Awards and decorations of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, one of the eight uniformed services of the United States, has the authority to issue various awards and commendations to its members. These include individual honor awards, unit honor awards, service awards, training ribbons and qualification insignia. NOAA Corps awards and decorations include:

NOAA Corps Insignia

Command insignia

There are three NOAA Command insignia: NOAA Command-at-Sea, NOAA Small-Craft-Command, and NOAA Chief-of-Party.NOAA Command-at-Sea Insignia is a gold-colored pin consisting of a triangle superimposed on anchor flukes and an unfurled commissioning pennant showing six triangles. The NOAA Command-at-Sea insignia is authorized for incumbents serving under orders designating them in command of Class 1 through Class 5 NOAA commissioned vessels. A NOAA Corps officer who previously successfully held command of a NOAA commissioned vessel for at least six months during which the vessel was engaged for at least four months in operations at sea, is authorized to wear the Command-at-Sea insignia. NOAA Small-Craft-Command Insignia is a bronze-colored insignia, of the same design and sizes as the Command-at-Sea insignia. NOAA Corps officers not qualifying for the Command-at-Sea insignia but serving under orders designating them as officer-in-charge or in command of NOAA vessels, greater than 50 feet in length up through Class 6, may wear the Small-Craft-Command insignia. An officer must have been in charge of or held command for at least six months during which the vessel spent four months in field operations, may wear the Small-Craft-Command insignia. This insignia is not worn when the Command-at-Sea insignia is authorized. NOAA Chief-of-Party Insignia is a gold-colored pin consisting of a raised equilateral triangle. NOAA Chief-of-Party Insignia is authorized for incumbents serving in assignments designating them as Chief-of-Party or equivalent. A NOAA Corps officer who has previously served in an assignment as Chief-of-Party, or equivalent, for at least six months during which the unit was engaged for at least four months in field operations may wear the Chief-of-Party insignia.
For each of the three Command insignia, eligibility to wear them is not attained by a NOAA Corps officer being temporarily or acting in command due to absence, illness or transfer of the designated commanding officer, for periods of less than six continuous months.
An incumbent officer wears insignia centered 1/4 inch above the right breast pocket or pocket flap. When a name tag or ribbon bars are worn on the right breast, the insignia is centered 1/4 inch above them. On the men's Service Dress Blue coat, the insignia is positioned on the right breast as though there were a pocket. On Formal Dress and Dinner Dress Jacket, men wear the insignia centered on the right lapel, 3 inches below the notch; women wear the insignia centered on the right lapel, down one third the distance between the shoulder seam and the coat hem.
A post tour officer wears insignia on the left breast 1/4 inch below the top of the pocket/flap. Only one post-tour command insignia may be worn; the choice of insignia is at the individual's discretion. When wearing two qualification insignia, the command insignia is worn 1/4 inch below the secondary insignia, or on uniforms with pocket flaps, 1/4 inch below the flap.

Qualification insignia

NOAA Corps officers who have qualified as aviators, divers, submariners, parachutists, etc., or are otherwise entitled to wear a qualification insignia at their discretion. As follows are the qualification insignia awarded by the NOAA.NOAA Deck Officer Insignia is a gold-colored pin displaying breaking waves, with a central device consisting of a fouled anchor surcharged with a NOAA Corps device. NOAA Corps officers certified as Senior Watch Officer may wear the NOAA Deck Officer insignia after authorization by the Director of the NOAA Corps.NOAA Aviator Insignia is a gold-colored pin, winged, with a central device consisting of a fouled anchor surcharged with a NOAA Corps device. NOAA Corps officer pilots and navigators may wear the NOAA aviator insignia after authorization by the Director of the NOAA Corps. NOAA Diver Insignia is a gold-colored pin consisting of a NOAA Corps device surrounded by two dolphins. NOAA Corps officers qualified as NOAA divers may wear the NOAA diver insignia after authorization by the Director of the NOAA Corps.
NOAA Corps officers with multiple qualifications may wear two insignia, placing one in the primary position and one in the secondary position. Only one insignia from any qualification category is authorized for wear at the same time.
When wearing the insignia with ribbon bars or medals, the primary insignia is centered above ribbon bars or medals with the lower edge of the device 1/4-inch above the top row of ribbon bars or medals. The secondary insignia is centered below ribbon bars with the top of the device 1/4 inch below the top of the pocket or pocket flap, or centered below medals with the top of the device 1/4 inch below the lowest row of medals.
Without ribbon bars or medals, the primary insignia is centered above the left pocket with the lower edge of the device 1/4 inch above the top of the pocket. In dress uniforms, men center the insignia on the left lapel, 3 inches below the notch; women center the insignia on the left lapel down one-third the distance between the shoulder seam and coat hem. Secondary insignia is centered 1/4 inch below the top of the pocket or pocket flap. On Dinner Dress Jacket uniforms, position the secondary insignia 1/4 inch below the primary insignia. Secondary insignia are not authorized for wear on working uniforms.

