Women of the NOAA Corps: Reflections from Sea and Sky
2018
Mar
21
Transcript Content
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The year was 1972.
Folk, rock and soul music ruled the airwaves;
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platform shoes and bell-bottoms
defined modern fashion,
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and technological advances included
the pocket calculator and the first video game.
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President Nixon was elected to a second term
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and the Vietnam War continued to cast a dark
shadow over the country.
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In the sciences,
the space shuttle program was born,
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Apollo 17 sent the world the unforgettable
"Blue Marble" image of Earth,
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and the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps,
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a science-based service provided by the newly formed
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
commissioned its first female officer.
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From then on, through their skill, strength
and expertise,
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the women of the NOAA Corps
have built and shaped a solid foundation
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for Women In Service.
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With only 321 active officers,
the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
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is the smallest of the seven
uniformed services of the United States.
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It's very small because its focus is very
specialized.
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NOAA Corps officers serve at sea, on land,
and in the air commanding a fleet of ships
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and aircraft specially equipped to enable
scientists to study, understand and predict
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changes in the complex and dynamic natural
systems of our planet
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that sustain life as we know it.
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From the seafood we eat,
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to the weather we brave,
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to the ships that navigate our seas
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carrying people and cargo to and from our ports,
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to the deep ocean we have only just begun to explore,
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the work of the NOAA Corps
reaches every American
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- protecting our lives and property,
and preserving our natural resources
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for current and future generations.
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One of the most memorable stories
that I have over my career...
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One time when we were out...
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I'm surprised I went back to sea after my first sea tour...
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This is absolutely everything that I was looking for...
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That was a moment that I will certainly never forget...
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Like a photograph, personal stories are an
imprint of our life experience.
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They tell us something about our place in time:
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a memorable moment, a defining experience,
or simply those times in life when we intersect
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with people or places in random ways
that set us on pathways that we couldn't imagine,
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let alone plan.
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Everyone has stories to tell
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and those stories tell us about ourselves:
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what moves us, what challenges us,
what makes us who we are.
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These are stories of a small group of unique women
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who joined a small corps of unique purpose
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to serve their nation
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-- women from different walks of life
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who served at different points in time,
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but who all share the same sense of dedication
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toward the pursuit of understanding
and stewardship for our common home.
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I had one letter was,
"No women! Not now, not ever! Blaaaargh!!" You know...
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And I said, "That's okay....
About time he retired anyway.
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The story of women in the NOAA Corps
begins with a man
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who unlocked and opened the door of opportunity
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and a woman who walked through it.
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There was no reason women couldn't be commissioned.
None!
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No legal reason, no social reason,
no practical reason at all.
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It was just something that was overdue.
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The NOAA Corps was established
long before NOAA was.
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By the time NOAA became a federal agency in 1970,
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the Corps was already in its 53rd year,
having operated under predecessor agencies
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ever since it was first established in 1917.
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Admiral Harley Nygren began his service in 1947.
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Over his long career, he rose to the top job.
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He was the director of the Corps
when NOAA was established
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and the decision of whether or not to
admit women into the Corps was his.
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Ultimately, the responsibility was mine.
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But I had encouragement from the administrators.
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They didn't pressure us at all.
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Once in a while he'd say,
"are you ever going to have any women in the Corps?"
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And I'd say, "yeah, we're looking at it."
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So the environment was there and it was a
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matter of looking at the mechanics of it.
And the outcome was obvious:
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We had no basis for not recruiting women, none.
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There were good reasons for doing it -- social
reasons, economic reasons --
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all kinds of reasons for doing it,
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but one for not doing it was
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"we never did that before."
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And that's not acceptable.
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Pamela Chelgren was the first female officer
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to step up and test this new space.
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Together with her male counterparts,
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she and the women who followed laid
the groundwork for a new era.
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There were times at which I very much felt
pressure being the first.
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Because I was the first, if I did poorly that
would make it harder for women coming in behind me.
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After the class came through with six women in it,
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I no longer was worried about that.
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Pamela Chelgren's commission
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pioneered a societal shift in the Corps
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that picked up steam in the ensuing years.
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By 1975, eighteen more female officers had
joined the ranks of the NOAA Corps,
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including Evelyn Fields, whose career in the Corps
spanned 31 years.
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She attained the rank of Rear Admiral and
the distinction of being the first female
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commanding officer of the NOAA Corps.
