NOAA CORPS The Other Uniformed Sea Service - ESSA - USC&GS

[Salvage Sailor]

The NOAA Corps

 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, known informally as the NOAA Corps, is one of seven federal uniformed services of the United States, and operates under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a scientific agency within the Department of Commerce. The NOAA Corps is the smallest of the U.S. uniformed services, and one of only two––the other being the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps––that consists only of commissioned officers, with no enlisted or warrant officer ranks.

 

 

Established in 1970, the NOAA Corps is the successor to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps (USC&GS 1917-1965), and the United States Environmental Science Services Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (ESSA Corps 1965-1970)

 

 

The NOAA Corps uses the same commissioned officer ranks as the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. While the grade of admiral has been established as a rank in the NOAA Corps, the rank has not been authorized for use by the United States Congress. Current NOAA Corps ranks rise from ensign to vice admiral, pay grades O-1 through O-9 respectively. NOAA Corps officers are appointed via direct commission and receive the same pay as other members of the uniformed services. They cannot hold a dual commission with another service, but inter-service transfers are sometimes permitted.

 

 

For formal service uniforms, the NOAA Corps wears the same Service Dress Blues and Service Dress Whites as the U.S. Navy, but with NOAA Corps insignia in place of U.S. Navy insignia. For daily work uniforms, the NOAA Corps wears the same Operational Dress Uniform (ODU) as the U.S. Coast Guard, but with NOAA Corps insignia in place of U.S. Coast Guard insignia.

 

Please feel free to post your NOAA patches and related items

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Former US Army Vessel (AKL-30) built in 1944

NOAAS George B. Kelez (CRS-41) Oceanographic High-seas Vessel in Federal Service since 1962

 

 

 

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NOAAS CHARLES S. PEIRCE (S-328) In Federal service from 1962 to 1985

 

 

Patience Hell!! Hydro!

 

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NOAAS McARTHUR (CSS-30) In Federal Service 1966 to 2003 NOAA Ship McArthur 

 

 

 

 

NOAAS McARTHUR (CSS-30) Decommissioning Patch

 

 

 

She now belongs to a private security firm named Xe Services LLC aka 'Blackwater International' which converted her for dark ops

 

[Salvage Sailor]

ex-T-AGOS15 USNS TITAN in naval service 1989-1993

The recently decommissioned NOAAS KA'IMIMOANA (R-333) 1993 to 2014

 

 

Ka’imimoana (Hawaiian for “ocean seeker”) supported climate studies and deployed, recovered and serviced deep-sea moorings for data-collecting buoys from its Honolulu, Hawaii homeport. Ka'imimoana was originally built as the T-AGOS class U.S. Naval Ship Titan in 1989 by Halter Marine in Moss Point, Miss. Titan was operated by the Military Sealift Command until it was transferred to NOAA in 1993, converted to an oceanographic ship, and delivered to NOAA as Ka'imimoana in 1996. The vessel was homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii.

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

USC&GS RESEARCHER (OSS-03) Reflagged to NOAA on 8 October 1970

 

 

Researcher was built in 1968 as an "ocean survey ship" (OSS) for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey by the American Shipbuilding Company at Toledo, Ohio. The Coast and Geodetic Survey commissioned her in 1970 as USC&GS Researcher (OSS 03).

 

 

When the Coast and Geodetic Survey and other United States Government agencies merged to form NOAA on 3 October 1970, Researcher became a part of the NOAA fleet as NOAAS Researcher (R 103).

 

 

In 1987, Researcher was renamed NOAAS Malcolm Baldrige (R 103). She was decommissioned in 1996

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA FAIRWEATHER (S-220)

Originally commissioned in 1968 and operated by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey as USC&GS Fairweather (MSS 20)

 

 

NOAA FAIRWEATHER (S-220) Still in service, homeport Ketchikan, Alaska

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA SURVEYOR (S-132) The Old Workhorse - was an oceanographic survey ship in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 until 1995.

 

 

Prior to her NOAA career, she was in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1960 to 1970 as USC&GS Surveyor (OSS 32)

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAAS DISCOVERER (R 102), formerly USC&GS Discoverer (OSS 02) In service 1967 to 1996, scrapped in 2010

 

 

 

Photo: NOAAS DISCOVERER (R 102) 1996 Hobart, Australia

 

 

NOAAS DISCOVERER (R 102), formerly USC&GS Discoverer (OSS 02) In service 1967 to 1996

 

 

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NOAA Helicopter Operations 1970's

 

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NOAA OAO - Office of Aircraft Operations

Now known as the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO)

 

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NOAA AGASP 1983-1985

 

AGASP - Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)

 

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NOAAS MILLER FREEMAN (R-223) Research ship in service 1975 to 2013

 

 

NOAA Ship Miller Freeman was a 215-foot fisheries and oceanographic research vessel and was one of the largest research trawlers in the United States. Miller Freeman's primary mission was to provide a working platform for the study of the ocean's living resources.

