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

[Salvage Sailor]

HURRICANE HUNTERS

 

The first NOAA all female aircrew Hurricane Hunters wearing the latest (2015) version of the Hurricane Hunter patch in August 2018 tracking the Hawaiian hurricanes (note the Hula dancer on the dashboard)

 

 

Lieutenant Commander Rebecca Waddington (left) and Captain Kristie Twining (right) prepare to hunt some hurricanes.

 

Photo: Courtesy of NOAA

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER patch 2015 version

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA HURRICANE HUNTERS

 

Capt. Michael Silah, who now runs the NOAA Air Operations Center at MacDill Air Force Base, was a pilot for the center, helping fly a tracking plane into Hurricane Ivan, when this photo was taken in 2004. [skip O'Rourke | Times (2004)

 

[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.

 

 

1992 PERSIAN GULF - INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION - NOAAS MOUNT MITCHELL (S 222)

Post-Persian Gulf War cruise February to June 1992 - Resurveying the Persian Gulf waterways and monitoring the damage to the waters and aquatic life affected by the detonation of the iraqi oil fields by Saddams forces.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAAS RAINIER (S 221) Originally built by the USC&GS as a medium survey ship RAINIER (MSS 21) commissioned in 1968. Sister ship to the FAIRWEATHER and MOUNT MITCHELL, she was transferred to NOAA in 1970.

 

 

OFFICE of MARINE & AVIATION OPERATIONS - RAINIER (S 221) https://www.omao.noaa.gov/learn/marine-operations/ships/rainier

 

 

NOAAS RAINIER (S 221) Originally built by the USC&GS as a medium survey ship RAINIER (MSS 21) commissioned in 1968.

 

 

S-221 First ballcap patch prior to conversion

 

 

 

Ballcap patch after conversion and addition of helicopter deck

 

 

NOAAS RAINIER (S 221) Originally built by the USC&GS as a medium survey ship RAINIER (MSS 21) commissioned in 1968. Homeport Newport, Oregon

 

Ballcap patch with her call sign Whiskey Tango Echo Foxtrot WTEF

 

 

NOAA Divers with the NOAAS RAINIER (S 221) 2013

 

The NOAA Diving Program is administered by the US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and is headquartered at the NOAA Diving Center in Seattle, WA. The NOAA Diving Program trains and certifies scientists, engineers and technicians to perform the variety of tasks carried out underwater to support NOAA’s mission. With more than 500 divers, NOAA has the largest complement of divers of any civilian federal agency.

 

Topside

NOAA Diving Program Newsletter http://topside-ndp.blogspot.com/2013/09/ndc-congratulates-graduates-of.html

 

Graduates from the Working Diver class include - ENS Rosemary Abbitt, NOAA Ship Rainier; ENS Karen Poremba, Cameron Carter, NOS/FOB; ENS David Wang, OMAO/CPC; ENS Felicia Drummond, OMAO/MOCP; ENS Benjamin VanDine, NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson; ENS Abigail Kernan-Schloss, NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson; ENS Laura Dwyer, NOAA Ship Oregon II; ENS Hollis Johnson, NOAA Ship Pisces; ENS Jessica Senzer, NOAA Ship Ronald H Brown; Scott Stich, Snohomish County Sheriff's Dept; Alex Helphrey, City of Everett PD, Daniel Dusevoir, Snohomish County Sheriffs Dept; Michael Hillstrom, NOAA Ship Ferdinand Hassler.

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA and USPHS Divers, 2013

 

 

Graduates from the Divermaster class include - LT Charlene Felkey, NMS of American Samoa; Dennis Montgomery, Snohomish County Sheriffs Dept; Douglas Jones, BOEM; William Hoffman, BOEM; Allix Slagle, NOAA Ship Rainier; ENS Sean Luis, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer; LT Rachel Kotkowski, OAR/AMOL; ENS Elizabeth Chase, NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson; Max Sudnovsky, NMFS/Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center.