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Before we got there, I understand that the
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commands spent a lot of time prepping their crew.
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'We're going to get these ladies
and you got to clean up your language,
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and you got to do this, and you got to that,
and you got to do the other.'
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It was kind of a test or platform that
the C.O.s didn't want to fail at,
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those that were fortunate enough to get us,
(and I do mean fortunate enough to get us),
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the women coming out of the class;
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they didn't want to fail either.
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It was a real step forward for the NOAA Corps because
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the other services, yes, they had women,
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but they didn't have women doing
the exact same job that the men were doing.
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You were sworn in as an ensign,
you went to basic training class and when
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you came out of basic training class you went to a ship.
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My first ship, I was the only woman on my first ship and
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when we got underway from Seattle
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for a four-month cruise to the South Pacific,
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there was 81 guys and me.
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I know the captain was very worried.
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He would have weekly lunches with me just
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to check in and see how things were going.
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My sense was, after that first sea tour,
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I would say about five percent of the guys were verbally, vocally supportive of me being there,
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10 percent were the opposite, negative,
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and 85 percent really didn't care.
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So you know, 'you get the job done, that's fine.'
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And that 10 percent,
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that really did change
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after the first couple of years.
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It took them really seeing that I was there
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to get the job done and I wasn't
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there to make trouble for people.
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I was really there committed to the same things
they were committed to
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and wanting to be a shipmate.
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And that really counts for something.
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In the journey of life,
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sometimes we follow a road out of curiosity.
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Other times we set out with clear intention,
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motivated by specific people or aspirations.
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Whether their initial plans were experimental or inspired,
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these women all answered a call
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of scientific service to their country.
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My dad was in the Coast Guard.
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He was in the Coast Guard and the Navy.
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My dad is a retired Navy Reservist
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and the proudest I ever saw him was on those weekends
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when he put his uniform on to go to his monthly
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weekend duty or his two weeks a year.
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And so I was groomed from the time that I was young
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to want to serve my country
to work on behalf of my country.
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That's, I think initially, too, what sort
of
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drove that desire to serve my country and
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to wear the uniform.
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I didn't know what my service
would look like growing up,
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but I'm not surprised that I'm
wearing a uniform today.
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I watched a documentary about the response
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to the Exxon Valdez oil spill when I was in high school,
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and that sort of set my compass to know that
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I wanted to do something with the ocean.
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I stumbled across the NOAA Corps website.
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I actually didnt know that NOAA even had
a corps of officers
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that drove the ships and flew the planes.
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So that was sort of just bumbling along
following the websites,
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and found the old school
NOAA Corps recruiting video.
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And it was like, "do you want to dive and
do you want to fly and do science,
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and serve your country at the same time?
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I was like, "Yes."
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I looked it up online and I was really impressed.
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I noticed that they had a lot to do with
oil spill response
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and it was different. It was about providing scientific support to the Coast Guard
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during major oil spills
and that really piqued my interest.
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My entire career I've worked for the Office
of Coast Survey,
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and the Office of Coast Survey
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collects the data that makes
the nautical charts for shipping.
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So in my mind, at least, that's a very clear,
relevant thing.
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You know, ships need to know where they're
going and how to get there.
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I mean, they're moving 80 percent of the
goods that are coming in and out of the United States.
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So, for me, that's a very clear mission.
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I don't think about it a lot, but when I
do kinda get down in the dumps
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about 'why are we doing this,'
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I just think about maps.
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We make maps.
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Who can't get behind a map?
It's information.
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It tells you where things are.
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You know where your resources are,
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you know where the fish habitat is,
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you know what minerals there are,
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you know where to lay a cable,
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you know where to put a navigation channel.
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There's a whole bunch of stuff going on
underneath there
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and there's a whole bunch
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of people on the surface doing a lot of different things.
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So, that's, kinda, the little speech I give to myself
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about maps. I like them.
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The mission that we fly is
an important mission to the nation.
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We're out there collecting vital data
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that they use for hurricane forecasts and intensity models.
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That information gets relayed
to the National Hurricane Center
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for them to make better forecasts,
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and it's all about saving life and property.
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We want to make sure people are protected.
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In my opinion, that's why I'm out there doing my job.
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That's what I love about my job.
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I am out there making a difference.
