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Samuel P. De Bow Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Captain (later Rear Admiral) Samuel P. De Bow Jr., NOAA Corps | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ | NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps |
| Years of service | 1976 - 2007 |
| Rank |  |
| Commands held | NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations |
| Awards | NOAA Deck Officer NOAA Diver Department of Commerce Gold Medal Department of Commerce Silver Medal (2) Department of Commerce Bronze Medal NOAA Corps Commendation Medal (3) Coast Guard Commendation Medal with "O" device NOAA Corps Achievement Medal (10) |
Samuel P. De Bow Jr. is a retired rear admiral in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps who served as the Director, NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and Director, Office of Marine and Aviation Operations from 2004 until his retirement September 30, 2007. He was nominated for this position by President George W. Bush, confirmed by the Senate, and subsequently promoted from captain to rear admiral.
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.
George Walker Bush is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He had previously served as the 46th governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress which, along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol Building, in Washington, D.C.
De Bow was appointed into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Commissioned Corps (NOAA Corps) in 1976. His career has focused on NOAA's mission to ensure safe navigation. He has served aboard three NOAA hydrographic survey ships that acquire data to update the nation’s nautical charts, and two mobile hydrographic field units. Hydrographic surveys accurately determine least water depths and locate obstructions and other dangers to navigation on the sea floor. His last sea tour was as commanding officer of the NOAA Ship RUDE; under his direction, RUDE located the wreckage of TWA Flight 800 after the jet’s disastrous crash in 1996. During his career, De Bow has conducted hydrographic surveys throughout the coastal waters of the United States, including Alaska. While in graduate school, he was an NOAA exchange hydrographer, working with the Norwegian Hydrographic Service in Stavanger, Norway.
A research vessel is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated vessel. Due to the demanding nature of the work, research vessels are often constructed around an icebreaker hull, allowing them to operate in polar waters.
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 was a Boeing 747-100 that exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 8:31 p.m. EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport on a scheduled international passenger flight to Rome, with a stopover in Paris. All 230 people on board died in the crash; it is the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. Accident investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) traveled to the scene, arriving the following morning amid speculation that a terrorist attack was the cause of the crash. Consequently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York Police Department (FBI-NYPD) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) initiated a parallel criminal investigation. Sixteen months later, the JTTF announced that no evidence of a criminal act had been found and closed its active investigation.
Alaska is a U.S. state in the northwest extremity of the United States West Coast, just across the Bering Strait from Asia. The Canadian province of British Columbia and territory of Yukon border the state to the east and southeast. Its most extreme western part is Attu Island, and it has a maritime border with Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. To the north are the Chukchi and Beaufort seas—southern parts of the Arctic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean lies to the south and southwest. It is the largest U.S. state by area and the seventh largest subnational division in the world. In addition, it is the 3rd least populous and the most sparsely populated of the 50 United States; nevertheless, it is by far the most populous territory located mostly north of the 60th parallel in North America: its population—estimated at 738,432 by the United States Census Bureau in 2015—is more than quadruple the combined populations of Northern Canada and Greenland. Approximately half of Alaska's residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. Alaska's economy is dominated by the fishing, natural gas, and oil industries, resources which it has in abundance. United States armed forces bases and tourism are also a significant part of the economy.
De Bow’s shore tours have included a variety of staff, management and technical positions, the majority of which were in support of NOAA’s mapping and charting mission. Most recently (7/03-6/04), he served as executive assistant to the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, who manages NOAA’s workforce of approximately 13,000 and budget of $3.9 billion. Prior to that, De Bow was chief of the Hydrographic Services Division (3/99-7/03), where his primary responsibility was to provide overall guidance and leadership for NOAA’s national hydrographic survey program. Here he was instrumental in revitalizing NOAA’s aging hydrographic fleet while managing close to $100 million in private sector contracts for data. He also served as NOAA’s on-scene operations officer during the search for John F. Kennedy Jr.’s downed aircraft in 1999 (found by NOAA Ship RUDE), and coordinated NOAA’s search efforts for Egypt Air 990 in 1999 (found by NOAA Ship WHITING).
The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, or USC(OA), is a high-ranking official in the United States Department of Commerce and the principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Commerce on the environmental and scientific activities of the Department. The Under Secretary is dual hatted as the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration within the Commerce Department.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. was an American lawyer, journalist, and magazine publisher. He was a son of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and a younger brother of Caroline Kennedy. His father was assassinated three days before his third birthday.
In September 2006, De Bow was confirmed as a member of the Mississippi River Commission. During his career, he has been a member of a group awarded the Department of Commerce Gold Medal (the Department's highest award), and has received two individual Department of Commerce Silver Medals and a Department of Commerce Bronze Medal for his achievements. He has also received a U.S. Coast Guard and three NOAA Corps Commendation Medals in addition to numerous other medals and ribbons.
The Department of Commerce Gold Medal is the highest honor award of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Gold Medal is presented by the Secretary of Commerce for distinguished performance. The award may be presented to an individual, group, or organization in the Commerce Department for extraordinary, noble, or prestigious contributions that impact the mission of the department and/or one or more operating units, which reflects favorable on the department.
The Department of Commerce Silver Medal is the second highest of three honor awards of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Silver Medal is presented by the Secretary of Commerce for exceptional service. The award may be presented to an individual, group, or organization in the Commerce Department for noteworthy or superlative contributions which have a direct and lasting impact with the department.
The Department of Commerce Bronze Medal is the third of three honor awards of the United States Department of Commerce. Since 1949, the Bronze Medal is the highest award presented by the head or secretarial officer of an operating unit of the Department of Commerce such as the NOAA, NIST, NWS, etc. for superior performance. The award may be presented to an individual, group, or organization for outstanding or significant contributions which have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the operating unit of the Department of Commerce.
De Bow holds a bachelor's degree in commerce and engineering from Drexel University and a master's degree in hydrographic sciences from the Naval Postgraduate School. He was a senior executive fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and attended the Leadership for a Democratic Society course at the Federal Executive Institute. De Bow is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He and his wife, Susan, have a son and two daughters.
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry, it was renamed Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, before assuming the name Drexel University in 1970.
The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is a public graduate school operated by the United States Navy and located in Monterey, California. It grants master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, and certificates. Established in 1909, the school also offers research fellowship opportunities at the postdoctoral level through the National Academies’ National Research Council research associateship program.
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with about 6,700 undergraduate students and about 13,100 postgraduate students. Established in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, Harvard is the United States' oldest institution of higher learning. Its history, influence, wealth, and academic reputation have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world. It is cited as the world's top university by many publishers.
