Contact: Jeanne Kouhestani FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1/25/96
Acting on the recommendations of the President's National Performance Review, the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that the NOAA Corps, the agency's commissioned service that helps carry out NOAA's environmental mission, will begin its transition to civilian status beginning Oct. 1, 1996.
"Our first priority is to ensure that the dedicated men and women of the NOAA Corps are given every opportunity to continue their careers at NOAA," said D. James Baker, NOAA administrator and Department of Commerce under secretary for oceans and atmosphere. "They represent an outstanding human resource and I believe it is critical to NOAA that we retain their talent and corporate knowledge within our work force."
NOAA Corps officers -- all scientists or engineers -- operate and manage NOAA's fleet of scientific research ships and aircraft, as well as support the nautical and aeronautical charting, geodetic and other shoreside missions of NOAA. Operating under the Corps' separate personnel system, most officers rotate between assignments, bringing a blend of operational, technical and management skills, gained through a broad spectrum of experiences, to each new mission.
The transition from commissioned to civil service is to be completed within six months, Baker said. New positions will be created within the General Schedule professional series into which the 360 active duty NOAA Corps officers will be transferred. A draft of a detailed implementation plan to accomplish this, development of necessary administrative procedures, and identification of legislative or regulatory actions needed to effect the transition are expected to be completed by the end of February.
Baker said that he will fully support any legislative action necessary to ensure that the transition to civilian service will not jeopardize the earned benefits and entitlements of active duty and retired personnel.
The NOAA Corps, the nation's smallest uniformed service, traces its roots back to the Coast Survey established by Thomas Jefferson in 1807, and is the direct descendant of the commissioned corps of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. This will be the first time in history that a full uniformed service is eliminated.
"We are all well aware of the outstanding contributions the NOAA Corps has made to NOAA and the many critical functions Corps officers are performing and will continue to perform within our programs. We must work together now on the challenging task of achieving the President's NPR directive -- retaining the program support essential to NOAA's function while providing the equitable treatment these dedicated career employees fully deserve," Baker said.