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We are there to collect that data that could
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help somebody who is along the coast know
that the storm is actually coming their way.
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It's important.
And I feel proud after those missions,
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and it makes me want to go fly another one.
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I was involved in Deepwater Horizon.
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I was previously on the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter
as my first sea tour,
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and we ended up being the first federal vessel
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actually onsite to do oil spill response.
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That was an incredible opportunity to really
be there at a time of national disaster and
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to be able to play a part in that.
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Whether it's cleaning up oil spills or even
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just protecting endangered species like we
do out here or to help gather data
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for climate change,
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all of these things are going to have
major impacts on future generations.
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And to me, I couldn't get any fulfillment
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out of anything else the way that I do with this career.
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I tell people that I have the coolest job
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in the world
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and that has been my story since day one,
and it's the story that I'm sticking with.
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We all face moments in life
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that do not go as planned.
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Navigating the unexpected is a test of skill
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and courage under pressure.
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These challenges are milestones
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that speak to our strength or teach us a lesson,
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and from which we can either stay or adjust our course.
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You never really think about,
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'Oh, I don't know, I can't do this.'
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You just deal with it, get it done and move on.
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Our second flight from Turks and Caicos back to Florida,
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about halfway back, we're over
the Bahamas at this point,
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we get an engine fire indication.
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That, of all the things that could
probably happen to the plane,
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that's probably the one that you never really want to hear as a pilot.
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So the first thing that you hear is the fire bell goes off.
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So it's a really loud bell in the cockpit that sounds.
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And so you have this bell.
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You jumped to action, in that sense.
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You really don't have much time that you're
like, 'oh, let's sit and think about it or talk about it'
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You're like, 'run the checklist.'
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So, after we shut down the engine, we're calling,
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declaring an emergency, and so they had us divert.
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At this point we're at 8000
and also heading into some iffy weather.
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And they're like "Hey, Rock Sound is your
closest airport; go," basically.
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We're looking at: what's our runway length
at this place we're going into?
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We've never been here,
we have no idea,
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we're just headed in, single-engine, into this airport
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as storms and stuff are coming in around us.
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So we landed.
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Everything went well;
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it was my first legit single-engine landing.
You know, we practice it here.
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Surprisingly enough, simulation is pretty
much spot on for the real thing.
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So that was a huge confidence booster for
me to be able to fly this thing, single-engine,
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land single-engine in the middle of nowhere,
and go, 'all right, that wasn't too bad.'
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It wasn't as bad as you thought it would be.
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Whenever you have a challenge, to me
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(and I used to say this to the folks that worked for me),
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I don't look at it as a challenge.
I always looked at it as an opportunity.
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And I think that puts it in a whole new realm
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when you say an opportunity as opposed to a challenge.
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But what that does is it builds a level of confidence.
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So each time you take one of those opportunities
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and succeed at it, it builds the confidence
that much more.
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It definitely was one of those things that
nobody wants to have an emergency in the plane,
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but it was also a monster confidence booster
for me, and also a surety in both our training,
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our aircraft, and your skills.
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And I think it builds that confidence level
00:15:08.670 --> 00:15:10.760
to the point that you just kind of go,
00:15:10.760 --> 00:15:13.380
'okay, I'm ready for the next one; bring it on,'
00:15:13.380 --> 00:15:15.980
you know, and you just move on.
00:15:19.920 --> 00:15:23.840
The gifts of wisdom, encouragement and support,
00:15:23.850 --> 00:15:27.397
born of shared experiences,
become special bonds
00:15:27.400 --> 00:15:30.600
that shape our sense of self,
00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:32.500
connect us as a family,
00:15:32.500 --> 00:15:34.820
and carry us forward.
00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:39.540
One of the things they told me early in life was that
00:15:39.540 --> 00:15:42.573
in order for two people
00:15:42.580 --> 00:15:45.680
to really communicate with each other,
00:15:45.680 --> 00:15:48.240
they have to have some shared experience.
00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:51.140
You take a group, take a squad of marines
00:15:51.140 --> 00:15:52.350
and shove them through a firefight,
00:15:52.350 --> 00:15:54.860
those folks are welded forever as a family because
00:15:54.860 --> 00:16:00.160
they have shared that experience
and now they're communicating,
00:16:00.160 --> 00:16:01.980
and that's true anywhere.
