NOAA Corps Officers -
Earlier this week NOAA Administrator, Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, announced the 2022 DOC Gold and Silver Medal Awards. Congratulations to the team at the Aircraft Operations Center earning a Gold Medal for executing critical aviation missions in support of NOAA’s scientific goals during the 2021 hurricane season during a global pandemic.
In the 2022 Annual Safety Climate Assessment Survey, a common theme for improvement from the workforce was communication. The discussion surrounding communication has always fascinated me. Satisfied, unsatisfied, too busy to care, or other - we all have an opinion about how communication is working in our organization. I shared a quote recently at the winter conferences from communication intelligence expert Judith E. Glaser that inspires my thinking about this topic.
“To get to the next level of greatness depends on the quality of the culture, which depends on the quality of relationships, which depends on the quality of conversations. Everything happens through conversations.”
Demonstrating leadership’s commitment to communication, RADM Nancy Hann sent an email this morning highlighting the three upcoming All Hands meetings. All Hands are not the entire solution to communication, but they are an important component. I hope you are able to attend. Please continue to provide feedback on what communication is working, where the gaps exist, and what we can do to continue to improve the quality of our conversations.
One more item before I sign off - please note the correction to the Office Corps Management Plan below. I made a mistake in the previous version I shared by underestimating the promotion zone size for LTJG. This number has since been corrected and CPC is contacting the impacted officers so they can plan accordingly.
Warm Regards,
RDML Chad Cary, NOAA
Deputy Director for OMAO Operations
Deputy Director for the NOAA Corps
Acting Director, Commissioned Personnel Center
| 01 Feb 2023 | Officer Assignment Board |
| 01 Mar 2023 | Command Advisory Board |
| LTJG Gregory Friedman | 31 Jan 2023 |
| CAPT Philip Hall | 01 Feb 2023 |
| CAPT Jeffrey Taylor | 01 Feb 2023 |
| CDR Olivia Hauser | 01 Feb 2023 |
| CAPT Todd Bridgeman | 01 Jun 2023 |
| CAPT Timothy Gallagher | 01 Jun 2023 |
| CAPT Stephanie Koes | 01 Jun 2023 |
| CAPT Mark Van Waes | 01 Jun 2023 |
| LT Linda Junge | 01 Jun 2023 |
| LTJG Alexandria Andonian | 30 JUN 2023 |
BOTC 141 is officially underway. The class, along with their Coast Guard shipmates in OCS 2-23, is finishing Indoctrination Week and starting the Junior Phase of the program. BOTC 141 has completed formations training, learned military customs and courtesies, and is practicing military drill. They have been introduced to the NOAA Line Offices and their possible career tracks as Corps Officers. Next week the class will begin Basic Safety and Firefighting training. Upcoming important dates include the Eagle Cruise April 8th-22nd, Billet Night March15th, Leadership Philosophy Panel’s May 8th, Graduation May 12th, and BOTC Capstone Cruise May 22-26th.
OC's in formation. Photo Credit: NCOTC staff
There has been a correction to the FY23 OCMP that affects the LTJG promotion zone for 2023. The first version of the OCMP only considered expected vacancies at the LTJG grade when determining zone size. What was not considered was our ability to exceed the approved grade distribution in the O-2 grade to allow the NOAA Corps to promote Ensigns to LTJG in a timely manner based on the needs of the service. To allow for this, the 2023 promotion zone was expanded to 19 officers in order to include the BOTC 137 and BOTC 138 cohorts.
The new OCMP has been uploaded to the CPC website. If you have any questions, please contact CDR Ryan Wattam at chief.careermgmt.cpc@noaa.gov.
CPC and OMAO SMD hosted a webinar on 25 JAN 2023 to train officers on the contents of the new NOAA Corps Directives Chapter 16 “Physical Fitness and Body Composition” that RDML Cary sent out on 10 January. This webinar was recorded and has been uploaded to the CPC website under the “Webinar Recordings” section on the How To Guidance page. If you have any questions on the policy, please direct them to CDR Ryan Wattam at chief.careermgmt.cpc@noaa.gov or LCDR Zachary Cress at zachary.cress@noaa.gov.
The new OPF Online gives NC officers the ability to directly input the metadata of files submitted to their OPF. This step was completed by CPC in the past, but has now shifted to officers to give you more control over your OPF uploads. One result of this added access to officers is that you can now see the status of ‘Unmatched Documents.’
