Benchmarks

Ways to Participate:

Just browsing? All you need is to bookmark this site.

Want to share your contact info with others, and have access to theirs?  Fill out this form.

Want to be included in pertinent emails (regarding issues that are more urgent), but not interested in sharing your contact info with the larger group?  Fill out the form and choose "no".  We'll include you in any email distribution, but not in the group directory. 

Have words of wisdom, a memory, story, or pictures to share?  You can use the feedback form, or send an email. 

Have ideas about what the group should do (coins, shadow boxes, awards, etc.) or want to participate in a bigger way as we kick this off?  Join us for our Second Benchmarks meeting in April - date and RSVP form will be available soon.  

We held our first meeting on March 19th.  Thank you to all who participated.  We will post minutes from the meeting in the next few days.  

The National ACO Scholarship Application is now open for the 2026-2027 academic year.  If you know of a deserving college bound (or already enrolled) student, please share the application with them.  The application and additional information information can be found here.  Applications are due by April 15. 

ROA (Reserve Organization of America) announces a new Affairs Section within ROA that highlights the concerns of the USPHS and NOAA.  They held an inaugural meeting on Thursday, March 5, 2026.  We will post more information when we receive it. 

In this section, we will also:

Include info and updates about retiree/annuitants pay, MOAA's featured advocacy campaigns, OMAO's proposed legislation to protect pay from potential shutdowns, other pertinent legislation, and other items of interest for retirees.

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Don Spillman, CAPT, Ret.   Click here for the obituary.  

We also just learned of the passing of John D. Bossler, RDML, Ret.

We are awaiting additional information and will post here once received.  

We will continue to work with CPC and USCG to be notified about the passing of retirees.  

See the Taps page for others who have crossed the bar previously. 

In this section we plan to:

Include links to OMAO fleet newsletter

Maybe include a quarterly billet list, lineal list, promotions (we will work with CPC to see what we can legally include)

Update image with all ships and AOC coin (maybe uncrewed too?)

Include upcoming Changes of Command, Commissionings, Decommissionings, etc.

RDML Benjamin Evans - 01 Apr 2026

CDR Stephen Barry - 01 Apr 2026

CDR Elizabeth Mackie - 01 Apr 2026

CDR Lecia Salerno - 01 Apr 2026

CAPT Sarah Duncan - 01 May 2026

NOAA Corps ACO 

(DC area site, includes links to other regions)

Planning a gathering in your area?  

Send us an email with your announcement

and we'll post it here!

There are many opportunities to give back to the NOAA Corps and the general service community.  Please send an email if you have ideas for other links to include here.

 ACO Scholarship Fund

DC ACO

MOAA Foundation and Scholarship Fund 

Benchmarks

(please note - we have not decided about collecting dues or having fundraisers or anything at this time. If we did raise funds, they would be for any parties/gatherings, coins, shadow boxes, awards for active duty (maybe BOTC?) or whatever is decided by the group as we grow).

Recruiting opportunities 

(for areas that are not NOAA-heavy).  We will work with CPC to confirm the Recruiting Branch would want the assistance of retirees for interviews or fairs, and post any contact info here.

Representing NOAA Corps at a fellow retiree's funeral

(for areas that are not NOAA-heavy and if CPC needs support on site, we'll confirm with CPC on needs or opportunity)

NOAA

OMAO

NOAA Corps

CPC

(note, this is the external site, with limited information)

CPC Cyberflash (current and link to archived ones)

NOAA Corps History

Long Blue Line

VA.gov

MOAA 

USCG Retired Pay

Social Security 

others?

As we started talking about a group for NOAA Corps Retirees, we knew we had to come up with a name - something simple, but symbolic that tied to NOAA Corps history as well as the future.  We wanted to show how retired officers were still part of the NOAA Corps, illustrating that we are a foundation and a connection between the old and new, a standard and a reference.  We also knew we couldn’t use any good maritime words that are already used by other services (anchor, bearings, soundings).  For inspiration, we took a look at the updated NOAA Corps Anthem (I say “new” but it was actually updated 10 years ago!).  Here’s the excerpt that caught our eye: (continue reading).

As luck would have it, we were gifted a benchmark (and gavel) from NOFA.  This benchmark and gavel were initially presented to the NOAA Wives Club (NOFA's predecessor) by CAPT and Mrs. Junius T. Jarman in October, 1964.  We are carrying on an important tradition of connection!

(CAPT Jarman was XO of the PATHFINDER during WWII, and you can read more about his time on that ship on this wikipedia page).