 

Topside

NOAA Diving Program Newsletter http://topside-ndp.blogspot.com/

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 6/30/2017 at 2:48 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

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

Photo: 1996 Hobart, Australia

 

NOAAS DISCOVERER (R-102) Her homeport was Seattle Washington from 1985 to 1996, she was scrapped in 2010

 

 

From the Tropics to the Poles, Large 6" x 4" jacket/coverall patch

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA WORKHORSE - TWIN OTTER - Low, Slow, and Good to Go

 

 

OFFICE of MARINE & AVIATION OPERATIONS, De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter - NOAA Link with photos, drawings and specs

 

NOAA’s Twin Otters are among the agency's most versatile aircraft. Known for their reliability, short takeoff and landing capabilities, payload capacity and excellent external visibility, they are a perfect asset to support NOAA science in even the harshest environments.

 

With an endurance of 4-6 hours at survey speeds, the Twin Otter is more than capable of covering over 600+ nautical miles of low altitude survey in a given flight at max fuel loads. These aircraft remain very busy year round supporting airborne marine mammal, hydrological, remote sensing, air chemistry and emergency response programs. Normal crew size is two pilots with a cabin capable of seating six people with smaller science equipment installed. Known for its stability at slower speeds, the Twin Otter is capable of surveying between 90-140 knots over the ground, making it ideal for missions that require a slower aircraft for data collection.

 

 

 

NOAA Twin Otter - Pilots Jason Clark (left) and David Reymore stand by the aircraft prior to the flight. Photo Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Shelley Dawicki   Note the Twin Otter patch on the pilot and the observer

 

[flyboy53]

THIS STRING IS MOST EXCELLENT!!!!

 

I saw a NOAA P-3 Orion in action while stationed in Alaska.

 

One thing though. There are eight uniformed services of the United States. Don't forget the U.S. Maritime Service, better known as the Merchant Marine.

 

Also, it's important to note that in WW II, there were U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey ships that supported the D-Day landing as well as all the island hoping in the Pacific.

[Salvage Sailor]

On 5/14/2017 at 8:26 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

 

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

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Untrimmed patch

 

 

 

Untrimmed & Trimmed patch (same size, different photo magnification when I took them)

 

 

Reverse

 

 

.....and the 1970 Swiss Tex Version

 

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

 

 

Different version

 

NOAAS Researcher (R 103), was an American oceanographic research vessel in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 1996. She had been delivered to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1970 as USC&GS Researcher (OSS 03), but did not enter commission until after her transfer to NOAA later that year. In 1988, Researcher was renamed NOAAS Malcolm Baldrige (R 103).

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAAS WHITING (S 329), was an American survey ship that was in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 2003.  Previously, she had been in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1963 to 1970 as USC&GS Whiting (CSS 29).

 

 

In 2005 the ship was transferred to Mexico, and she was commissioned in the Mexican Navy as ARM Río Tuxpan (BI-12), Mexico's first dedicated hydrographic survey ship.

 

 

In July 2001, NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration asked Whiting to search for the wreck of the U.S. Navy submarine USS S-5 (SS-110), which sank 15 nautical miles (28 km) off Cape May, New Jersey, in September 1920. Whiting, which had just completed a summer in port at Norfolk, Virginia, and was bound for Boston, Massachusetts, to conduct hydrographic survey operations in New England, paused off Cape May in late July 2001 to search for the wreck. Whiting's survey department approached the project as it would any typical hydrographic survey. Information on snags – obstructions on the ocean bottom that snarl fishing nets and gear – that local recreational fishermen had reported and reports of possible locations of the wreck from divers that had visited it provided Whiting with possible targets for her search. After her crew had prepared a plan for a systematic search, Whiting moved from target cluster to target cluster, mapping the ocean bottom using sidescan sonar. After eight hours of searching, Whiting found the wreck of S-5 directly over one of the suspected targets, made a sonar image of the wreck, and recorded its exact location. Whiting then made several more passes over the wreck to acquire additional images of it at various angles before leaving the scene. NOAA donated the sonar data NOAAS Whiting gathered to the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut, for archiving and display.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA Marine Observer, current jacket patch

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA COMMISSIONED OFFICER CORPS, COMMAND AT SEA BADGE

 

 

 

NOAA COMMISSIONED OFFICER CORPS, SMALL CRAFT COMMAND BADGE

 

 

 

Everything you may wish to know about the NOAA Corps right from the source, Insignia, Decorations, Uniforms, Directives, etc.