00:16:01.980 --> 00:16:05.580
On my second ship, I was the only female in the crew.
00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:10.600
And so when Liz went out to one of her ships
00:16:10.610 --> 00:16:12.560
she was the only female in the crew.
00:16:12.560 --> 00:16:14.310
And just keeping tabs, you know, and just
00:16:14.310 --> 00:16:17.240
checking in, seeing if everything is good,
00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:20.900
we bounce off a lot of different ideas with each other.
00:16:20.900 --> 00:16:24.730
So it's been a friendship, mentor, mentee,
00:16:24.730 --> 00:16:26.720
and it goes back and forth.
00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.455
She's certainly spoken to me about
00:16:29.460 --> 00:16:31.860
blind spots that I had, and
00:16:31.860 --> 00:16:34.875
also strengths and how to capitalize
on those strengths
00:16:34.880 --> 00:16:37.300
to make me become a better leader.
00:16:37.300 --> 00:16:39.660
And I know in the past, as she was just saying,
00:16:39.660 --> 00:16:43.350
I've been a sounding board for her for sure in the past.
00:16:43.350 --> 00:16:46.880
And so it's kind of nice that it has gone
both ways,
00:16:46.880 --> 00:16:49.780
both up and down between us over the years.
00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:51.600
They're our support group.
00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:54.340
We know that we're all kind of going through
the same sort of thing.
00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:59.730
Whenever I need to vent, you know,
I'll just call one of my NOAA Corps friends.
00:16:59.730 --> 00:17:04.580
And we'll just scream about things for a
little bit and then it
00:17:04.580 --> 00:17:08.160
goes back to normal.
00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:13.959
They are people that I have maintained close
relationships with that I feel comfortable
00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:17.940
asking for advice, asking for help,
just keeping in touch,
00:17:17.940 --> 00:17:22.100
letting them know kind of what I'm up to,
sharing stories, different things like that.
00:17:22.100 --> 00:17:27.280
Look above you and look below at folks who
have gone before, folks who are coming up behind you.
00:17:27.280 --> 00:17:31.520
You're part of a really, fairly fabulous club or family.
00:17:31.520 --> 00:17:35.140
It's a pretty small alumni association
of a group that's done some
00:17:35.140 --> 00:17:37.440
very, very, very special things.
00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:39.160
You share a bond of service,
00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:44.360
you've made contributions to the country like
no one else has made.
00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:46.100
You're like a family.
00:17:49.860 --> 00:17:54.660
Although the idea of women in service is no longer
the novelty it once was,
00:17:54.660 --> 00:17:57.480
this is only because of bold decisions
00:17:57.480 --> 00:17:59.900
that created new opportunities
00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:03.320
and because of the courageous women
who seized them
00:18:03.320 --> 00:18:05.920
and forged pathways for others.
00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:11.700
Today, women serve prominently
at all levels of the uniformed services
00:18:11.700 --> 00:18:13.910
and have boundless opportunities.
00:18:13.910 --> 00:18:20.000
So, why is it still important to tell stories
of women of the NOAA Corps?
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.500
I have no idea why it's important to talk
about the stories of women in the NOAA Corps.
00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:27.560
You know, to be honest, I wish that we weren't.
00:18:27.560 --> 00:18:31.000
I wish that we were just talking about
stories of the NOAA Corps.
00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:34.240
Like, who cares what you are as long as you
00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:36.640
can do the work or have the skills,
or have the training.
00:18:37.600 --> 00:18:41.260
I want my job because I'm qualified!
Not because I'm a girl!
00:18:41.270 --> 00:18:45.390
To be, like, a woman pilot I don't think it's
one of, like, a news-breaking thing, you know,
00:18:45.390 --> 00:18:47.280
they've been around for quite a while.
00:18:47.280 --> 00:18:51.460
I've been in the NOAA Corps for 16 years.
00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:55.540
I have never, in my entire career,
had any, I guess,
00:18:56.020 --> 00:18:58.200
reactions because I am a female.
00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:01.260
In my opinion, everything we do is about qualification.
00:19:01.260 --> 00:19:04.880
We get our jobs because we
are qualified; it's not gender specific.
00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:09.470
Gender is a thing that, really, in my mind,
I don't see it as an obstacle.
00:19:09.470 --> 00:19:13.590
I don't see it as something that's in the
way of anybody doing their job.
