Good afternoon, NOAA Corps,
"It all goes by so quickly." Truer words are rarely if ever said, and I heard this phrase uttered by several BOTC 144 officer candidates yesterday evening prior to learning of their first fleet and flight assignments at Billet Night. I've also heard these words or some variation thereof from seasoned junior officers, executive officers, captains, and admirals alike. And the underlying theme can be both abstract and concrete: we have limited time, and while our days might be slow, our months and years can feel lightning fast. If there is a resource that we may consider most precious, it is our time.
When I think about what has shaped me, whether through negotiating challenges or achieving successes, what I often remember are moments. I recall the moments when I've failed spectacularly, learned and applied lessons successfully, and ultimately accomplished goals triumphantly. And some of the most impactful moments I remember are when I’ve received the gift of mentorship to help open my mind in the din of the hectic day-to-day; a kind and/or encouraging word, a thoughtful question, a pause to step-back from fight/flight instinct to consider options.
I encourage us all to mindfully realize and embrace our moments as they come while making time to offer and receive mentorship. While our days may be slow, it all still goes by so quickly, but an intentional approach to consuming and sharing the precious resource of our time will help us appreciate those moments and grow at a just-right pace.
As always, please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.
Best Regards,
Captain Chris van Westendorp, NOAA
Director, Commissioned Personnel Center
P.S. Don’t forget to reply/register for the ACO Dining Out - deadline is tomorrow (9/7/2024)!
| 2 Oct 2024 | Officer Assignment Board (OAB) |
| 11 Oct 2024 | BOTC 144 graduation |
| 23 Oct 2024 | Heavy Aviation Advisory Board (AAB) |
| 11 Dec 2024 | Fleet Aviation Advisory Board (AAB) |
| CAPT Eric Johnson | 01 Oct 2024 |
| CAPT Patrick Murphy | 01 Oct 2024 Terminal leave: 01 Jul 2024 |
| LT Brandon Tao | 01 Oct 2024 |
| CAPT Jason Mansour | 01 Nov 2024 Terminal leave: 04 Aug 2024 |
| LTJG Emma Strong | 13 Nov 2024 Terminal leave: 03 Sep 2024 |
| CAPT Daniel Simon | 01 Jan 2025 Terminal leave: 25 Oct 2024 |
| LTJG Kyle Vincent | 02 Jan 2025 |
OCs find points on a chart of Avery Point and identify them in the real world. PC: OC McDeavitt |
It was an eventful two weeks for BOTC 144. The team packed up charts and took a field trip to Avery Point to learn about chart symbols and see them in the real world. 144 took a tour of the Barque Eagle, one of only two active commissioned sailing vessels in the United States military. Much of last week’s classes took place on USCG training vessels Respect, Honor, and Duty, where 144 practiced conning and helm commands. They spent time on the water conducting man overboard drills, line handling, and docking. 144 was also granted their first weekend liberty, bringing morale to an all-time high as officer candidates were able to go out and explore the New London area. This week BOTC 144 started their Navigational Rules of the Road (ROTR) instruction course. ROTR is a high priority class that requires a 90% passage rate to graduate as an officer. Other notable events for the class over the last 2 weeks:
OCs take the helm of USCG training vessel Respect. PC: OC McDeavitt |
ENS Garett Smith teaching OCs about current and wind speed. PC: OC McDeavitt |
OCs retrieve a life buoy during their man overboard drills. PC: OC McDeavitt |
REMINDER! The ACO Dining out RSVP deadline ends tomorrow on September 7th. Detailed information about the event can be found in previous Cyberflashes, as well as on the invitation located here. This is guaranteed to be a fun event as well as an opportunity for us all to connect with each other in celebration of our uniformed service - register now!
We have been able to confirm the payment of many PCS vouchers by officers over the past several months (thank you), but we understand that there are more out there that are still outstanding. We understand from NOAA Finance that while staff who are able to process PCS vouchers are limited, new personnel are being trained to assist with the backlog. If your PCS voucher is more than two weeks post-submission to NOAA Finance, please provide the following information to CPC at Director.CPC@noaa.gov:
Although we continue to work with NOAA Finance on voucher processing, the best way for CPC to confirm payment is via your communications with us, so please don’t be shy if you are owed for your PCS move!
An Aviation Advisory Board will convene on or around December 11th 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:
Letters of recommendation are not required but are highly recommended. Flight materials will be due COB November 24th, 2024.
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 October 14th, 2024 if you plan to apply for initial flight training so that you can be scheduled for an interview. Officers can not be considered for the board without a completed interview.
The NOAA Office of Response and Restoration is looking for an operationally-focused officer interested in serving as the Great Lakes Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC). This is an emergency response and regional coordination billet in direct support of the USCG. The SSC also regularly works with each of the NOAA line offices, EPA, DOI, FEMA, the Canadian Coast Guard, ECCC, tribal nations, the eight Great Lakes states, county and municipal governments, the oil and response industries, media, and academia.
The officer selected will become intimately familiar with the National Incident Management System and Incident Command System, pollutant waterborne and aerial trajectory modeling, biological and chemical assessments for oil and chemical spills, shoreline dynamics and treatments, and many other aspects of pollution response. This is a high visibility position where the selected officer should expect to lead in multi-agency public settings, provide scientific insight and consensus to the Unified Command, and act on behalf of NOAA as a natural resource trustee. The selected officer should expect to travel often across the Great Lakes region and the nation to support response, exercises, training, response network meetings, research, and conferences. Interested officers should contact LCDR Chris Duffy, at ssc.greatlakes@noaa.gov.