| |
1.
2.
3.
4.
CHAPTER 16
SHIPBOARD ORGANIZATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
Describe the authority of the commanding 5.
officer aboard Navy ships.
6.
Describe the duties of the executive officer
aboard Navy ships.
Identify the various departments aboard most 7.
Navy ships and the duties of each department.
Identify the role of the department head and 8.
the division officer in the chain of command.
Identify the various conditions of readiness.
Identify the purpose of the watch, quarter, and
station bill.
Describe the purpose and contents of the
ship’s deck log.
Describe the purpose and contents of the
engineering log.
The theory of ship’s organization is that ships
should operate in peacetime with an organization
that can be expanded quickly without basic change
when required by wartime operating conditions.
A warship’s manning consists of officers and
enlisted personnel required to enable the ship to
fight the most efficiently. This theory requires that
the ships group the functions and personnel to
minimize the overlapping of responsibilities and
duplication of personnel within the command.
The ship manning document and the Standard
Organization and Regulations of the U.S. Navy
(OPNAVINST 3120.32B) provide guidance in the
preparation of the standard ship’s organization
for all types of ships.
COMMANDING OFFICER
The commanding officer (CO) has many
varied but specific duties. They are so specific that
Navy Regulations devotes one entire chapter,
consisting of nearly 90 articles, to the duties of
the commanding officer. In general, the CO is
responsible for the safety, well-being, and
efficiency of the command.
The commanding officer’s responsibilities
include the safe navigation of the ship, condition
and appearance of material and personnel,
stationing of trained lookouts, and preparation
of the ship for battle. COs may delegate authority
in these matters, but such delegation does not
relieve them of responsibility. The officer of the
deck (OOD), for example, has the authority to
run the ship; but if the ship has a collision, the
CO and the OOD are both held responsible.
The commanding officer must exert every
effort to maintain the command in a state of
maximum effectiveness for war. The CO issues
directions to the executive officer (XO). The XO,
with the assistance of the various department
heads, prepares and conducts the exercises and
drills required to prepare the ship for battle.
During combat, the CO directs the ship to
engage the enemy and fight to the best of its ability
until the action is complete. The commanding
officer’s battle station is located in a position from
which the CO can best direct the action. In case
of the loss of the ship, both custom and
regulations require the commanding officer
to ensure personnel complete abandon ship
16-1
|
