Message from the Director

Greetings, NOAA Corps Colleagues,

I know it’s six days away, but I wanted to preemptively wish you all a Happy NOAA Corps Birthday (May 22nd)! I found it fitting to think about and honor our service’s establishment anniversary this week, as my staff and I conducted some research into a bit of NOAA Corps history over the last several days.

You may have seen the In Memoriam message from yesterday, remembering Rear Admiral Herbert R. Lippold, Jr. (NOAA, ret.) who passed away on March 31st and whose remains are being laid to rest with military honors today in Atkinson, New Hampshire. RADM Lippold had a long and distinguished career that traversed quite the period of reorganization, including transition in 1965 of our founding uniformed service, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) Corps, to the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA), which was then relatively closely followed by the 1970 transition into the modern day NOAA Commissioned Corps. Born in 1926, RADM Lippold was part of the Greatest Generation. His service career encompassed being one of the last enlistees of the U.S. Army Air Corps fighting in World War II, all the way to attaining NOAA Corps 2-star flag rank and being appointed the Director of the National Ocean Survey, a predecessor to our current Office of Coast Survey, and descendant of the Survey of the Coast, established by President Thomas Jefferson and initially led by Superintendent Ferdinand R. Hassler in 1807.

RADM Lippold’s service file contains all sorts of gems, including a June 12, 1950, Western Union telegram to Captain Gallen (Chief, Division of Personnel and Accounts) at Department of Commerce USCGS headquarters in Washington D.C., accepting his appointment as a Deck Officer. His ensign appointment certificate is signed by President Harry Truman, and his first carbon copy Notice of Personnel Action form details his initial pay ($3,240 per annum) and first sea assignment to the USCGS coastal survey ships Parker, Bowen, and Stirni, which conducted wire drag surveys along the east coast. There is a 1973 memo from RADM Harley Nygren (first Director, NOAA Corps) to then-Captain Lippold, articulating the definition of the word “hearsay” in regards to documenting officer performance, and emphasizing that, “Hearsay is unacceptable as evidence.” One of my favorite files is a 5-page handwritten essay, “Preparation Required to Outfit a Cat-Train in the Arctic,” presumably from when he was Chief of the Arctic Field Party in Seattle, and which he concludes with an affirmation to the reader, “I certify I have had no help in preparing this essay.” This is closely followed by a 1982 note from NOAA Administrator John Byrne commending then-RADM Lippold for his leadership after the Administrator’s successful visit to NOAA ships Rude and Heck: “... I am convinced – wire drags are here to stay… We can all be proud of the operation of HECK and RUDE. The complement of officers, Russ Arnold, Don Winter, John Bailey, and Steve Barnum, impress me as outstanding…” (Many of us may indeed recognize those names as individuals who had outstanding NOAA Corps careers.)

Through this glimpse into history not only of RADM Lippold’s outstanding career but also of our service, one thing is made evident: what drove our late Director of Nation Ocean Survey was a passion for uniformed service and contributing to something bigger than himself. I suspect we all feel that same calling, and I count myself fortunate to continue his and indeed all USCGS/ESSA/NOAA Corps officers’ legacies in that regard.

Again, Happy Birthday, NOAA Corps, and please be sure to take care of yourselves and each other.

Best Regards,

Captain Chris van Westendorp, NOAA
Director, Commissioned Personnel Center

BOTC 146

BOTC 146 began learning Basic Safety, survival at sea, and Firefighting. The class attended Basic Safety at the USMRC in Rhode Island, where they received hands-on training in CPR, sudden illnesses, wound dressing, and tourniquet use. The class received Survival at Sea (SAS) training alongside OCS 3-25, where skills in trouser flotation devices, recovery swim techniques, and other survival skills were taught. This week, students began their classroom training in Basic Firefighting with hands-on training at the Rhode Island Fire Academy in Exeter, Rhode Island.

NJAC Liaisons

The NOAA Corps Junior Officer Advisory Committee (NJAC) Executive Board is looking for two JOs (O1-O3) to serve as NJAC Liaisons to CPC, preferably with one JO being stationed locally at HQ. However, all eligible officers are encouraged to apply regardless of duty station. The two NJAC Liaisons typically meet in-person or virtually once a month with the CPC Director to discuss NJAC business and get CPC/NOAA Corps updates to share with the broader NJAC community. The NJAC CPC Liaison position is approximately a 2.5-hour commitment per month (1.5 hour NJAC meeting, 30 minute CPC Director meeting, and 30 minutes of meeting preparation) and will need supervisory approval. This opportunity will allow you to demonstrate your commitment to the Service, engage in important / critical conversations with Senior Leadership, and be the change you want to see in the NOAA Corps! Please email the NJAC Executive Board at njac.omao@noaa.gov by May 30th, 2025 if interested or for more information. A short paragraph statement of interest should also be included.

Chapter 12 Update for Command Insignia

We are pleased to announce the approval and release of the most recent update to NOAA Corps Directives Chapter 12 (Uniforms and Awards), now posted to the CPC website. In parallel with updates to the billet description form and recent billet review, this version adds a requirement that command positions (including authorization for command-at-sea and small-craft-command insignia) will be identified in individual billet descriptions (authorization memo from CPC is not required). Additionally, Chapter 12 now better addresses the location of Command insignia on uniforms and when it is authorized for post-tour wear. Finally, this update officially establishes the Command Ashore insignia for NOAA Corps, with the initial list of eligible positions available for viewing here. As always, please contact the Uniform and Awards Board with any questions regarding decorations, medals, and/or uniform issues.

Did You Know? Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA)

The purpose of Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) is to partially reimburse uniformed service members for higher than normal expenses incurred by the member or their dependent(s) while occupying temporary lodging outside of the continental United States (OCONUS), when such lodging is necessary upon arrival at, or immediately before detaching from an OCONUS permanent duty station (PDS). In accordance with NCD 020406, officers are advised of the following responsibilities and requirements relating to TLA:

• Officers must aggressively seek permanent Government quarters or private-sector housing upon arrival to their new PDS;
• Officers must register, via memorandum or email, with their Commanding Officer and the Director, CPC, (director.cpc@noaa.gov) upon arrival and keep both informed of progress in obtaining permanent Government quarters or private-sector housing at intervals of every 15 days or fewer;
• Officers must provide a statement to the Director, CPC, (director.cpc@noaa.gov) indicating the beginning and end of TLA;
• Officers must obtain and keep receipts for lodging expenses to support TLA payment; and
• Lodging expenses are not allowed while staying with friends or relatives, but the meal and incidental expense rate (M&IE) is payable for the eligible TLA period.

As always, please use the HRMS Action Request ticketing system within OPF Online and/or contact your servicing HR Specialist for any questions or assistance with your Permanent Change of Station needs.

Payroll Reminder: Leave Forms (NF 56-12)

When submitting a Request and Authorization for Leave form (NF 56-12) to Payroll via an HR Action Request ticket, all officers are reminded to ensure EACH block (1 thru 15.c and 16, if you have Remarks) in the form is completed. The Leave Address block (5.) should be complete including the Zip Code and Phone Number. Officers may not endorse their own leave slips. Signatures in blocks 13 (c) and 15 (c) must be readable with Name/Title/Signature of the Approving Official/Departure Authority as applicable, or Digitally signed and reflect the time of departure and arrival.

If any blocks are not endorsed appropriately in accordance with NCD Chapter 6, 06109 – Application for Leave, an officer’s leave form will be REJECTED.