BOTC 143 Reporting for Duty

On Thursday, January 11th, BOTC 143 took the oath of office at the NOAA Corps Officer Training Center at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT.

Over 60 friends and family virtually attended the ceremony for the 22 new officer candidates. The new officer candidates officially start BOTC on Tuesday, January 16th and are expected to graduate in April. Thank you to all who had a hand in facilitating BOTC 143!

BOTC 143

IST LT Patricia (Trish) Dunford - Reporting for Duty

LT Patricia (Trish) Dunford, left, and CAPT Nathan Kahn, right.

On Thursday, January 4th, LT Patricia (Trish) Dunford took the Oath of Office at NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, FL. LT Dunford joins us after 8 years of service in the United States Navy, where she served as a P-3 Orion Navigator and P-8 Poseidon Tactical Coordinator. While ashore, she served at Commander Task Force 69/169 in Naples, Italy where she acted as the Deputy of Foreign Plans and Policy and the Department Head of Theater Undersea Warfare Future Operations.

LT Dunford graduated from Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in Marine Biology and minors in Physical Science and Naval Science. Welcome aboard LT Dunford!

In Memoriam: CAPT Ralph J. Land, NOAA Retired, 1929-2023

Captain Ralph J. Land obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia and Master of Science degree in Oceanography from Oregon State University, and honorably served his country in the U.S. Air Force and NOAA Corps for 28 years of combined service. Originally commissioned in the Coast and Geodetic Survey (C&GS) Corps, his career spanned the service transitions from C&GS to the Environmental Science Services Administration, and finally to the NOAA Commissioned Corps. Retiring in 1985, CAPT Land served aboard numerous NOAA ships, including but not limited to Whiting, Peirce, and Rainier, commanding the latter two, and was a Director of the Commissioned Personnel Center.

From recollections received from the broader NOAA Corps family, CAPT Land was an accomplished hydrographer, well known for his dreaded red pencil that he used to mark up numerous nautical charts and boat sheets used by his junior officer surveyors for areas to be further surveyed and developed. Although seemingly creating a lot of extra work, the final surveying products produced by his wardrooms and survey departments were nothing short of exceptional, receiving high accolades from the program office. Onboard Whiting, and as Officer in Charge of Hydrographic Survey Launch 1257, he played a large part in development and advancement of automated hydrographic data collection systems. Widely known as a totally cool and collected officer and mariner, CAPT Land was recalled to have lost his temper once, dressing down a more junior Navy commanding officer at the pier in Morehead City, whose ship interrupted Peirce’s surveying operations days earlier with a series of close quarters “intercept” drills in the middle of the night and no accompanying radio communications: “This Officer … became the subject of a very animated conversion with Ralph. I couldn’t hear all of the words but the gesturing of Ralph’s hands and the rapt attention of [the] Navy Lieutenant CO spoke volumes.”

The NOAA Corps family honors and remembers CAPT Land’s service, and our collective thoughts and hearts are with his family and friends. We have the watch, sir…

Colbert Medal and Karo Award Nominations Open

Do you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to engineering and science? Show your appreciation and nominate a co-worker for the Colbert Medal or Karo Field Unit Award!

The NOAA Corps has a re-established relationship with the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), a multi-disciplined organization representing all U.S. uniformed services and diverse technical and socio-demographic backgrounds that works to address engineering-related challenges the nation faces. As part of that relationship, we are reactivating these long dormant awards. Medals will be presented in person at the SAME Joint Engineering Training Conference (JETC) May 14-16, 2024 in Orlando, FL.

The Colbert Medal recognizes a NOAA individual’s outstanding contribution to engineering through achievement in design, construction, administration, research, or development. The Colbert Medal is named in honor of RADM Leo Otis Colbert who was the third director of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS), predecessor of the NOAA Corps, and oversaw its operations during World War II.

The Karo Award recognizes a NOAA field unit for outstanding contribution in an engineering or scientific field. The Karo Award is named in honor of RADM Henry Arnold Karo who was the fifth director of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey and oversaw the expansion of USCGS as it joined the Environmental Science Services Administration, predecessor of NOAA.

Nominations must be for an employee of NOAA, officer or civilian, active or retired. The nomination shall consist of at least two pages, beginning with a concise sentence stating the reason for the award and followed by a more detailed description of the contributions or achievements and their significance to engineering and science. For the Karo Award, a list of all individuals in the unit shall be included with the nomination. Submit nominations via email to the nominee’s program director and the SAME NOAA Corps Service Principal, CAPT Sam Greenaway, at samuel.greenaway@noaa.gov. Deadline for all nominations is Wednesday, February 7th. For more information about the awards, SAME, or JETC, email the NOAA Corps SAME Service Liaison, LTJG Alice Beittel, at alice.beittel@noaa.gov.

