In Memoriam: LCDR Charles “Brian” Greenawalt, NOAA ret.

LCDR Charles “Brian” Greenawalt passed away at his home on Sunday, September 17, 2023, in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania. LCDR Greenawalt commissioned in the relatively new NOAA Corps in April 1976, and started his career onboard NOAA Ship Davidson, where he conducted hydrographic surveys in Alaska, Puget Sound, and San Francisco Bay. This initial experience in NOAA hydrography and geodesy set the course for his active duty and post-retirement federal service.

On NOAA Ships Mt. Mitchell and Whiting, LCDR Greenawalt planned and executed hydrographic surveys up and down the east coast of the U.S., from Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Holding numerous Office of Coast Survey land assignments, he analyzed nautical charts at the Mapping and Charting Branch; operated an instrument and equipment lab as Chief of Operations Branch; and finished out his active duty career at Hydrographic Surveys Branch as the resident expert and technical advisor for contract hydrographic surveys. During his final active duty tour, he displayed the greatest of his abilities when he successfully established Coast Survey’s Brooks Act-compliant, specification-based hydrographic contracting processes and procedures. It was this work that enabled NOAA nautical charting data to be collected by contractors in addition to the NOAA fleet in the 1990's – a feat that no private sector contractor had completed to any significant extent for NOAA before that time. As a result of his efforts, the first hydrographic survey contract was awarded in 1995. Following his retirement from active duty in 1996, LCDR Greenawalt returned to Coast Survey as a civilian federal employee where he continued to manage and oversee contract surveys. The program he established continues today with its own budget line of ~$30M per year, and is responsible for roughly half the hydrographic survey data acquired by NOAA for nautical charts and other purposes.

In addition, LCDR Greenawalt leaves a legacy of numerous standardized processes and procedures used today by NOAA and NOAA contract surveyors, including the Field Procedures Manual, NOAA Hydrographic Survey Specifications & Deliverables, NOAA Hydrographic Survey Priorities, and the annual NOAA Field Procedures Workshop. He retired from civil service to Pennsylvania in 2007 after a full and exemplary NOAA career. The NOAA Corps and Office of Coast Survey owe LCDR Greenawalt and his family a debt of gratitude for his service to NOAA and the Nation.

NCD Chapter 5 - Assignments

CPC is pleased to announce RADM Hann's approval of the NOAA Corps Directive, Assignments. This update to Chapter 5 incorporates many changes in law made by the NOAA Corps Amendments Act of 2020 and several recent National Defense Authorization Acts. Most importantly, this version:

• Codifies the NOAA Corps policy on assignment to sea, flight, and mobile duty for pregnant officers, which we initially communicated to all hands in OMAO Bulletin 2023-01 on March 31 of this year;
• Adds a policy on active duty service obligations in connection with permanent changes of station; and
• Creates a new NOAA Corps telework policy.

In general, NOAA Corps officers are required to report to their worksite three days per week. CPC is in the process of developing new telework agreement forms applicable for NOAA Corps officers, as the Department of Commerce Telework Plan and NOAA Telework Implementation Plan do not apply. In the meantime, officers should continue adhering to any telework arrangements they have made with their chain of command. OMAO Line Office Liaison officers will ensure that any civilian supervisor of NOAA Corps officers in their respective line offices understand these requirements.

Submission of Approved Request and Authorizations for Leave

• When submitting the Requests and Authorization for Leave (NOAA Form 56-12) forms, please ensure each block is filled in correctly, as applicable to the leave request. If it requires an ADDRESS, please ensure that you include the FULL ADDRESS including the ZIP CODE.
• Your EMPLOYEE ID number is required and is essential to ensure that the request is processed correctly and in a timely manner.
• Please indicate the TYPE OF LEAVE that has been requested and approved by your supervisor.
• Remember, the DATE/TIME you are signed out and signed in from leave are the dates/time that Payroll must use when calculating your leave. You are REQUIRED to have your supervisor's signature in blocks 13c and 15c.
• When you return from leave, please, submit the completed NOAA Form 56-12 to CPC Officer Personnel Management Division, Payroll Branch via the HR Action Request in eOPF Online.

Timely submission of each approved NOAA Form 56-12, instead of batch or bundling of multiple forms, will help ensure timely processing of the forms. Please do not wait until you have several approved leave requests and then submit them all at once. This is particularly important to remember at the end of the fiscal year as we are trying to ensure that each officer is able to carry over the amount of leave they have been planning to do for the next fiscal year.

OPMD Payroll Branch is trying their best to keep things flowing smoothly throughout the year. Please help us to help you.

PCS/PCA Process in the event of a government shutdown

NOAA Corps officers who are on approved relocation PCS travel orders prior to a lapse of appropriations date are authorized to continue to incur approved relocation expenses (i.e., en route travel, temporary quarters, transportation and storage or household goods). NOAA’s relocation contractors will continue to service employees in a relocation status during a lapse of appropriations. Officers with PCS moves that are scheduled to start on or after an appropriations lapse must contact CPC for further guidance.

• HRMS Ticketing system will be down. PCS vouchers will not be processed/reimbursed until appropriations are resumed.
• Temporary Living Allowance (TLA) for officers traveling to & Hawaii: TLA is authorized in 15 day increments, and if additional days are required, please submit the request (to include justification and additional cost) to Director, CPC for approval.
• SATO will be operating on a limited basis: Book your flights as soon as possible.
  • Note: SATO ONLY HOLDS YOUR ORDERS FOR 5 DAYS FROM RECEIPT...IF YOU RECEIVE A RESPONSE, 'AWAITING TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION', RESUBMIT YOUR PCS ORDERS TO DOCAUTH@cwtsatotravel.com
• As a reminder, the date/time you are signed out and signed in from leave are the dates/time that Payroll must use when calculating your leave. You are required to have your supervisor's signature in blocks 13c and 15c.
• For officers that may be separating from the NOAA Corps during the proposed shutdown, see attached Veteran Field Guide to Govt. Shutdown.