SAN DIEGO, Calif. —Rear Adm. Ron Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) gave an address as a co-keynote speaker and participated in an in-depth panel discussion during the San Diego-based ocean science, technology, and engineering conference—Oceanology International Americas (OiA) 2023, Feb. 14-16. Piret highlighted challenges and successes of the Naval Oceanography workforce family, comprised of 2,500 Sailors and Civilians, who are experts on everything science from the ocean floor to the farthest known star; using that expertise as a critical part of our nation’s Navy. “At Sea, we are the subject matter experts to explain the environment and protect our naval forces,” said Piret. “[D]ata and discoveries made are collected by Naval Oceanography to inform strategic, operational, and tactical decision-makers to maximize lethality in the selection of platform, weapon, sensors, and area of engagement at the time and place of our choosing.”

Cmdr. Brad A. Fancher, commanding officer of the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), observes the debris field of a high-altitude surveillance balloon. Carter Hall is the lead ship in debris recovery efforts led by the Navy, in joint partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, with multiple units in support of the effort, including ships, aircraft, and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal mobile diving and salvage unit. At the direction of the President of the United States and with the full support of the Government of Canada, U.S. fighter aircraft under U.S. Northern Command authority engaged and brought down a high altitude surveillance balloon within sovereign U.S. airspace and over U.S. territorial waters Feb. 4, 2023. Active duty, Reserve, National Guard, and civilian personnel planned and executed the operation, and partners from the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation ensured public safety throughout the operation and recovery efforts.(U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Jerry Ireland)

STENNIS SPACE CENTER——Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) recently visited Naval Oceanography for a two-day tour of its facilities and familiarization with its current operations, plans and programs, Jan. 24-25. Ms. Elizabeth Nashold, Deputy Commander, NAVIFOR and CAPT Dave Kuehn, Chief of Staff NAVIFOR attended the visit and tour, engaging Sailors and Civilians for an in-depth look at how the Naval Oceanography enterprise conducts business.

Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii resumed its long-standing fleet liaison observation training practice. This training allows aerographer’s mates (AG) assigned to JTWC and quartermasters (QM) stationed on naval vessels to work side-by-side to better understand and implement the collection of meteorological observations while at sea. The first naval vessel to reintroduce this partnership was the USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118). A training team from JTWC led by Dr. Owen Shieh was welcomed onboard to observe how the QMs conduct their observations. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command directs and oversees more than 2,500 globally-distributed military and civilian personnel who collect, process, and exploit environmental information to assist Fleet and Joint Commanders in all warfare areas to make better decisions faster than the adversary, April 11, 2022.

COWVR, at center, and TEMPEST, not shown, were installed aboard the International Space Station in late 2021 and since then have provided valuable weather data to forecasters tracking tropical cyclones. The two instruments are part of the U.S. Space Force STP-H8 demonstration mission. Credit: NASA

Rear Adm. Ron Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC) gave an address as a co-keynote speaker and participated in an in-depth panel discussion during the San Diego-based ocean science, technology, and engineering conference—Oceanology International Americas (OiA) 2023, Feb. 14-16. Piret highlighted challenges and successes of the Naval Oceanography workforce family, comprised of 2,500 Sailors and Civilians, who are experts on everything science from the ocean floor to the farthest known star; using that expertise as a critical part of our nation’s Navy. “At Sea, we are the subject matter experts to explain the environment and protect our naval forces,” said Piret. “[D]ata and discoveries made are collected by Naval Oceanography to inform strategic, operational, and tactical decision-makers to maximize lethality in the selection of platform, weapon, sensors, and area of engagement at the time and place of our choosing.”