BOTC 144 - BOTC Student written update

Selfies with AOC crew from the cockpit of N-46 (Credit: Laura Rock)

This week BOTC 144 had visits from Commander Andrew Colegrove, Chief of the Officer Career Management Division, Captain Jesse Stark, Director of Marine Operations, and a team of aviators from the Aircraft Operations Center. The last time Commander Colegrove saw 144 was during in-processing week. Captain Stark gave an informational lesson on the structure of Marine Operations and an introduction into the billet selection process. Later in the week 144 took a field trip to Groton Airport to meet Commander Rob Mitchell, Lieutenant Laura Rock, and Ensign Davis Benningfield. The AOC team took 144 to the skies in one of NOAA’s light aircraft planes, the De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter N-46. Students had the experience of a lifetime learning the in’s and out’s of the plane and taking control in the cockpit!

Looking Forward: BOTC 144 will take another field trip to the US Maritime Resource Center to cover Navigation training and meet with the summer Refresher Training (REFTRA) class, and they will begin preparing to submit their individual billet preferences.

Officer candidates makes their way down the runway for their safety brief before boarding for flight (Credit: OC McDeavitt)

Officer candidates standing in front of N46 post flight (Credit: OC McDeavitt)

Security Clearances Resources - New on CPC Website

For all Officers needing a Top Secret clearance, there are now resources available on the CPC website, including a how-to guide and links to required forms. Please use these resources if a Top Secret clearance or other upgrade is required for your current or upcoming role. There is also a new feature in OPF Online to submit these through the new ticketing system, so CPC and you can keep track of your clearance process!

These new resources are only for Officers needing a new Top Secret or other upgrade to their security clearance, or if you are specifically contacted by CPC to submit forms for a secret clearance. For Officers whose files do not show a security clearance, we are actively working with the DOC Office of Security to get your clearance memos to upload to your OPF. There is still a chance we may need additional paperwork from you, but CPC will contact you if action is needed.

For most Officers who currently have an active security clearance, the Office of Security (OSY) has updated their processes, and now use a "continuous enrollment" process. This means that, provided nothing significant has changed, your clearance will not expire, however OSY may reach out to you with a new form to complete periodically. A new investigation will only be required if deemed necessary by OSY, rather than every 5 or 10 years.

For questions regarding Security Clearances, please use the Ticket option via your OPF online.

Updated OER tab in OPF and Processing Method

As CPC continues to identify methods of increasing efficiency and processing speeds, we have made improvements to OER processing. This is the first step in a few that will lead to fully digital OER generating, routing, and processing. You will now see a change in your OER tab on your OPF. Your OER is no longer viewable in the "drop down" of each OER record. The OERs have been attached to the primary record now, so you can view your OERs by clicking on the "eye" of each primary record. Any additional documents related to that OER (such as replies or 56-6Bs) will be viewable in the drop down as attachments to the primary record.

You will also see, when viewing an OER, a whole lot of meta-data attached to the viewing panel on the right. This is the new method for how we will be capturing all of the data that CPC previously manually entered for each OER. More on that soon.

You will also see a new button at the top of the record list in the OER tab that says "+ Add New OER". For now, please ignore that button. There's no need to add OERs via that button until CPC changes internal practices. Please continue to submit via the previously advertised smartsheet method. CPC anticipates switching to using that button within the next 4-6 weeks and will announce in a future cyberflash when we are ready with visual instructions and guides.

For any questions, please contact CDR Andrew Colegrove, Chief OCMD at chief.careermgmt.cpc@noaa.gov.

ACO Dining out

On September 21, 2024, the NOAA DC Association of Commissioned Officers will host its first official Dining Out event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will take place at the Manor Country Club. Please find the invitation here. Kindly RSVP by August 31st.

We are pleased to announce that a distinguished keynote speaker will be present, with details to be revealed at a later date. Officers who have recently been promoted are encouraged to consider making a wetting down donation and celebrating their event alongside our fellow officers. Additionally, we ask those that can to donate in order to subsidize tickets for individuals who wish to attend but may not be able to cover the cost of admission.

Volunteers for the NOAA Airborne Gamma Snow Survey

The National Water Center (NWC) is seeking adventurous NOAA Corps Officers to participate in this year’s Snow Survey as Sensor Operators. This position is open to both aviation and maritime officers. Dates are flexible and the NWC will work with you and your command to limit interruptions to your duties and operations while providing a unique experience within the NOAA Corps.

These surveys are crucial to forecasting floods, droughts, water supply, and protecting lives and properties. It is vital for water managers to understand how this year’s snowpack will refill reservoirs, maintain streams for ecological conditions, predict how well spring planting soils will be wetted or planting delayed due to saturated conditions. This mission measures the snowpack in areas where it is impossible to access by road or trail and serves some of America’s remotest and most vulnerable populations. It is a mission that makes a difference.

Volunteers for this detail will fly in the back of the Beechcraft ER-350 King Air (N67RF) and operate cameras and the collection gear. The flight profile of the Gamma Airborne Snow Survey is one of the most intense in the NOAA Corps, flying at 500 feet above ground-level in a terrain following profile. At this altitude, conditions are often “bumpy” and will be an exhilarating experience.

Officers are needed for 2-4 weeks at a time beginning in October and extending through April 2025. The King Air is expected to survey in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, the Appalachians and Northeast, the southern Rockies and Sierra Nevada, as well as Alaska!

Please contact Shawn Carter, Winter Hydrology and Remote Sensing Desk Lead, at shawn.carter@noaa.gov if you are interested in this opportunity. Once you have a date scheduled, work with LT Trede (assignmentbranch.cpc@noaa.gov) to get an approved detail letter.