CNMOC optimizes America’s sea power by applying relevant oceanographic knowledge in support of U.S. national security.
The Mississippi Coast has long been a key component in America’s national security. Whether it is Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula or Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi or the Coast Guard units stationed along the Gulf of Mexico or NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, the Magnolia State’s strategic role in the readiness for the United States military cannot be understated.
One aspect of the Mississippi Coast’s role in national security has often gone overlooked.
Headquartered at John C. Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi, the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography and Command is responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements of the Department of Defense.
Most may not know that the Naval Oceanography has been located at Stennis Space Center since the 1970s.
Naval Oceanography has fifteen commands total under its enterprise that are controlled by CNMOC from Stennis Space Center. Five of those commands are at Stennis employing around 1,000 sailors and civilians.
Another point of interest that most may not realize is that the Commander of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command at Stennis Space Center’s, Rear Admiral Ronald J. Pire, is the most senior military officer in Mississippi. Piret is also the Navigator, Oceanographer, and Hydrographer for the entire U.S. Navy.
CNMOC’s sailors and scientists do work in 27 different scientific fields, including unmanned systems, supercomputers, and much more – all from Stennis Space Center.
NAVOCEANO, the largest subordinate command within the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, provides the nation’s warfighters with the best available knowledge of the maritime battlespace from data collection through production and analysis. This includes tailored oceanographic, hydrographic, bathymetric, geophysical and acoustic products and services that aid in safe navigation and effective mission planning.
“We optimize America’s sea power by applying relevant oceanographic knowledge in support of U.S. national security,” the organization’s mission statement states.
The organization has three main priorities: Developing its people, maximizing their capabilities, and employing the latest innovation.
Below is a graphic that provides a glimpse into what activities CNMOC’s personnel undertook in 2021.
Anne Summerhays
