Posted on by Sinh Nguyen

Sinh Nguyen: A Change of Command, July 8, 2025

NOAA Teacher at Sea

Sinh Nguyen

Aboard NOAA Ship Pisces

July 7, 2025 – July 24, 2025

Mission: Larval Bluefin Tuna Slope Survey

Geographic Area of Cruise: North Atlantic Ocean, Slope Sea

Date: July 8, 2025

Weather Data:

12:06 PM Eastern Time

Currently, the temperature is 28.9°C (84°F).  The wind speed is 10 knots.

Career Log

Uplift Education, Mighty Primary scholars: Howdy from the sea!  Mr. Nguyen here.  I hope you’re enjoying your summer (and reading lots of books).  Yesterday, I moved onto NOAA Ship Pisces.  It was a long day at the port meeting everyone and learning the rules. 

view of NOAA Ship Pisces in port, as seen from the dock well ahead. also along the dock are a truck, some dumpsters, a large spool - various equipment involved in loading the vessel
I arrived early morning at the port in Norfolk, Virginia
Sinh, wearing his Teacher at Sea t-shirt, poses for a photo in front of the ship on the dock. We can see the NOAA logo, NOAA acronym, and hull number (R 226) painted on the hull of the ship.
Right away, everyone made sure I felt comfortable, safe, and prepared for the sail.

On the ship are the following crews, or teams: NOAA Corps, deck department, engineering, survey, stewards, electronics, and scientists – which I’m a part of.  Excitingly, there was a Change of Command ceremony, a special event when one commanding officer (CO) gives the ship to a new one.  So, in honor of this celebration, I’ll be dedicating this post to the ceremony and to the career stages of NOAA Corps officers!

NOAA stands for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  They study and protect the ocean, weather, and animals. 

Uplift Education, Mighty Primary scholars, what kind of animals do you think NOAA study in the ocean and in the sky?  Let’s think, act them out, and draw!  If you’d like, ask your parents to post your work in the comments!

A NOAA Corps officer is like a scientist and a ship captain.  They wear uniforms and lead missions (special tasks) on ships.  We respectfully address an officer by his/her rank or ship position.  Yesterday, I got to see a Change of Command ceremony.  That’s when one commanding officer (CO) finishes his/her job, and a new commanding officer (CO) takes over the ship.  It’s kind of like picking and celebrating a new class leader.  It shows respect, teamwork, and leadership.

view down (perhaps from the ship?) of a tent and chairs set up in the parking lock of the dock. We cannot see NOAA Ship Pisces, but another NOAA Ship, Ferdinand R. Hassler, is docked nearby and its name is clearly visible.
NOAA Corps Officers and crew members set up the Change of Command ceremony.
a group photo of 15 NOAA Corps Officers in formal white uniforms and hats in front of NOAA Ship Pisces. We can see the NOAA logo, NOAA acronym, and hull number (R 226) painted on the hull, at right. the sky is light blue with dramatic, swirling clouds.
NOAA Corps outside NOAA Ship Pisces.

The ceremony took place outside Pisces.  All officers wore white uniforms with badges and stripes that showed their rank (like how high their job is) and accomplishments (the amazing things they’ve done).  Families, friends, and crew members said goodbye to the former CO and later cheered for the new CO.  There were speeches and salutes to celebrate!  After the event, there was time for lots of photos and personal congratulations.

two men in white uniforms and hats stand facing each other, saluting, in front of a podium with the NOAA logo on it. a third officer overseas the ceremony from behind the podium. we can see the gangway of a ship beyond the tent's edge.
The former CO and new CO saluting each other.
Sinh, wearing a Teacher at Sea t-shirt, stands for a photo next to the new commanding officer, in formal white uniform. they stand on deck in front of NOAA Ship Pisces, and we see the city of Norfolk in the distance.
The ceremony went great! The rain stopped and the weather was nice when everything started.

Seeing this ceremony was a great way to understand NOAA Corps officers and the importance of their work.

It takes a lot of practice and leadership skills to become a NOAA Corps officer!  Here’s how it works:

  1. Apply to join: https://www.omao.noaa.gov/noaa-corps
  2. If accepted, go to Basic Training Academy as an Ensign.
  3. Complete Basic Officer Training Class
  4. Serve as a Junior Officer aboard a NOAA Ship
  5. Show leadership, earn sea time, and complete more training.
  6. Be promoted to Lieutenant Officer and you may be selected as an XO.
  7. Get more leadership training and experience and you may be selected as a Commanding Officer (CO).