 

NOAA CORPS COMMISSIONED PERSONNEL CENTER - HOME

 

NOAA AWARDS AND INSIGNIA

 

NOAA UNIFOMS, AWARDS, AND DECORATIONS

 

There ya go...

 

 

 

[tdurbinmas]

Here are a few NOAA flags and a pennant I have in my collection. The flag with the globe represented must be from before 1970ish? I can’t find an example pictured anywhere. 
 

these are some of my rarer flags. I’ve only seen a handful in 10 years of collecting. 

[Salvage Sailor]

Thanks for posting these flags.  I saw this one on your other topic and it's an Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) flag circa 1965-1970

 

 

Info from Flags of the World website:  

 

"The Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) was a United States Federal executive agency created in 1965 as part of a reorganization of the United States Department of Commerce. Its mission was to unify and oversee the meteorological, climatological, hydrographic, and geodesic operations of the United States. It operated until 1970, when it was replaced by the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

 

ESSA was established on 13 July 1965 under the Department of Commerce′s Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1965. Its creation brought the Weather Bureau and the Coast and Geodetic Survey, as well as the Central Radio Propagation Laboratory that had been part of the National Bureau of Standards, together under a single parent scientific agency for the first time. Although the Weather Bureau and Coast and Geodetic Survey retained their independent identities under ESSA, the offices of Director of the Weather Bureau and Director and Deputy Director of the Coast and Geodetic Survey were abolished. These offices were replaced by a new Administrator and Deputy Administrator of ESSA"

 

[tdurbinmas]

Just added a modern NOAA Service Flag size 2. Roughly 4’x5’. Done in nylon appliqué.  This flag was signed and presented to someone of significance but I have no backstory. Like many old flags it went nondescriptly into a garage sale for a few dollars. 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA Hurricane Hunters take on Hurricane Ian

NOAA's two Lockheed WP-3D Orion "Hurricane Hunters" Kermit & Miss Piggy are engaged in making multiple passes though the eye as they track the path of Ian across Florida today.  One pilot stated that this was the worst and roughest flight he'd ever made in his career. (click on links above to NOAA AOC Videos of the flights, more videos on the sidebar of those NOAA pages)

 

Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo grace the nose of several NOAA hurricane hunter aircraft.

[Salvage Sailor]

Holy Sh*t! - The expletives have been muted during this wild ride

 

NOAA's KERMIT flying through Hurricane Ian, Nick Underwood, Hurricane Hunter crewman (turn up the volume)

 

Reminds me of riding out back to back Typhoons in the China Sea, except that lasted for days and days and days and...

 

[TBMflyer]

Didn't know where else to put this but I thought it would be of interest to the NOAA collectors out there. Guy flew into hurricanes 183 times, big brass ones!

Mark

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA NESDIS-CDA FAIRBANKS ALASKA   <-- NOAA Link for info

National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service (NESDIS) - Command and Data Acquisition (CDA)

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 7/18/2021 at 10:14 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

NOAAS WHITING (S 329), was an American survey ship that was in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 2003.  Previously, she had been in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1963 to 1970 as USC&GS Whiting (CSS 29).

 

 

In 2005 the ship was transferred to Mexico, and she was commissioned in the Mexican Navy as ARM Río Tuxpan (BI-12), Mexico's first dedicated hydrographic survey ship.

