Page 150 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

156 NAVA L SI\ ILI.S

A dalllage COI/trol (155;51(1111 working with the engineering om.- Air Officer
cer Illilintilins the ship's dillllage control organization, including
In ships that l13ve 3n air department, the head of that depart-
the control of ship's st.lbility, list, and trim, ilnd the ship's damage
ment is the air officer, who directs the launching and landing of
control equipment. He or she is responsible lor tmining ship's per-
aircraft and their handling on dcck. He or she is responsible for
sOllnel in dilJllage contro!' including defensive meilsures against
crash salvage operations and aircraft firefighting. The air officer is
chemical. biological. and nuclear weapons.
in charge of aircraft-handling equipment sllch ilS elevators, cata-
A lIIaill propllisioll assistant assists the engineering officer in all
pults, and arresting gear, and is responsible tor the carc, stowage,
duties pertaining to the maintenance and operation of the ship's
and isslle of aviation fuels ,md lubricants.
propulsion and auxiliary machinery.
On .\ircraft and helicopter c"rriers, the (Iir lVillg (Ollll/tallaer is
the hC'l\d of the embarked air squadrons. The title usually is apia-
Reactor Officer
(ioll officer in the case of a helicopter detachment on a nonaviation-
Nuclear-powered ships have a reactor departmcnt headed by type ship.
il reactor officer. whose job is the operation. carc, and safety of the The air wing commander directs tactical training of the air
reactor plal1ts and auxiliaries. wing, coordinates .mel supervises all act ivities of the embarked
The reactor officer is a technical assistant to the CO on mat- squadrons and detachments. and sees to the material readiness of
ters of re<lctor safet)'. He or she supervises disposal of radioilctive the wing as a whole. The air wing commander works with the ship's
wastes from the ship's reactor plants. is responsible for the opel'il- operations officer in matters concerning employment, scheduling.
tion of the main engines, and m3intains the engineer's bell book. training. and tactical air operatiolls.

liel. llI

A member of the Air Department explains to some NJROTC cadets how aircraft are spotted on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS
Wasp (LHD 1 I (Grandby HS NJROTC, Crystal Raneri