Page 154 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

160 NAVAL SK I LLS

Part of the underway watch team on the bridge of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). (Kathleen Gorby)

safet), and well-being of the ship depends, to a large extent, on the The makeup of <1 standard traditional enlisted underway watch
OOD. Under way, the 000 is on the bridge and can give orders section is described below. On newer ships outfitted with high-
to the helmsman at the wheel. Or the OOD ma)' delegate this to tech ship control and navigation systems, several of these watch
the junior officer of the deck (JOOD) in order to train that person assignments may be eliminated or combined.
for OOD responsibilities. In port, the OOD stands watch on the Boatswain'S mate of the watch (BMOW). The BMOW is the petty
ship's quarterdeck. officer ill charge of the topside watch. His or her principal deck
The OOD is assisted b)' sel'eral other watch officers and watchstanders include the helmsman, the Icc helmsman, the mes-
enlisted watchstanders on duty all the bridge, other topside areas, senger, the bridge sound-powered telephone talkers, lookouts, and
and throughout the ship. All ship's departments will have duty when stationed, the lifeboat watch. The navigation watches include
personnel "on watch," both under way and in port, handling the the quartermaster of the watch and the after steering watch. The
responsibilities of the department. The opcrations/col11ll1unica- BMO\'" is the main enlisted assistant to the 000. He or she sees
tions department has watch sections on duty at all times in the that all dcck watch stations arc manned, and that all in the off-
radio room, signal bridge, and CIC while under way and reduced going watch are relieved. He or she must see that all watchstand-
watches in these spaces in port. There is always a duty hospital ers are instructed and trained in their duties. He or she mllst be a
corpsman. The engineering department has a number of watches qualified helmsman.
in its engineering spaces: boilers, main engines, generators, aux- Helmsman. The helmsman must be full), qualified to steer the
iliaries, and so on, as the situation requires. The supply depart- ship. He or she steers courses ordered by the colllling officer, the
ment has personnel assigned to handle spare parts. The primtu), officer who gives orders to the helm.
enlisted topside walches will be described below. The other depart- Lee helmsman. The person who stands watch at the engine-
mental watches arc not described in detail here, since most of them order telegraph on the bridge is called the lee helmsman. This per-
require specialized training and qualifications. son rings up the conning officer's orders to the engine room on the
telegraph and sees that all bells are answered correctly. He or she
Topside Watches Underway should be a qualified helmsman. The helm and lee helm watches
often alternate when on watch in order to spell each other and to
There are two basic types of enlisted watches in a topside
keep alert. On ships with automatic propulsion control s)'stems,
underway watch section: deck watches and navigational watches.