00:19:13.590 --> 00:19:19.340
What I see is highly trained people in this
organization going out and doing the things
00:19:19.340 --> 00:19:22.630
that they are passionate about and dedicated to.
00:19:22.630 --> 00:19:26.700
I can sympathize with the viewpoint that,
you know, 'why are we talking about
00:19:26.700 --> 00:19:29.280
women in the NOAA Corps, it's about the Corps.'
00:19:30.460 --> 00:19:33.840
I was one of the few women in the Navy Reserve
00:19:33.840 --> 00:19:39.600
oceanography cadre when I was there, one of the few women at the outset in the NASA astronaut program
00:19:39.600 --> 00:19:44.970
and I didn't see either of those as,
you know, female quests or gender quests.
00:19:44.970 --> 00:19:52.060
That was a line of work, a role, a profession
I was qualified to pursue and interested to pursue,
00:19:52.060 --> 00:19:56.160
and wanted to earn my standing on the
basis of being a qualified professional.
00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:01.110
I also cared a lot about, being Navy, being NASA.
00:20:01.110 --> 00:20:04.330
I didn't want to be some subpart.
'These are the real NASA people
00:20:04.330 --> 00:20:06.460
and we then have some girls.'
00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:10.120
And so, I get the not wanting to keep saying,
00:20:10.120 --> 00:20:13.160
'here's the real NOAA Corps and then there
are some girls'
00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:15.020
or even to say, 'here's the real NOAA Corps
00:20:15.020 --> 00:20:18.460
and isn't it cute or isn't it amazing that girls are here,
00:20:18.470 --> 00:20:19.600
or that women are here?'
00:20:19.600 --> 00:20:23.150
It's neither cute nor amazing.
00:20:23.150 --> 00:20:25.980
We all, I think, hope that we can get to a point
00:20:25.980 --> 00:20:28.940
where it goes without saying,
00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:32.780
it's a given, and it's natural and it's accepted.
00:20:32.780 --> 00:20:36.720
But the fact of the matter is, as a society
and as an organization,
00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:40.060
we're working our way through some of these shifts;
00:20:40.060 --> 00:20:44.280
shifts in what roles are widely open or open at all
00:20:44.280 --> 00:20:47.740
to people of color, to people of different genders.
00:20:47.740 --> 00:20:53.530
And it is, therefore, still notable
by some and noteworthy to others that women
00:20:53.530 --> 00:20:58.179
are entering new fields; and the question
of, 'well how are they doing in those fields'
00:20:58.180 --> 00:20:59.680
matters to some.
00:20:59.940 --> 00:21:01.799
I can see both sides of that.
00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:06.840
I think there is a value to taking some time
to talk specifically about the stories of
00:21:06.840 --> 00:21:10.140
women in the Corps for two reasons.
00:21:10.140 --> 00:21:12.470
There will be women looking around, maybe
00:21:12.470 --> 00:21:17.180
still testing or questioning or wondering
if that's a path for them
00:21:17.180 --> 00:21:20.180
and I think the example and a bit of a shared insight
00:21:20.180 --> 00:21:22.580
about 'what is this work,' 'what is this place,'
00:21:22.580 --> 00:21:25.060
'what is this group that you're joining,'
00:21:25.060 --> 00:21:27.940
may help some of them steady up their course
00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:31.200
and hopefully draw them to NOAA and to the Corps and
00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:33.360
become part of the work that we're doing.
00:21:33.360 --> 00:21:36.360
And, on the other side, there may well still
00:21:36.360 --> 00:21:41.200
be some men or others who think,
'I don't know what these women are doing here.'
00:21:41.200 --> 00:21:45.740
And I would hope that they, too,
would take a look at this film
00:21:45.740 --> 00:21:48.520
and maybe get a fresh glimpse
00:21:48.520 --> 00:21:53.060
of the caliber, the competency,
the professionalism, the integrity
00:21:53.060 --> 00:21:57.580
of the women who are serving
alongside them as officers in the NOAA Corps;
00:21:57.580 --> 00:22:01.340
and come to see more clearly
that,
00:22:01.340 --> 00:22:04.160
although they change clothes in a different locker room,
00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:09.040
they are on par: professional standing,
professional footing,
00:22:09.040 --> 00:22:12.380
competency, commitment, dedication and passion.