 

 

In July 2001, NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration asked Whiting to search for the wreck of the U.S. Navy submarine USS S-5 (SS-110), which sank 15 nautical miles (28 km) off Cape May, New Jersey, in September 1920. Whiting, which had just completed a summer in port at Norfolk, Virginia, and was bound for Boston, Massachusetts, to conduct hydrographic survey operations in New England, paused off Cape May in late July 2001 to search for the wreck. Whiting's survey department approached the project as it would any typical hydrographic survey. Information on snags – obstructions on the ocean bottom that snarl fishing nets and gear – that local recreational fishermen had reported and reports of possible locations of the wreck from divers that had visited it provided Whiting with possible targets for her search. After her crew had prepared a plan for a systematic search, Whiting moved from target cluster to target cluster, mapping the ocean bottom using sidescan sonar. After eight hours of searching, Whiting found the wreck of S-5 directly over one of the suspected targets, made a sonar image of the wreck, and recorded its exact location. Whiting then made several more passes over the wreck to acquire additional images of it at various angles before leaving the scene. NOAA donated the sonar data NOAAS Whiting gathered to the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut, for archiving and display.

 

 

 

NOAAS WHITING (S 329), was an American survey ship that was in commission in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from 1970 to 2003.  Previously, she had been in commission in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1963 to 1970 as USC&GS Whiting (CSS 29).

 

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 6/14/2017 at 2:19 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

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)

 

 

 

An older version of the "Old Workhorse",

 

NOAAS SURVEYOR (S-132)

 

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).  NOAAS SURVEYOR (S 132) was an oceanographic survey ship in commission from 1970 until 1995.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

NOAA CORPS UNIFORMS, AWARDS & DECORATIONS (2023)

 

NOAA Corps Directive Chapter 12 - Uniforms and Awards

New directive promulgated on March 15th, 2023

Male Uniforms, Female Uniforms, Awards, Decorations - all with descriptions and color plates

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Check your credit line...

 

For sale by the GSA the ex-Navy-Coast Guard-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel now named Hi’ialakai 

 

Hi’ialakai started life as USNS Vindicator (T-AGOS-3), an ocean surveillance vessel with the U.S. Navy. Entering service in November 1984, Vindicator was the third vessel in the Stalwart class of ships – USNS Stalwart (T-AGOS-1) and Contender (T-AGOS-2) entered service with the Navy in April and June of 1984, respectively. The first 12 vessels in the 18-strong Stalwart class were built by the Tacoma Building Company based out of Tacoma, Washington state. T-AGOS-13 through T-AGOS-18 were subsequently built by Halter Marine Services in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

From June to October 1993, crew members of USCGC Tamaroa (WMEC-166, the heroic ship depicted in 'The Perfect Storm') manned Vindicator during the vessel's Coast Guard acceptance trials. In May 1994, Vindicator was accepted by the Coast Guard as USCGC Vindicator (WMEC-3) for use in counternarcotics operations, with the vessel based at Norfolk, Virginia.

 

USCGC Vindicator was decommissioned from the Coast Guard in August 1994. For the following five years, the vessel remained in reserve at the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland. Then, in August 1999, the vessel was recommissioned. How Vindicator was used from this time, until it was decommissioned again by the Coast Guard in May 2001, remains unclear exactly.

 

The third act in the vessel’s story, before it was recently put up for auction, came when it was transferred to the NOAA in October 2001. It wasn’t until September 2003 that the new vessel was commissioned, with the new name Hi’ialakai (a Hawaiian word meaning “embracing pathways to the sea”). The NOAA’s flagship ocean research vessel, Hi’ialakai was designed to study, monitor, and protect the coral reefs of Honolulu, Hawaii, through coral reef ecosystem mapping, assessment, and monitoring.

 

Ultimately, Hi’ialakai was officially decommissioned by the NOAA in December 2020 after a period of inactivity in 2019. 

 

There ya go, opportunity knocks

 

[Bearmon]

A nice bullion cap badge.  Enjoy