel in Afghanistan, residents of maximum security prisons, and now team OMAO. Needless to say he's really happy to be serving team OMAO! We wish him the best of luck as he and the OHS team continue to provide excellent service in the face of challenging circumstances - like a global pandemic.
The ACO has received a few nominations for Junior Officer of the Year. We are still looking for candidates for Science and Engineering Awards! There are approximately 10 more business days to submit nominations to noaacorpsdcaco@gmail.com.
Please refer to this previous cyberflash, NOAA Corps Directives Chapter 12 part 7, or call ACO Secretary LT Diane M Perry at 931-623-2086 for assistance.