Red wrote:
Red wrote:
hpeer wrote:
The USCG is the ONLY military organization with a full time peace
time mission. Except for NOAA.

NOAA is not a military organization.


And jeff replied:
Think again:
http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/index.html

Think again jeff;
This is copied from the site above.
The NOAA Commissioned Officer uniformed services of the United States.
The service, consisting of approximately 299 commissioned officers,is an
integral part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

(Let's repeat that last statement... "an agency of the U.S. Department
of Commerce")

So an agency of the Department of the Treasury (until recently) is
clearly military but and agency of Commerce is not? That's a pretty
lame argument - try again.



The Director of the NOAA Corps is Rear Admiral Jonathan W. Bailey, NOAA.
He is also the Director of the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
(OMAO) which operates a wide variety of specialized aircraft and ships
to conduct NOAA's environmental and scientific missions.

The NOAA Commissioned Corps traces its roots back to the former U.S.
Coast and Geodetic Survey, which dates back to 1807 and 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, manage research projects, conduct diving
operations, and serve in staff positions throughout NOAA.
Red
BTW, I worked for NOAA and I was not in any military organization at
that time. The officers are uniformed, just as is the top U.S. M.D. and
many other civilian/government positions. NOAA officers do not take the
military oath.

Oh really? I believe that the officers of the NOAA Corps take the same
oath as officers in branches under the Department of Defense. In fact,
all sorts of federal employees take the same oath as directly by 5
U.S.C. 3331. I took the oath (I think) when I worked at the
Smithsonian, and even postal workers take it.

Curiously, enlisted men take a different oath, where they agree to obey
orders. Officers (and Postmen) don't agree to follow orders, only
uphold the Constitution.

Here's the law:
An individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office
of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services, shall
take the following oath: “I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I
will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against
all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and
allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any
mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and
faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to
enter. So help me God.” This section does not affect other oaths
required by law.

BTW, if you're looking for a real significant difference, the NOAA Corps
are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice unless they are
attached to a military unit. Of course, that can happen pretty easily.