00:22:12.380 --> 00:22:16.940
They are true peers and true equals and maybe
shift that mind set a little bit, too.
00:22:20.100 --> 00:22:25.880
Looking back on life helps us to see the richness
and meaning of our experiences,
00:22:25.880 --> 00:22:29.680
those events that shape us
and become part of who we are.
00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.800
We may travel winding and varied paths
00:22:32.800 --> 00:22:35.420
and face obstacles along the way,
00:22:35.420 --> 00:22:39.490
and, from this, gain new insights and abilities.
00:22:39.490 --> 00:22:43.240
We may be lifted up by others and connected like family.
00:22:43.240 --> 00:22:46.340
Challenges that seem indomitable at first,
00:22:46.340 --> 00:22:49.900
perceived through the wisdom
that comes from experience
00:22:49.900 --> 00:22:53.060
may be met with surety and grace.
00:22:53.060 --> 00:22:55.420
What we discover through our life's work:
00:22:55.420 --> 00:22:57.980
our guiding principles, our values,
00:22:57.980 --> 00:23:01.260
or even just one word to live by,
00:23:01.260 --> 00:23:04.080
is a gift we give ourselves.
00:23:04.580 --> 00:23:07.460
If I had one word to describe the gift, or
00:23:07.460 --> 00:23:11.120
the most valuable thing
that NOAA Corps has given me...
00:23:11.120 --> 00:23:13.460
If I to describe the last eight years
in one word...
00:23:15.060 --> 00:23:17.120
Gosh, this is a tricky question!
00:23:17.560 --> 00:23:19.680
Ask the question again.
00:23:22.120 --> 00:23:24.480
I would say, "depth."
00:23:25.120 --> 00:23:27.320
It's grown me,
00:23:27.320 --> 00:23:28.680
challenged me,
00:23:28.680 --> 00:23:29.540
pushed me,
00:23:29.540 --> 00:23:30.860
stretched me;
00:23:30.980 --> 00:23:35.800
but at the same time, been some of the most enjoyable
experiences that I've had as well.
00:23:35.800 --> 00:23:41.640
So I'd say overall it's given me depth of
character, of experience, travel...
00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:43.800
can't beg for anything else in that regard.
00:23:43.800 --> 00:23:45.800
I think it's given me adventure.
00:23:46.220 --> 00:23:48.560
I've been to several continents,
00:23:48.560 --> 00:23:54.520
I've had the opportunity to fly
in helicopters during oil spills,
00:23:54.520 --> 00:23:57.670
dive with hammerhead sharks on remote atolls...
00:23:57.670 --> 00:23:59.700
I would say, "passion."
00:23:59.700 --> 00:24:00.890
"Interesting."
00:24:00.890 --> 00:24:03.980
There are good days and
there are bad days around here.
00:24:03.990 --> 00:24:08.960
It's not always awesome, it's not always bad,
but it's always been interesting.
00:24:08.970 --> 00:24:13.860
But if you believe in what you do, and you
love what you do, you can get through those
00:24:13.860 --> 00:24:16.900
bad days and you can make those
good days even better.
00:24:16.900 --> 00:24:18.840
And so you can do anything.
00:24:18.840 --> 00:24:23.140
You know I don't really care if I have a good life,
or a fun life, or I make a lot of money.
00:24:23.140 --> 00:24:24.740
I just really hope it's interesting.
00:24:24.740 --> 00:24:27.420
And I think, so far, it's been that way.
00:24:27.420 --> 00:24:29.400
The most valuable gift that NOAA has given me,
00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:32.301
my first thought was my independence;
that I can stand on my own,
00:24:32.301 --> 00:24:34.200
I've moved around seven times,
00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:39.120
that I can show up to a new place,
continue in my career, reach for my goals.
00:24:39.130 --> 00:24:41.080
That's what I like to think of my independence.
00:24:41.080 --> 00:24:43.500
But then, I've got the counterpart which is the teamwork.
00:24:43.500 --> 00:24:46.000
In my opinion, I love working with a group of people.
00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:50.880
I would rather come to work and work
with a group of people than work on my own.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:52.130
Which word do I use?
00:24:52.130 --> 00:24:54.700
Independence has allowed me
to get where I am in my career,
00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:58.540
but I love my career because the teamwork
that I'm actually able to be part of.
