by ENS Matt O'Leary, NOAA Corps Officer
August 2, 2010
Ensign Matthew O'Leary, Safety Officer: As the Safety Officer, ENS O'Leary is responsible for all safety equipment onboard the ship. Duties include running weekly drills to ensure that the crew is always ready for any possible emergency and standing watch on the bridge. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download larger version (jpg, 193 KB).
My name is Ensign Matt O’Leary, and I’m an officer in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps, currently assigned to NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The NOAA Corps, comprised of just over 300 officers, is the smallest of our nation’s seven uniformed services. We can trace our history back to the founding of the Survey of the Coast in 1807, but we didn’t become a uniformed service until 1917. NOAA Corps officers work throughout all of NOAA’s offices, both onshore and at sea aboard NOAA’s fleet of 19 vessels (and 12 aircraft).
As an officer onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, my job is to help navigate the ship and ensure the safety of everyone aboard. Shore-side scientists and mission personnel tell us where they need to go, and my fellow officers and I work to get everyone there safely.
While at sea, most of the officers stand eight hours of bridge watch per day, during which we are responsible for the safe navigation of the ship. Down time onboard can be enjoyed by watching movies, playing games, watching the sunrise or sunset, stargazing, or just laying in bed with a good book. There is always plenty to do, so life at sea never gets boring.
Commander Joe Pica, Captain: As the Commanding Officer of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, CDR Pica is responsible for everything. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download image (jpg, 37 KB).
Lieutenant Nicola Verplanck, Operations Officer: As the Operations Officer, LT Verplanck is the liaison between mission personnel (ashore and aboard the ship) and the ship's crew. She stands watch on the bridge and trains new officers on the roles and responsibilities of being an Officer on Deck (OOD). Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download image (jpg, 36 KB).
One of the exciting things about the NOAA Corps is the wide variety of jobs available to all officers. An officer gets assigned to a new job every two to three years. In addition to working at sea, an officer may work as a diver, studying fish and other sea life; as part of a response team to disasters such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; create nautical charts to help other ships navigate safely; or even fly planes into hurricanes in order to better understand weather patterns.
No two officers ever have the same career path, and the opportunities are virtually endless. The NOAA Corps is a very rewarding career for anyone interested in serving his or her country while helping to further our knowledge of our planet’s ocean and atmosphere.
If you would like to learn more about the NOAA Corps, please visit: https://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/.
Senior Ensign Benjamin Bloss, Navigation Officer: ENS Bloss is in charge of the bridge, stands watch on the bridge, and is the primary person responsible for ensuring charts and tracklines are up-to-date and accurate. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download image (jpg, 36 KB).
Junior Ensign Brian Kennedy, Watchstander: ENS Kennedy is a watchstander-in-training and assists with all safety and navigation duties. He is also a NOAA Dive Officer and is responsible for maintaining diving equipment and planning working hull dives. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, INDEX-SATAL 2010. Download image (jpg, 34 KB).
