Page 151 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

SHIPBOA IU) ORGAN I ZAT I ON AND Wr\TC H STr\N DI NG 157

Supply Officer
The s/lpply officer heads the supply department. He or she is a
st<1ft' corps officer responsible for ordering, receiving, storing. issu-
ing, shipping. selling, transferring, accounting fOf, and maintaining
all stores and spare parts in the cOlllmand. He or she is in charge
of the equipment in the supply department sllch as forklift trucks,
computers, ice cream machines. and vending machines.
He or she is in charge of the gcncrai mcss nnd all food prepara-
tion in the command. He or she manages all the ship's services-
laundry, barber shop, tailor shop, ship's store, snack bar- and
slIpen,jses the personnel who take care of the officers' staterooms.
wnrdroom. and food preparation. He or she is in charge of dis-
bursing pay. and maintaining the pay records of all personnel in
the command. A Navy dentist ministers to a patient aboard the amphibious assault
ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). (Jilleanne Buda)
Medical Officer
The head of the medical department of a larger ship is the example for the division. Almost eveq' dut), performed gets instant
medical officer, the senior officer of the Medic<li Corps serving on attentioll. He or she must issue clear instructions, and give orders in
board. He or she is directly responsible for the health of personnel such a way that the morale and spirit of the division is m<1intained.
of the cOlllmand. The medical officer advises the CO in aU matters Ru nning the training program is one of the most important
afrecting health of personnel on board. jobs of a division officer. Because of the rapid personnel changes in
toda}"s Navy. it is a continuolls job.
Dental Officer
Most large ships and tenders have a dental department with the Functional Organization
senior officer of the Dental Corps serving as department head, or
Every ship has a Ship's OrgalliZalioll mlri UeglllaliollS JVltl/llIaf and
dental officer, responsible for the dental care and oral health of ship's
Banfe Orgallizatioll JVlmllfaf; each division has a H~lfcl" Qllartel~
personnel. The denial officer and subordinates may be called upon
allri St(/Iioll Bill. These documents assign all personnel to their
to help the sick and wounded in cases of emergency. In smaller
jobs. The purpose is to see that the crew functions as a well~coordi~
ships the medical and dental departments may be combined.
!lated team in any military situation.
The Ship's Orgallizatioll allri Reglliatiolls AtJtl/lllal contains the
D ivision Officers administmtive, operational, and emergency bills necessaq' to han-
dle almost anything that could happen. This manual has the force
The departments of a ship are composed of dil'isiolls. These divi-
and eflect of Nal')' Regulatiolls. It tells the divisions nnd depart-
sions are organized into sections or watches. Thc division is the
ments their norlllal responsibilities.
basic unit of personnel on board ship. The number of divisions in
The Banle Orgal1izalioll lVlmlllai sets out the ship's organi-
a department varies depending upon the size and function of the
zation for battle conditions. It is an important tool that COs use
ship. A division may be very small, or as large as a hundred ll1ell1~
to prepare their ships to fight. The book has four chapters show~
bers or more, sllch as a deck division all an aircraft carrier.
ing battle stations. conditions of readiness, battle bill, and interior
Each division is headed by a riil'isiol1 officer. Division officers
comnlunications systems.
are responsible to their department heads. The division officer
is the first commissioned officer in the chain of command over
enlisted personneL The division officer is a guide, leader, coun-
selor. and supervisor. He or she is the one officer whom division
STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS
personnel see every day. He or she must show a very personal
type of leadership, always finding time for personal contact with 1. \·Vhat arc the basic departments in a naval ship?
assigned person nel. 2. Who has overall responsibility for the safety and operation of
The assignment as division officer is a oftell a young onker's a naval ship?
first really important assignment. It is his or her first chance to
3. \.vhat are the main tnsks of the executive officer?
practice leadership skills. A division officer sets the pace and the
4. \·Vhat is the basic responsibility of the ship's navigator?