00:24:58.540 --> 00:25:03.460
If I were to describe that in one word,
it would be "resiliency."
00:25:03.460 --> 00:25:05.120
"Command presence."
00:25:05.120 --> 00:25:06.280
"Confidence."
00:25:06.280 --> 00:25:10.680
Conducting operations is very dynamic and,
to go out to sea,
00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:12.400
you're constantly operating
00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:14.580
and managing risk.
00:25:14.580 --> 00:25:18.990
The ability to, on a day-in-day-out basis,
00:25:18.990 --> 00:25:25.240
take a look at what the environment is providing
and being able to get the mission done safely
00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:29.450
is something that takes a great deal
of intestinal fortitude.
00:25:29.450 --> 00:25:33.400
But being able to go back at it again, yeah,
00:25:33.400 --> 00:25:35.570
I would say, "resiliency."
00:25:35.570 --> 00:25:39.730
When I say, "command presence," I guess
that maybe it only makes sense to
00:25:39.730 --> 00:25:42.580
somebody in the service or on board ships but
00:25:42.580 --> 00:25:45.470
that's a bearing that you have,
00:25:45.470 --> 00:25:49.440
it's a tone that you have, it's calm but directed,
00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:52.730
even if everything is hectic around you.
00:25:52.730 --> 00:25:58.840
"Confidence" because, as I look back
on my entire career,
00:25:58.840 --> 00:26:04.850
you always have that question mark as to
whether you can do something or not.
00:26:04.850 --> 00:26:06.160
You might not show it,
00:26:06.160 --> 00:26:10.240
you might not come across as being,
00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:13.240
oohh... scared to death,
00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:17.400
but that confidence level builds.
00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:20.720
It builds a little bit more
with each opportunity that you get
00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:23.460
and you walk away feeling like,
00:26:23.460 --> 00:26:26.000
'okay I can conquer the world and it's gonna be okay.'
00:26:28.860 --> 00:26:33.740
These young ladies have done some, just, incredible things because they were given an opportunity.
00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:39.320
I'm just so inspired and so impressed
with the quality and capabilities
00:26:39.320 --> 00:26:41.900
of the people that work for the NOAA Corps.
00:26:41.900 --> 00:26:48.320
It's gratifying to see that the talent gets better and better and better and I think that's
00:26:48.320 --> 00:26:52.240
what you really ultimately hope for.
00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:57.240
All of us can be very proud of where
all of NOAA stands at this point,
00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:00.420
not just the officers but the civilian side, too.
00:27:00.429 --> 00:27:02.820
It's very positive.
00:27:02.820 --> 00:27:05.860
I can never think about the NOAA Corps without
00:27:05.860 --> 00:27:11.480
reminding myself that President Thomas Jefferson
started the ball rolling in 1807
00:27:11.480 --> 00:27:13.540
with the survey of the coast.
00:27:13.540 --> 00:27:15.720
As we look back at the history of the NOAA Corps now,
00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:18.340
we should remember to look all the way that far back
00:27:18.340 --> 00:27:21.420
and think about what that first impetus was.
00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:26.720
And I find it fabulous and gratifying to look at
the today of the NOAA Corps
00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:29.020
and say that's still what it's about.
00:27:29.020 --> 00:27:33.880
It's the capacities to measure and monitor
and understand our planet that are vital to
00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:38.640
the health and vitality of our country,
of our society, and of our economy.
00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:41.660
I have every confidence, if Thomas Jefferson
were here today
00:27:41.660 --> 00:27:46.300
and maybe Alexander Hamilton along with him, who
started the Coast Guard;
00:27:46.300 --> 00:27:49.320
they'd be amazed and tremendously proud
00:27:49.320 --> 00:27:51.400
of what the NOAA Corps has become and they would be
00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:55.960
particularly impressed with the people who
serve in the NOAA Corps.
00:27:55.960 --> 00:28:00.560
Being founding fathers they might be slightly
astonished that women were serving in the NOAA Corps
00:28:00.560 --> 00:28:03.680
and serving in every imaginable
position of responsibility.
00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:07.460
They would be hugely gratified
to see how the glimmer in their eyes back then
00:28:07.460 --> 00:28:10.360
has lived through the years and continues today
00:28:10.360 --> 00:28:11.987
to serve the country and serve the planet
00:28:11.987 --> 00:28:14.060
so brilliantly well.
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