Can you list and write the steps someone takes to become a NOAA ship leader?

a flow chart with five empty steps connected by arrows
Document source: Sinh Nguyen

The NOAA Corps supports all crews on ship in many important ways.  For the science crew, they make it possible for scientists to do their work safely and successfully on sea.  Learning more about NOAA Corps makes us appreciate their incredible leadership and accomplishments! 

In the classroom, how can you start developing your leadership skills?  Just like NOAA Corps officers, we can show leadership skills in many ways.  Every day is a chance to grow into a leader.  Which learner profiles can we demonstrate to help others, take responsibility for our actions, and work together as a team?  Go ahead and point to a trait that you can commit to for the new school year.

a diagram with an illustration of the globe in the center and 10 spokes leading out to images in circles. the spokes are labeled: inquirers, balanced, principled, caring, open-minded, communicators, reflective, risk taker, knowledgeable, thinkers.
These are International Baccalaureate (IB) attributes that help us become great leaders at Uplift Education, Mighty Primary.  NOAA Corps officers show these traits when they lead their crew and support science missions on the ship.  How can we practice these traits every day to grow as leaders? Photo credit: IB/PYP Website

Personal Log

There was so much to learn about crew members and rules, but everyone was so helpful.  I felt like many of you have before, like a new student on the first day of school.  A challenge was figuring out the layout, or set-up, of Pisces.  At first, it felt like a maze as I was trying to figure out where to go and which rooms are in which deck.  However, after asking for help, I was able to understand the layout better. 

view of one of the ship's narrow hallways
The hallways can be tight, but it taught me to be respectful and safe moving through a shared space.

I really felt welcomed by my Chief Scientist, Dave Richardson, and by his science crew.  The Chief Scientist is responsible for leading science research during this mission.  In my next post, I’ll share more about the scientific work we’re doing at sea!

a group of four people walk across a brick-covered pathway through a park
Some of us explored Norfolk, Virginia, as we walked to a restaurant for dinner.  Downtown Norfolk is about a 15-minute walk from the dock, with a lot of beautiful ocean views and history. 
selfie photo (taken by Sinh) of six people on a dock; the four closest people are smiling for the camera and the two in the back seem to be looking elsewhere
Hanging out in Norfolk
view of city street. we can see an American flag on display. the sky is bright blue with some wispy clouds.
Norfolk Streets
photo of a large battleship, as seen from head of the bow. the water is very calm and there is a beautiful sunset.
Battleship Wisconsin
two women smile from a bench seat in a bar and hold up a piece of paper awarding a $15 prize
At the restaurant, we played and placed 3rd in a game of trivia. 
six people standing around on deck looking at large thick rope snaking all around; we can see the dockside area of Norfolk in the background, off ship
On deck on NOAA Ship Pisces
four people, two sitting in computer chairs and two leaning against nearby walls, look intently at a computer screen in the computer lab of the ship
There were lots of opportunities to get to know the scientists, who are very supportive and friendly, just like all the crew members I’ve met so far!
three people stand around some sort of equipment on board that has cross pieces, a mast of sorts, and canvas wings. Sinh is at right, and he and the woman in the center smile for the camera while another woman works on the equipment.
We continued preparation.  I’m excited to share more about this for the next post!

Did You Know?

On NOAA ships, there are different names used for what we’re usually used to.  For example:

Bedroom = stateroom

Bathroom = head

Floor = deck

Kitchen = galley

Dining Room = mess deck

Front of the house: Bow (front of the ship)

Back of the house: Stern (back of the ship)

view of a ship's stateroom containing two bunk beds (so, four berths total.) there is a locker room at the far side. each bed has navy bedding and brighter blue sliding curtains.
This is a photo of my stateroom (bedroom) on the ship. I share it with three other crew members. We all work at different times, so we have to be quiet and respectful so everyone can rest.

Learn more about NOAA Ship Pisces here: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/vessels/pisces/pisces.html

Explore previous research missions here:
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/ocean-exploration-data-atlas/

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