NOAA Corps Officer Training Center

Providing key information in preparation for battle, NOAA Commissioned Officers employ specialized skills and training to aid their naval brothers in the fight for freedom.

The NOAA Commissioned Corps traces its roots back to the former Survey of the Coast, established in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson. The NOAA Corps today provides a cadre of professionals trained in engineering, earth sciences, oceanography, meteorology, fisheries science, and other related disciplines. Officers operate ships, fly aircraft, facilitate research projects, conduct diving operations, and serve in staff positions throughout NOAA.

With 321 officers, the NOAA Corps serves throughout the agency’s line and staff offices to support nearly all of NOAA’s programs and missions. The combination of commissioned service and scientific expertise makes these officers uniquely capable of leading some of NOAA’s most important initiatives. The NOAA Corps today provides a cadre of professionals trained in engineering, earth sciences, oceanography, meteorology, fisheries science, and other related disciplines. Corps officers operate NOAA’s ships, fly aircraft, manage research projects, conduct diving operations, and serve in staff positions throughout NOAA.

Minted in copper base, and finished with an antique nickel patina, this coin salutes the dedication and skill of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s officers, leaders, and trainers. The obverse features the symbol of NOAA, symbolizing the atmosphere merging with the sea, highlighted with bold enamel accents. The reverse bears the emblem of the NOAA Commissioned Corps, which was first established in 1917.