 

 

The ship was named for Miller Freeman (1875-1955), a publisher who was actively involved in the international management of fish harvests. The ship was launched in 1967, but not fully rigged until 1975. The vessel was again re-rigged in 1982. Miller Freeman was homeported at the Marine Operations Center-Pacific in Newport, Oregon. With a 12,578 nautical mile, 31-day endurance, Miller Freeman was capable of operating in any waters of the world.

 

Miller Freeman carried a complement of 7 NOAA Corps officers, 27 crew members, and maximum of 11 scientists.

 

Info from the NOAA OFFICE of MARINE & AVIATION OPERATIONS Website

 

 

NOAAS MILLER FREEMAN (R-223) Ballcap size patch

 

 

 

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NOAA Corps - Aviation Flight Suit patch

 

 

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NOAAS HENRY R. BIGELOW (R-225) Fisheries Research Vessel commissioned in 2007, homeport Newport, Rhode Island

 

 

 

[squidney86]

At my previous Coast Guard Station, we were co-located with a rather large NOAA lab. Unfortunately during my time there the two never got on very good terms. Seems like it had been a situation boiling over for a few years. They did however have two former CG boats in the 41' UTB and the 55' ANB. They were always asking for help from the MK's with them and we always gladly helped out as it was a good change of pace.

 

Really cool patches by the way!

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA FISHERIES https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/about-us

 

[Salvage Sailor]

USC&GS Oceanographer (OSS 01) Oceanographer class leader

Oceanographic research vessel in service in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1966 to 1970

 

 

Redesignated as NOAAS Oceanographer (R 101) from 1970 to 1996.

She served as flagship of both the Coast and Geodetic Survey and NOAA fleets.

 

 

Ocean Survey Ship (OSS-01) Designed by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), Oceanographer was laid down on 22 July 1963 by Gibbs Shipyards at Jacksonville, Florida, under contract to Aerojet General Shipyards and launched on 18 April 1964. Constructed under MARAD's supervision, she was completed on 20 April 1966, at 303 feet (92 meters) in length the largest vessel constructed for research purposes to date. Her stark white paint, large radome aft of the funnels, and heavy crane on the aft deck gave her a distinctive appearance. She had chemistry, wet and dry oceanographic, meteorological, gravimetric, and photographic laboratories. She also had several precision oceanographic winches.

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAAS MOUNT MITCHELL (S 222)

was an American survey vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from 1970 to 1995

 

 

She is the sister ship of NOAAS FAIRWEATHER (S 220) and NOAAS RAINIER (S 221), which are both still in service with NOAA. Prior to her NOAA career, she was in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey as USC&GS Mount Mitchell (MSS 22) from 1968 to 1970. In 2003, she returned to service as the private research ship R/V Mt. Mitchell.

 

[pattyd82ab]

Not quite Corps specific, but this is a 1957 patch made for the 150th birthday of the Office of Coast Survey.

[pattyd82ab]

Not 100% positive, but I believe this is either a WWII or soon there after C&GS officer insignia patch. If anyone has insight as to the uniform it would have been on, or even a photo that would be appreciated. I wouldn't be upset if it wasn't C&GS. It looks a lot like my cap badge (current NOAA officer) and I just want to know the history of it.

 

[pattyd82ab]

Another example of a patch from Fairweather. My first sea assignment was aboard Fairweather now named S-220. She turns 50 this March.

[hink441]

Not a patch, but still related. Here is an officer's cap. I do not own this one, I saw it a few years back in an antique store. I did not buy it though. Mistake on my part!

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 2/6/2018 at 2:51 AM, pattyd82ab said:

Another example of a patch from Fairweather. My first sea assignment was aboard Fairweather now named S-220. She turns 50 this March.

 

That's a really nice Fairweather patch Patty, thanks for posting it.

 

 

NAVY/NOAA JOINT ICE CENTER

 

 

History of the National/Naval Ice Center

 

The close association between NOAA and the U. S. Navy began in 1956 with the collocation of the National Weather Bureau and U.S. Fleet Weather Central, Suitland in Federal Building #4 at the Suitland Federal Complex. One result of this move was close cooperation between the Navy and Department of Commerce to maximize productivity and efficient use of resources without duplicating effort. Later development of weather satellites and the resultant impact of satellite imagery in meteorology and oceanography led to the formation of NESDIS.

 

Much more info on the NIC here https://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/transformations/ice_ctr/welcome.html

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER "MISS PIGGY" - N43RF Lockheed Orion, artwork by Jim Henson from my collection (there's also a "Kermit" and a "Gonzo" but I'm still seeking those for my collection)

 

 

NOAA Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) N43RF "Aero-Nautical... ... But Nice!"

Photo: Miss Piggy in her maintenance hangar

 

 

NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER "MISS PIGGY" - N43RF Lockheed Orion, artwork by Jim Henson

Photos from the web

 

 

NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER "MISS PIGGY" - N43RF Lockheed Orion, artwork by Jim Henson

Photos from the web

 

 

NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER "MISS PIGGY" - N43RF Lockheed Orion, artwork by Jim Henson

Miss Piggy's Hurricane Hunter toteboard