NOAA Corps Officers -
A foundation of my Leadership Philosophy is “Great culture leads to great operations.” In my career and especially in recent years, OMAO and the NOAA Corps have come a long way, and our journey of self and organizational improvement is far from over. Ensuring our success in this fast paced and ever evolving world requires us to take an inclusive approach to leadership, meaning we must all find ways to understand and value each other and the diversity of experiences we each bring to the team.
In this journey, we will face challenges and sometimes miss the mark. When this happens, every member of our workforce must be willing to take action to preserve dignity and respect for each other across our teams. In difficult times, embracing and valuing our diversity provides unique perspectives, new ideas, and broader skill sets to help solve problems and make us better.
It’s also not a coincidence that our Core Values of Honor, Respect, and Commitment connect so closely with a culture of inclusiveness. Respecting one another’s diverse experiences and remaining committed to supporting each other, our teams, and our missions remain fundamental to our development as NOAA Corps Officers and leaders within the agency.
All leaders must embrace inclusion and promote environments that enable individuals to feel safe, respected, engaged, motivated, and valued for who they are and for their contributions toward our organizational goals.
Lastly, as leaders it is essential to deliberately drive action. I challenge you to embrace inclusion and promote an environment that enables every member of your team to feel safe, respected, and valued for who they are and what they contribute to the team. What you say and do sets the tone and is a major influence on how our fleet moves forward. I humbly accept the responsibility that goes with this challenge, and I expect you will as well.
Should you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, my team, or Mr. Stacy Miller, OMAO’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager at (301)713-7663 or stacy.miller@noaa.gov.
Warm Regards,
RDML Chad Cary, NOAA
Deputy Director for OMAO Operations
Deputy Director for the NOAA Corps
Acting Director, Commissioned Personnel Center
| Dec 5 - Dec 9 2022 | AOC Safety Conference |
| Dec 5 - Dec 9 2022 | Marine Operations Leadership Summit |
| 7 Dec 2022 | Officer Assignment Board |
| Dec 2022 | Aviation Advisory Board |
| Jan 2023 | OPS Working Group |
| CAPT Douglas MacIntyre | 01 Dec 2022 |
| LT Lydia Ames | 30 Dec 2022 |
| CAPT Michael Hopkins | 01 Jan 2023 |
| LT Sean Digre | 01 Jan 2023 |
| LTJG Andie Cuiffo | 01 Jan 2023 |
| ENS Ian Searles | 20 Jan 2023 |
| CAPT Philip Hall | 01 Feb 2023 |
| CAPT Jeffrey Taylor | 01 Feb 2023 |
| CDR Olivia Hauser | 01 Feb 2023 |
Captain Albert E. Theberge, Jr., NOAA |
Captain Theberge, (Skip) graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1969 as a Geological Engineer and entered the ESSA Corps, which became the NOAA Corps in 1970. He retired from the NOAA Corps in late 1995. During his career, Captain Theberge sailed aboard four NOAA survey ships, including serving as Commanding Officer of NOAA Ships Pierce and Whiting.
After retiring from the NOAA Corps, Captain Theberge was affiliated with the NOAA Central Library where he served as Acting Head of Reference. In that capacity he built the NOAA Photo Library and the NOAA History website. Captain Theberge spearheaded NOAA’s 200th Anniversary celebration in 2007, and provided historical information for the celebration of the 100th Anniversary of NOAA Corps. His legacy will live on forever, through his work at the library, the stories that he shared and other contributions he made to the NOAA Corps, NOAA and our nation.
The family would like to invite you all to a Celebration of Life for "Skip" on Thursday, 15 DEC. Stop by anytime between 1500-1800 at the Gateway to NOAA facility in Silver Spring, MD to share a story or learn more about this dedicated NOAA Corps Officer.
The two weeks leading up to graduation have been full of activity for BOTC 140. The Officer Candidates completed their underway training and presented their leadership philosophies to panels of Coast Guard and NOAA Corps members. The Company also marched in the Veteran's Day Parade in NY representing The Joint Training Center.
OC Murray and Coast Guard OCs carry the American flag at the parade. Photo Credit: New York Post |
Members of BOTC 140 pose after the parade. Photo Credit: OC Pizaro |
LTJG Jessurun demonstrates a smoke flare. Photo Credit: CDR Surrey-Marsden |
REFTRA 93 kicked off the 2nd week of October with various informational sessions and basic safety training at Survival Systems and damage control training at NAVSTA Newport on the Buttercup wet trainer. In addition to refresher training in RADAR, ECDIS, and numerous briefings from Marine Operations, Health Services, and Public Relations, this class completed a first of its kind Advanced Shiphandling training. Held at Maritime Pilots Institute in Covington, LA, REFTRA 93 spent 6 days receiving training from pilots from across the country in full bridge simulators, virtual reality headsets, and manned models. Overall, 13 officers made up the cohort for REFTRA 93.
