NOAA Corps inter-service transfer procedures are prescribed by Title 10, Section 716 of U.S. Code, and Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 1300.4.

A commissioned officer of a regular component of a service desiring transfer to the NOAA Corps shall submit a request for consideration to the Director, NOAA Corps. The Director, NOAA Corps, forwards the request to the Commissioned Personnel Center (CPC) for consideration. If the officer to be transferred is found to be medically qualified, and brings a particular skill, the Director, CPC, will forward the officer’s name to the Officer Personnel Board (OPB). The Director shall forward the request to the OPB for consideration.

Please note that a candidate for inter-service transfer must be physically qualified before his/her name is forwarded to the OPB.Candidates must complete and submit a current physical; to include all pre-commission medical requirements. Physical exams must be performed within the past one year.Once approved by Director of the Office of Health Services, the candidate’s name will be forwarded to the OPB for consideration.

Requests for inter-service transfer to the NOAA Corps will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Inter-service transfer requests will be approved only when the NOAA Corps requires a particular skill and does not have sufficient numbers of active duty personnel at the appropriate grades with the necessary skills to meet the needs of the service. (That is, a “critical need” must be established for the officer’s rank, skills and experience.) This is true for flight billets and for sea-going billets. If interested in NOAA flight duty, there must be a specific opening for which the candidate is trained. NOAA sea duty assignments are a bit more subjective, sometimes rank, experience and leadership potential are enough to warrant selecting an officer to fill a critical need on a particular vessel. All officers interested in the marine side of NOAA will attend the next Basic Officer Training Class before assignment to a NOAA vessel.

All transfer applicants to the NOAA Corps must satisfy the requirements prescribed for direct appointment, NOAA Corps Directives Chapter 1, Part 2:

• must be a citizen of the United States of good moral character;

• able to complete 20 years of active commissioned service before his or her sixty - second birthday;

• pass the prescribed mental and physical examination as well as body composition assessment; must be deemed physically and mentally fit and meet the medical standards as prescribed by the USCG and

• meet the prescribed standards of education, which include:

  • A baccalaureate degree conferred upon by a college, university, or academy listed in the latest "Directory of Post Secondary Institutions, Volume 1" issued periodically by the U.S. Department of Education. The major course of study should be in engineering, mathematics, or sciences related to NOAA's mission (although other degrees are acceptable provided minimum math/science credits are met).

  • An overall course of study shall including 48 semester (72 quarter) hours in fields related to NOAA's scientific or technical activities. The curriculum shall include credit for mathematics through integral and differential calculus, and 8 semester (12 quarter) hours of physics. Consideration will be given to applicants who do not fully meet the calculus and physics requirements but provide an acceptable substitute in other academic science subjects directly related to NOAA’s mission, such as computer science and geographical information systems.

Commissioned officers interested in transferring to the NOAA Corps, should contact the NOAA Corps Recruiter and begin work on the application. The application packet for inter-service transfer should include the following:

• Personal Data Resume form: the initial screening form ensuring the candidate meets the requirements;

• NOAA form 56-42, Application to the NOAA Corps;

• At least three, but no more than five letters of recommendation;

• Interview evaluation (contact recruiter to set up interview);

• Official college transcripts for undergraduate and graduate work;

• Depending on length of service, at least 3 officer evaluation reports; and

• Any other resume, training certificates or awards certificates the candidate would like to include.

• Form DD2808, DD2807-1,DD2813 (along with all supporting lab reports, diagnostic studies and all pertinent medical record information must be placed in a sealed envelope marked : ATTN: Medical Administration Branch".

The application forms and general information regarding a career in the NOAA Corps can be found on the NOAA Corps website:

http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/corpsrecruiting/application.html

The NOAA Corps Recruiting Unit is located in Silver Spring, Maryland. All correspondence shall be sent to the following address:

NOAA Corps Recruiting Unit
8403 Colesville Road, Suite 500
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282

To contact the NOAA Corps Recruiting Unit; call toll free 800-299-6622 x119 or Email: NOAACorps.Recruiting@noaa.gov Our fax number is 301-713-4140.