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Seal of the NOAA Commissioned Corps

Flag of the NOAA Commissioned Corps

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps (NOAA Corps) is one of the seven Uniformed Services of the United States, having approximately 300 commissioned officers. It is the uniformed service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is a scientific agency under the United States Department of Commerce.

The NOAA Commissioned Corps, established in 1917 as the Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps, and then as the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) Corps from 1965-1970, traces its roots back to the former U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, which dates back to 1807 and President Thomas Jefferson. The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey officers were commissioned so that under the laws of war, they could not be executed as spies if they were serving as surveyors on a battlefield.

The NOAA Corps today provides a cadre of professionals trained in engineering, earth sciences, oceanography, meteorology, fisheries science, and other related disciplines. Officers operate ships, fly aircraft, manage research projects, conduct diving operations, and serve in staff positions throughout NOAA.

Officers in uniform

Its officers wear uniforms similar to the United States Navy, with distinctive NOAA insignia. The NOAA Corps also uses the same ranks as United States Navy commissioned officers, from Ensign to Vice Admiral but wear special corps insignia to identify them as a member of NOAA. However, with the retirement of Vice Admiral H. Arnold Karo in January 1967 [1], the Vice Admiral rank is no longer utilized and the current highest ranking officer in the NOAA Corps is a two-star Rear Admiral. NOAA officers receive direct commissions into the service, which is similar to other Uniformed Services of the United States that induct officers into Direct Commission Officers (DCOs) programs.

• RADM Jonathan W. Bailey -- Director, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and Director, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
• RDML Philip M. Kenul -- Director, Marine and Aviation Operations Centers
• Commander Brad B. Kearse [2] -- Director, NOAA Commissioned Personnel Center

• Officers are designated with the abbreviation NOAA, not USN.
• NOAA Corps officers cannot hold dual commissions with another uniformed service, though inter-service transfers are allowed.

• NOAA ships and aircraft

• NOAA Directives and Appendices in pdf format

• NOAA Corps
  • NOAA Marine Operations
  • NOAA Aircraft Operations
• NOAA Corps uniform insignia and [3]
• NOAA Corps Marching Song
• NOAA Home

This article incorporates material taken from the public domain website of the NOAA Corps.