REFTRA 93 practices the application of foam at RIFA. Photo Credit: LCDR Abbitt |
Manned Model exercises at MPI in Covington, LA. Photo Credit: LTJG Jessurun |
This week RADM Hann approved a formal schedule for 96-hour liberty in conjunction with the remaining Federal Holidays this calendar year. OMAO wide, she authorized units to provide Liberty to NOAA Corps and Public Health Officers and to utilize liberal leave approval for civilian employees for the four days adjacent to Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The direction also provides for alternate use of the 96-hour liberty for those required to stand watch or serve other duties over the holiday period.
| Event | Federal Holiday | Liberty Period (96 hr) |
| Thanksgiving Day | 24 NOV 22 | 24 - 27 NOV 22 |
| Christmas Day | 26 DEC 22 | 23 - 26 DEC 22 |
| New Year’s Day | 02 JAN 23 | 30 DEC - 02 JAN 23 |
“The work you do is incredibly important to our mission, and your personal sacrifices do not go unnoticed by Leadership. Thank you for all you do and enjoy the time off! You’ve earned it!”
- RADM Nancy Hann
As a reminder, liberty cannot be combined with annual leave nor is alternate use authorized for those already planning leave during this period that expand beyond the 96 hours. Check out NOAA Corps Directive Chapter Six for additional information.
Initial Applications: The U.S. Department of Commerce - Office of Security (OSY) initiates NOAA Corps (NC) security clearances (SC) upon an officer's entry into the NC, either through BOTC or as an Inter-Service Transfer (IST). Upon initial appointment, OSY initiates a SC through 'Equip' with initial pre-appointment letters completed before the start of BOTC. Throughout BOTC, OSY conducts a background investigation. Upon BOTC graduation, OSY should have the inquiry and be able to complete the adjudication for a secret clearance at the Headquarters (HQ) level. However, the OSY is currently working through a significant backlog of cases. All NC officers with pending cases (~13) require no further action.
Continuous Evaluation: In 2021, OSY migrated all NC officers to the Continuous Evaluation (CE) system operated by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. OSY automatically enrolls all officers in the CE upon receiving an initial SC granting memo, which they email to the recipient officer and the Office of Personnel Management (OPMD) for updating the Officer Personnel File (OPF). The result is that OSY updates the officer's SC continuously, and officers no longer need to pursue a SC renewal. CE also renders the green "check" and red "X" in your OPF Online SC section irrelevant. OPMD/CPC is removing this section of your OPF Online in early December. Moving forward, if something happens to cause an issue with your SC, OSY will notify both the officer and OPMD, and OPMD will work with the officer toward an appropriate resolution.
For more information about the Continuous Evaluation system, click here.
Upgrades: Officers may request a SC level upgrade through a new OPMD/OSY application. An upgraded clearance (above secret) is a positional requirement only. Officers need to ask permission from the Director, OMAO. Approval next goes to the Staff Officer, CPC, who can initiate the application for the updated clearance through the OSY Security Officer assigned to OMAO. The upgrade process can take 6-9 months. Officers requesting an upgrade must have this requirement designated on their given billet description.
To be clear: the NCDs do not specify the SC as a requirement for promotions. While obtaining and maintaining a secret-level SC is a qualification requirement, the revocation of a security clearance will result in the automatic revocation of a commission; however, no officers with pending case resolutions are in jeopardy for failing selection due to not having an active clearance.
For additional questions, please contact LCDR Stephen Moulton at stephen.f.moulton@noaa.gov, OPMD, or Mr. Warren Weatherford, NOAA Program Security Officer, Eastern Regional Security Office (ERSO), OSY.
Reference: NCD Chapter 1, 01211 (D)/ 33 U.S.C. § 3023(b); Executive Order 11023, as amended by Executive Order 13341
NOAA Corps officer’s spouses often have a difficult time continuing their professional career when a NOAA Corps officer’s Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders require a move to another jurisdiction where licensing/certification requirements are different. In accordance with 37 U.S.C. § 453(g), the Secretary concerned may reimburse a member of the uniformed services for qualified relicensing costs of their member’s spouse to maintain their professional license when the member is reassigned by way of a PCS between duty stations located in separate jurisdictions with unique licensing or certification requirements and authorities, and the movement of the service member’s dependents is authorized at the expense of the United Stated as part of the reassignment.
Effective November 17, 2022, spouses of NOAA Corps officers who are completing their PCS are entitled to this reimbursement. This reimbursement may not be paid retroactively and is only applicable for relicensing for the same profession in which the spouse engaged in while in the jurisdiction of the last duty station. This is a one-time reimbursement and may not exceed the amount of $1,000 in connection with each PCS. Qualified relicensing costs must be incurred and paid by the member or spouse to secure the licenses or certification from the jurisdiction of the new duty station after the date the NOAA Corps officer’s PCS orders are authorized and before December 31, 2024. Qualified relicensing costs include exam, continuing education courses, and registration fees to obtain a new license or certification in the new jurisdiction.
Eligibility to qualify for the reimbursement: The NOAA Corps officer’s PCS orders must be authorized on or after the approval date of this memorandum, and must authorize movement of the NOAA Corps officer’s dependents at the government expense. The member and spouse are executing a PCS from a duty station in one jurisdiction to a duty station, or designated location for spouses of officers assigned to unusually arduous sea duty vessels, in another jurisdiction, including Washington, DC and U.S. territories. Reimbursement is authorized for the spouses of officers that complete Inter-Service Transfers into the NOAA Corps. Reimbursement is not authorized for spouses of officers that are in receipt of PCS orders in conjunction with initial accession to uniformed service, retirement, or separation from the NOAA Corps.