Tag: Change of Command Ceremony

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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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Kiersten Newtoff: I Got on a Boat! Just, Not my Boat, June 7, 2023

NOAA Teacher at Sea on Land

Kiersten Newtoff

Hanging Out In: Biloxi & Pascagoula, Mississippi

June 1 – June 7, 2023

Date: June 7, 2023

So, here was the plan:

  1. Fly in to Gulfport, MS on Thursday, June 1. Stay the night.
  2. Head to the Oregon II in Pascagoula, MS on Friday, June 2 and stay the night aboard.
  3. Sail out on Saturday, June 3 and be at sea for 2 weeks working on a groundfish survey.

And here’s what really happened:

  1. Fly in to Gulfport, MS on Thursday, June 1. Stay the night.
  2. Get an email on Friday that essential personnel were unable to sail and that we were in a “holding pattern” until the staffing shortage was resolved.
  3. Hang out in Biloxi, MS until Tuesday, June 6 waiting to hear if there is any good news (unfortunately not).
  4. Fly out of Mobile, AL on Tuesday night, with a layover in Atlanta. However, my first flight was delayed, which made me miss my connection, so I spent the night in Atlanta until flying back to the DC area on Wednesday, June 7.
Picture of a scenic overlook over the Gulf of Mexico. Two sailboats are in the distance.
Picture off the Gulf Coast, directly across the street from my hotel.

I have to say, the MVP in this was Emily Susko, the Program Support Specialist for NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program. She was pulling in her connections, rebooking flights, walking me through different options at ALL hours of the day. Emily was feeling bad for the whole situation and shared that she has never had a vessel delayed for this precise reason before. But I reassured her, I am the poster child for Murphy’s Law when it comes to traveling. For example, last summer I did a 3 week camping trip to the National Parks out west. Here’s a sampling of the things that want wrong:

  • Flight out there was cancelled, had to fly out the next day
  • About 4 days in, our campsite in Glacier (which was the ending of the trip) had been cancelled due to bad flooding. We weren’t able to rebook due to full campsites.
  • Spent 2 out of 5 nights in Yellowstone, as we got kicked out because the park was shut down due to insane flooding.
  • Got COVID and spent quarantine in a hotel.
  • Rearranged entire trip and went to Bryce Canyon, which had a thick layer of smoke because of nearby wildfires .
  • Went to Capital Reef NP, where I was stuck in a flash flood in a small overhang for over 4 hours.

So needless to say, a delay on when I will get to ship out is no problem. Plus, the Teacher at Sea Program really stressed being flexible , so while the situation wasn’t ideal, I know to expect the unexpected! While admittedly, I did spend a good chunk of time in the hotel as I needed the cooldown from the end of the semester, I did some exploring and learned a lot as well!

Photograph of an osprey nest as seen through the trees. One osprey sits on top of the nest and another osprey is below the nest on a pole. Both osprey are looking out over the landscape.
A male and female osprey guarding their nest.

My first couple days were spent in the Biloxi area, trying to soak in as much sun, wildlife, and food as possible. The hotel I was staying at was right across the street from the beach. When walking on the beach, I heard an incessant screeching and birds were dive bombing me! This is when I realized I was in a Least Tern colony. Terns are a shorebird that lay their eggs right on the sand. This colony had over 300 adults and was cordoned off by the Audubon Society to protect the nest (and probably, the passersby from the tern attacks). Also along the beach was an Osprey nest . Many conservation societies will purposefully create artificial platforms for Osprey to use, but these guys were nested atop the USS Biloxi memorial.

Picture of a small pond. There is dense vegetation that is mirrored in the water. The top of an alligator can be seen floating in the water.
Can you spot the alligator in this “alligator pond”?

I spent a morning in the Gulf Islands National Seashore, which is protected by the National Park Service. Here I contributed to citizen science by completing three eBird checklists. eBird is run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and is a way for anyone, anywhere around the world to submit a checklist of all the birds they saw and heard. Then, scientists globally can use the data to answer ecological questions. To give you the scale of eBird, in May 2023, over 2 million checklists were submitted worldwide! One of the ponds that went through the marsh land was named “Alligator Pond”, and after looking in, I understand why!

On my last day in the area, I headed to the Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Pascagoula, MS. Here I met Brandi Noble who is the Vessel/Environmental Compliance Coordinator for the Southeast fleet. While she stays on land, she has been with NOAA for over two decades and has done every type of cruise NOAA conducts! Brandi was also instrumental in juggling me around. She was also kind enough to give me a tour of the Gordon Gunter so that I at least got on some sort of boat and also a tour of the Science Center. The Science Center houses scientists in many different fields (ecologists, microbiologists, chemists) who analyze water and organismal samples when cruises return. They also have an engineering department who creates technologies to be used by fisherman in the US (and around the world) that helps conservation efforts. It’s said that the engineering team at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center is the reason why sea turtle populations have bounced back as much as they have — they are the ones who invented the turtle exclusion devices for fishing nets!

A photograph of a close-up of a trawl net that has a turtle exclusion device installed.
This is a medium-sized trawl net, mainly used for catching shrimp. On the left, where the white buoy is, is the TED — a turtle exclusion device. The metal bars allow smaller organisms to go through, but turtles (and other organisms like sharks) hit the bars and are pushed downwards out of the net through the green mesh at the bottom. The next section to the right, in green, has some pockets where fish can swim out (but shrimp likely wouldn’t). The blue mesh at the far right also helps to “push” undesirable fish out because they are afraid of it and will swim backwards (towards the pockets). Some fish, like menhaden, try to escape by swimming upwards. The orange mesh at the far right end allows them to do so. Meanwhile, all the shrimp are being pushed into a mesh bag at the far right end (not attached in this picture).

With my trip to the Science Center, I learned about the importance of the commanding officer (CO) role. While all roles on a vessel are important, the CO is essentially the captain. Now, captain is an official rank, so a CO may not actually be a captain, but to the layman, they are. In the NOAA corps, a CO is assigned to a ship for a two year post. They direct every cruise, which can be hundreds of days at sea each year. I attended the Change of Command Ceremony for the Gordon Gunter. During this ceremony, the current CO is recognized for their hard work during their tour and a new CO is welcomed aboard. COs have a pin on their uniform recognizing their command. It’s interesting as they pin the new CO first, then change the position of the pin on the old CO so that there is never a moment that the vessel lacks a commanding officer.

Well, this is goodbye for now! I hope I will be able to be placed in another cruise this summer, but if not, I’ll be back next year!

Kiersten stands in front of a large white NOAA boat. Though not shown in the photo directly, it is the Gordon Gunter.
I at least got to check out and board the Gordon Gunter!