Unmatched Documents are not unique to the new system, but are the cumulative result of upgrades to the system over the years. An ‘Unmatched Document’ simply means the metadata and document PDF have become uncoupled from each other in the database, but they are still part of your official record. It is important to note that all documents you see in this unmatched section are still viewable to Boards (Promotion Boards, CABs, etc) reviewing your OPF, even if they remain unmatched. If you decide to match a document it becomes removed from your official record until CPC can re-validate its accuracy.
CPC requests that, when reviewing your OPF files during the 2022 End of Year Package (EOYP), you familiarize yourself with how to add, match documents, and enter data into your new OPF. The application developers have provided training tutorial videos accessible on your OPF Online homepage under the “Useful Links” section.
For more information or questions please reach out to your OPMD Staff Officer LCDR Steve Moulton at stephen.f.moulton@noaa.gov or OCMD Staff Officer LT Diane M Perry at diane.m.perry@noaa.gov for assistance.
As a reminder Air B&B's, or other vacation rentals, may not be used for official lodging whether you are on TDY or while utilizing temporary lodging during a PCS move. Accommodations are limited to those identified on the National Master List of Approved Accommodations for Federal Travelers, as maintained and published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In order to be reimbursed for official lodging, you must book a room that meets certain criteria, including compliance with U.S. Fire Administration guidelines and one that provides itemized lodging receipts. Most people who list their homes/rooms/couches on a vacation rental site haven't had their properties inspected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency nor are the lodging receipts itemized.
Please direct any questions to Jerrard Baker at jerrard.baker@noaa.gov or 301-713-7728.
RADM Hann and CPC will be hosting a virtual all-hands meeting for NOAA Corps officers on Thursday, February 9, 2023 from 1300 – 1400 (EST).
Here is the link to the NOAA Corps All Hands question sheet. Please submit any questions you might have 48 hours before the meeting.
Meeting link
meet.google.com/qci-fbxq-kxb
Join by phone
(US) +1 512-666-9921
PIN: 562433368
More phone numbers
When
Thursday Feb 9, 2023 ⋅ 1pm – 2pm (Eastern Time - New York)
The FY23 NDAA has provided authority for officers to be reimbursed for transportation of pets due to a PCS, allowing TDY travel back to the home of record for officers assigned to Alaska, as well as reimbursement for spouse relicensing costs due to a PCS.
The first two entitlements will be reflected in the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) but require coordination of all eight uniformed services and the approval of the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Committee and all Service Principals prior to implementation. These entitlements will not be authorized or reimbursable until they are printed in the JTR. Guidance on reimbursement for spouse relicensing and the necessary form will be posted on the CPC website in the next two weeks. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to the appropriate HR Specialist with questions or requests for reimbursement of these entitlements.
The second change is that CPC/OPMD tasks officers to transfer externally-routed memos generated by the HRMS application (Merchant Mariner Credential – USCG License waivers, Sea Service Letters) to a USCG-compliant template. CPC/OPMD will provide guidance on the template requirements for USCG license applications and will post the template on the CPC website. Officers will first request the MMC package from OPMD (waivers, SSLs). CPC/OPMD will issue the package. Officers then transfer the data into the existing template and send it back to OPMD for review and signature. More details on this will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. For any questions, please contact LCDR Steve Moulton at stephen.f.moulton@noaa.gov.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) is looking for a motivated, detail-oriented O2 to join their team as a Science and Marine Operations Officer in Key West, FL. FKNMS is one of 15 marine protected areas that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System. Administered by NOAA, and jointly managed with the State of Florida, FKNMS protects 3,800 square miles of waters surrounding the Florida Keys, from south of Miami westward to encompass the Dry Tortugas, excluding Dry Tortugas National Park. Within the boundaries of the sanctuary lie spectacular, unique, and nationally significant marine resources including North America's only coral barrier reef, extensive seagrass beds, mangrove-fringed islands, and more than 6,000 species of marine life. The sanctuary also protects pieces of our nation's history such as shipwrecks and other archeological treasures.
This billet provides an excellent opportunity to apply experience at a local level. Your experience in the fleet and elsewhere in the field (including those challenges and opportunities you’ve encountered) will be instrumental in your development as a future leader in the NOAA Corps. Specific responsibilities may include:
This billet is currently vacant and interested officers interested should contact Kathleen Jamison at kathleen.jamison@noaa.gov, LCDR Kelli-Ann Bliss, ONMS Marine Operations Coordinator, at kelli-ann.e.bliss@noaa.gov, and the Assignment Coordinator at assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov to learn more.