BOTC 147 Student Entry

[Written by BOTC 147 Officer Candidates]

BOTC 147 on graduation day. PC: Gee Smith

A congratulations is in order to our newest ensigns from BOTC 147 following their graduation on April 2nd, 2026! The class is well-trained and prepared to hit the ground running at their first assignments. Prior to graduation, the class shared their leadership philosophies, which they had been curating for the past 12 weeks, demonstrating their growth throughout the program. BOTC 147 also recently completed Advanced Firefighting training at the Rhode Island Fire Academy (RIFA). The class gained hands-on experience in shipboard firefighting techniques, strengthening their preparedness to respond to emergencies at sea. BOTC 147 extends sincere thanks to the staff at RIFA for their expertise, instruction, and guidance throughout the training. The 7 mariners of BOTC 147 will report to USMRC on April 13th, while the 5 aviators will report to AOC and HQ no later than April 14th.

BOTC 147 Awards:

• Distinguished Honor Graduate:ENS Kaleena Davis
• Professional Mariner Award: ENS Kaleena Davis
• HPR Award: ENS Alexandra Strelkow
• Leadership Award: ENS Alexis Provencal
• Academic Award: ENS Kaleena Davis
• Coast Guard Leadership in Communication Award: ENS Kaleena Davis

BOTC 147 at the RIFA. PC RIFA Staff

From the students: On behalf of BOTC 147, we wish to express our deepest gratitude to CAPT Colegrove and the entire NCOTC staff, guest instructors and everyone who supported us throughout this journey. Every challenge, the highs and lows, the sweats and tears - has made reaching this milestone incredibly rewarding. In addition, we are especially thankful to our Coast Guard shipmates and the Leadership Development Center staff, for their invaluable friendship and mentorship.

See you in the fleet!
BOTC 147 SIGNING OFF.

Announcing the Launch of the OPF Sea Day Tracker Module

On March 19th, CPC officially launched the Sea Day Tracker module within the Online Personnel File (OPF). This new tool is designed to provide officers with a centralized, standardized platform for recording sea experience, vessel qualifications, and bridge evolutions.

As of today, April 3rd, all officers are encouraged to access the module and begin documenting their maritime history.

This sea-time accounting tool is a critical component of career progression and assignment planning. Key features include:

• Track individual legs, vessel names, and specific project support.
• Log specific maneuvers (Arrivals, Departures, Special Transits) as either the Deck or Conn, used towards Senior Watch Officer (SWO) milestones.
• Generate a "Sea Metrics" summary report at the click of a button for your personal records or qualification packages.

The module is located at the bottom of the sidebar navigation menu within your OPF. To ensure data integrity, the system utilizes a "Phase" approach:

• Phase I: Create a Voyage Log (the primary entry for a leg).
• Phase II: Log specific Sea Day Evolutions and link them to the appropriate voyage.

Data logging should be consistent with MO Procedure 2001-04 regarding the definition of sea days. Officers that have yet to earn their SWO qualification are encouraged to back-log past assignments to ensure their "Sea Metrics" dashboard accurately reflects their entire career experience.

Please note that while this tool is used for administrative tracking and assignments, official qualification letters must still be uploaded to your OPF as the primary record of authority.

A comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and FAQ guide are available here to assist you in navigating the new interface.

End of Year Package (EOYP) Window Closed

The official submission window for the NOAA Corps End of Year Package (EOYP) for the 2025-2026 reporting cycle, which opened in December 2025 and was due on March 27, 2026, is now closed.

We extend our appreciation to the 305 officers who completed and submitted their packages on time. Your timely submissions are crucial for the integrity of the performance evaluation process and maintaining accurate records for promotion and assignment boards.EOYP Completion Metrics

The final metrics for the 2025-2026 EOYP submission cycle are as follows:

All officers are reminded that they can submit and request updates to their OPFs at any time via the ticket system.

Call For Volunteers - JO Safety Climate Assessment Survey Committee

As many of you know, the 2025 OMAO Safety Climate Assessment Survey (OSCAS) included 5 open-ended questions that were only given to officers in the ranks of LT and below. The aim of the inclusion of these questions was to take the pulse of the JO workforce regarding training availability, communication with more senior leadership, and the availability of career planning resources. The survey closed last Fall, and CPC is standing up a working group to review the JO's responses and recommend potential action items to leadership.

CPC is looking for volunteers across all ranks and communities to participate in this working group. The working group will be chaired by a senior officer, but all ranks will be represented. If you are interested in serving on this working group, please send one paragraph describing your interest to director.cpc@noaa.gov with the subject "JO Survey Questions Working Group" by Friday 24 April. CPC will notify the selected working group members shortly thereafter.

Call for Applications - Leadership Competencies Development Program (LCDP)

Recent LCDP Graduates: CDR Damian Manda, CDR Priti Bhatnagar and CDR Bart Buesseler

The NOAA Leadership Competencies Development program is opening applications for their next cohort on April 8, with the training to begin September 2026. LCDP is a flagship NOAA leadership development program drawing from emerging leaders across all line and staff offices and consisting of a multi-faceted 18-month learning experience. Components include in-person coursework, experiential learning, coaching, mentoring, and extensive networking. The LCDP curriculum focuses on developing emotional intelligence, leading teams and partnerships, navigating organizational change, and driving results. The program promotes cross-line, multidisciplinary experiences that broaden participants' understanding of NOAA's strategic vision, mission, and goals, as well as our business processes. For NOAA Corps officers, LCDP is a great opportunity to learn about components of the NOAA mission and organization not typically encountered in standard billets through developmental details, learning seminars from other cohort members and visits to major sites of NOAA activity.

Interested officers of grades O-3 to O-6 are encouraged to apply during the application period from 8-April to 1-May. For more information see the LCDP intranet site and register to attend the information session on April 6. Also feel free to reach out to recent graduates CDR Priti Bhatnagar, CDR Damian Manda, and CDR Bart Buesseler for more information.

New NF-56-27: Household Goods (HHG) PCS Worksheet Now Available

A new version of the NF-56-27: Household Goods Permanent Change of Station Worksheet has been released and is now available for use. This updated form is designed to ensure accuracy in the household goods transport calculations. Key updates include:

• Officer Rank block has been added to accurately determine authorized weight allowances with the Joint Travel Regulations (JTRs).
• A number of dependents has been added to ensure all household factors are accounted for.

The new NF-56-27 can be found in the CPC Intranet Forms Library.

All officers are reminded to download forms directly from the CPC Intranet for every use. This practice ensures you are utilizing the most current versions. Using outdated forms can lead to processing delays or administrative errors.