NOAA Corps decorations and awards

Members of the NOAA Corps may be authorized to wear awards and decorations presented by the Commerce Department, Defense Department and other uniformed services, the following list is limited to those awards presented by the NOAA Corps.

Ribbon devices

Only one of each medal or service ribbon may be worn by NOAA Corps personnel. Subsequent awards are indicated by certain attachments to the medal's suspension ribbon or on the ribbon bar.5/16 Inch Stars - are worn on personal decorations to denote subsequent awards of the same award. A gold star represents a single subsequent award. A silver star is worn in lieu of five gold stars, representing a sixth award of a decoration.3/16 Inch Stars - are worn on unit, service, and awards of non-government societies. A bronze 3/16 inch service star is worn on the ribbon bar to denote subsequent awards. A silver 3/16 inch star is worn in lieu of five bronze stars and represents a sixth award.Triangles - 3/16 inch triangles are worn, point up, on three awards worn by NOAA Corps personnel. A bronze 3/16 inch triangle is worn on the ribbon bar of the Society of American Military Engineers Karo Award and a silver 3/16 inch triangle is worn on two other awards; the first is the Society of American Military Engineers Colbert Medal ribbon bar, the second is the NOAA Corps International Service Ribbon to denote an overseas Permanent Change of Station tour outside of the United States, its possessions and territories."S" - A bronze 3/16 inch "S" is worn on the NOAA ACO medal suspension ribbon and ribbon bar to denote the ACO Science Award."E" - A bronze 3/16 inch "E" is worn on the NOAA ACO medal suspension ribbon and ribbon bar to denote the ACO Engineering Award.

NOAA incentive awards (without medal or ribbon)

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey awards and decorations

The original ancestor organization of the NOAA Corps, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps, existed from 1917 to 1965, then went through a transitional period as the Environmental Science Services Administration Corps from 1965 to 1970 before becoming the NOAA Corps. Like NOAA Corps personnel today, Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps officers, as well as other Coast and Geodetic Survey personnel such as civilian ship's officers and crew members, were eligible for the Department of Commerce awards described above, as well as awards such as the above-mentioned Colbert and Karo Medals and the awards and decorations of other uniformed services with which they served. However, although the Coast and Geodetic Survey traced its history to 1807, it had no awards of its own until 21 July 1945, when President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9590, authorizing six awards in recognition of Coast and Geodetic Survey service during World War II, the national emergency preceding it, or its aftermath.
For budgetary reasons, Executive Order 9590 established the awards as ribbons only, but it also authorized the United States Secretary of Commerce to "provide and issue an appropriate medal, with suitable appurtenances, to the recipient of any ribbon at such time as he may determine, and when necessary funds are available therefore." However, it was not until after the United States Congress passed the Merchant Marine Decorations and Medals Act in 1988 that NOAA, as the Coast and Geodetic Survey's successor organization, took action to create a medal for each of the awards. Later in 1988, via NOAA Corps Bulletin 880401, NOAA authorized medals to supplement the ribbons previously awarded. Although obsolete, the six Coast and Geodetic Survey medals are part of the history and heritage of NOAA and the NOAA Corps: