Explore the NOAA Corps: A Life of Service, Science and Adventure

Lt. J.G. Laura Gallant
NOAA Corps

September 28, 2009 — If you’ve ever dreamed of piloting a NOAA aircraft through a hurricane, navigating a research ship, or testing robotic planes, subs and other cutting-edge technologies, it’s time for you to explore the NOAA Corps.

The adventurous men and women of the NOAA Commissioned Corps can be found at sea on NOAA research and survey vessels, in the air piloting and navigating research aircraft, and in offices and laboratories supporting these endeavors.

Becoming a NOAA Corps Officer

More than 300 elite officers make up the NOAA Corps. While some officers are transfers from other uniformed services, most enter the NOAA Corps after receiving their bachelor’s degree in engineering, science or mathematics and attending a rigorous four-month Basic Officer Training Class.

Training takes place at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., where new officers learn everything from ship handling to maritime law and celestial navigation. The coursework also teaches what it means to serve in uniform and follow proper military style officer etiquette and protocol.

Hands-On Training

But basic officer training isn’t all books and blackboards. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has state of the art training facilities where students can use ship simulators to safely learn how to manage tricky port traffic situations, adverse weather conditions and ship equipment malfunctions. Students also get hours of valuable sea time piloting the Academy’s training vessels in rivers and bays around New York City.

“Thursday night small boat classes were the most fun,” says Ensign Heather Moe (BOTC #113). “It taught us a lot about how boats maneuver, while still giving us the freedom to train in a specific area of ship handling. Plus, the Statue of Liberty looks pretty cool at night.”

Safety at sea is stressed in all classroom lessons. Students practice what they learn by jumping into life rafts and attending fire training facilities where they experience firsthand the heat and smoke of a fire. The idea is to introduce students to emergency situations in a controlled setting. Should a real emergency happen while they are at sea, graduates would know how to handle safety equipment under stressful conditions.

A Career Full of Challenges and Opportunities

Instruction doesn’t stop once basic training is complete. Officers continue to develop their skills on the job. Their first assignment is always at sea, where new officers are considered Junior Officers of the Deck and conduct all operations under the supervision of a fully qualified Officer of the Deck.

While at sea, new officers also have the opportunity to obtain a U.S. Coast Guard-issued mate’s license, an internationally recognized mariner certification. Ensign Jasmine Cousins, class president of the current class (BOTC #114) says, “The licensing opportunity that NOAA and [the basic officer training class] are providing is invaluable [to maritime careers such as this].”

While all basic officer training graduates start their NOAA careers with at least one tour of duty aboard a ship, some go on to aviation school and prepare for a career flying NOAA aircraft. Duties and areas of operations can range from hunting hurricanes, conducting fishery surveys in Alaska, maintaining buoys in the tropical Pacific, flying snow surveys and mapping coastlines.

Ensign Cousins gives these words of advice to future basic officer training classes: “Work hard. Play hard. Appreciate every morning. Be thankful for the opportunities. Embrace the challenges.”

Learn more about life in the NOAA Corps online.