Directives Note: Currently in NCD Ch. 12, Part 7, Subparts 4.F & 4.G, eligibility for these awards is limited to the National Ocean Service, as the NOAA Corps and all ship and aircraft operations were housed within the National Ocean Service when those sections of the directives were written. While we bring the directives up to date, and to follow the spirit of the original application of these awards, we are opening submission to NOAA Corps officers throughout the agency.

NOAA Corps Telework Policy

As you are likely aware, the Department of Commerce and NOAA telework policies do not apply to NOAA Corps officers. To address this, we recently created, cleared, and published a NOAA Corps telework policy, contained in NOAA Corps Directives Chapter 5, Part 7. The final step in implementing the NOAA Corps telework policy was developing a telework agreement form, similar to the one used by NOAA for civilian employees, which we are now pleased to present. Effective immediately, NOAA Corps officers should use the new NOAA Form 56-11 to establish or modify telework arrangements with their approving official. Signed agreements do not need to be sent to CPC or to your OPF, but will remain with you and your approving official. A complete telework agreement package for NOAA Corps officers will contain the following:

• NOAA Corps Telework Application/Agreement and Modification form (NF 56-11)
• NOAA Telework Safety Checklist
• NOAA Telework Readiness Assessment Tool (Page 2 only of the NOAA Eligibility and Readiness Assessment Tool. Do NOT fill out the eligibility portion on page 1.)

Please forward any questions to noaacorps.policy@noaa.gov.

Junior Officer Detail Opportunity: Assistant to Chief Ops at MOC-A

Due to a combination of training, augmenting, and other temporary duty, Marine Operations Center - Atlantic (MOC-A) in Norfolk, VA will be operating at reduced staffing in late January and all of February 2024. Therefore, we are offering a detail opportunity for a junior officer (O-3 or below) to join the MOC-A operations team. In this temporary assignment, the junior officer will assist MOC-A's Chief Operations Officer as they coordinate with ships and programs to commence the 2024 field season. It will also entail logistics such as port call coordination or arranging deliveries of fuel and supplies. This is an excellent chance to expand one’s perspective from the ship level to the fleet level; the detailed officer will be introduced to how Marine Operations addresses issues in the areas of personnel, staffing, facilities, budget, operation, policies, dive operations, and safety.

Interested officers should contact Commander Stephen Barry at chiefops.moa@noaa.gov or Captain Patrick Murphy at xo.moc.atlantic@noaa.gov at the first opportunity. Ideally, the detail will start the week of January 22, 2024, and end on March 1, 2024, and MOC-A will pay for all travel. We understand individual schedules can be complicated and specific date alterations may be accommodated due to operational needs.

2024 - Aviation Advisory Board: Initial Flight

An Aviation Advisory Board will convene April 24th to recommend officers for initial flight training. Selection numbers and start dates for flight training will be determined based on the needs of the service. Previous flight experience is not required for this opportunity, however it is highly encouraged and will help applicants determine if aviation is a desirable career path. Time in Service will not be limited for the purpose of this candidate selection and selected applicants will incur an Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) of six years, if Initial Pilot Training is required to earn required FAA Certificates.

Requirements for the NOAA Corps Aviation Selection Process:

• Complete all sections of NOAA Form 56-43 (Application for NOAA Corps Aviation Program)
• Complete a USCG Class I flight physical *good for one year
• Complete the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT)
• Complete the Test of Basic Aviation Skills (TBAS). This test must be taken after the AFOQT. *tests can only be taken twice in an officer’s career
• Retrieve and include your Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) score. This is a combination of the two tests above and your flight experience. If the AFOQT and TBAS tests were completed previously, a retake is not necessary.
• A recommendation for aviation selection must be included in Section 10 (Potential) of the applicant's Officer Evaluation Report (NOAA form 56-6A), or provide a written endorsement from your current supervisor.

For questions about NOAA aviation careers and the application process, contact LCDR Joshua Rannenbeg (aoc.chiefadmin@noaa.gov). For questions specific to medical requirements and USCG Class I flight physicals, contact CAPT Joe Newcomb, USPHS, (joseph.newcomb@noaa.gov) or (863) 500-3991.

Please let the assignment coordinator, LT Trede (assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov) know by April 1, 2024 if you plan to apply for initial flight training so that you can be included in the board materials.

From the Assignment Desk: NWS Billet #4005: Aide to NWS Director

Join the National Weather Service as the Flag Aide to the Director! This vital role is a unique opportunity to blend individual expertise with teamwork at the highest level of management. You will manage the Director's schedule, coordinate travel, and liaise with senior leaders, playing an integral part in our mission to provide critical weather, water, and climate services. If you possess excellent time management skills, professional demeanor, passion for meteorology, and a strong aptitude for teamwork and public service, this is your chance to make a substantial impact. Apply now to be at the forefront of a Weather-Ready Nation!