The serving line setup tasks should be done in the order listed and completed 5 minutes before serving time. 1. Make space for the buffet serving line. A buffet table should be located to allow MSs convenient access to the pantry for filling the serving pans. This also allows the diners to use the serving line easily without crowding from furniture or other diners. 2. Place the linen on a special buffet table or a selected  area  on  the  sideboard.  Remove  all  nonessential items on the sideboard area when used to setup a buffet serving area. 3. Set up the chafing dish stands. Setup enough stands so there is at least one for each food item. Place them in the serving area so a diner can have ready access to them without leaning over the table. After the chafing dish pans have been set in place, put 1 inch of water into those pans that are for hot food. Sterno heating units are then placed below the center of the pans containing water. Make sure there are no flammable items placed near these units as the setup continues. Do  not light the heating units at this point. 4. Place the sneeze shield now, if one is available. Do this in a way to make sure all food items are properly protected. Diners should still have ready access to the foods. 5. Determine what utensils will be needed. Then place  all  necessary  eating  utensils  neatly  at  the beginning of the serving line. Napkins and silverware are  usually  placed  on  the  dining  tables.  However,  when there  are  more  diners  than  seats,  additional  place settings should be kept on the sideboard. They should be  placed  on  the  dining  tables  after  diners  finish  and leave, making room for additional diners. There are not always  enough  MSs  to  do  the  resetting.  On  these occasions, napkins and silverware should be placed on the serving line. They should be placed next to the china and  away  from  the  chafing  dishes. 6. Set the decorations selected by the wardroom supervisor on the serving table. Decorations are usually artificial or real flowers arranged around the three sides of the serving area facing the diner. SEATING  ARRANGEMENTS In the wardroom where regulations and precedence closely  control  seating  arrangements,  officers  are assigned to permanent seats for daily meals. They are seated  from  left  to  right,  as  shown  in  figure  9-6 according to rank and precedence. Figure  9-6.-Wardroom  seating. The senior line officer in command, or in succession to command, is the president. He or she sits at the head of the table, or at the head of the senior table when more than one table is used. The commanding officer who regularly eats in the wardroom is the president. When the commanding officer has his or her own mess, the executive officer is the president. The exception would be on large ships that have more than one wardroom. In this case, the senior line officer of each mess is the president.  However,  when  the  commanding  officer  or other senior officer is invited for an occasional meal, this officer is considered the guest of honor. In this case, he or she is seated to the right of the mess president. The caterer sits opposite the president. The officer next in rank sits in the first seat to the right of the president. The officer third in rank sits in the first seat to the left of the president, and so on down the table. All line officers of the same grade take precedence with each other according to his or her respective dates of rank. When they have the same date of rank, their precedence is according to their lineal numbers as given in the official Navy Register. Staff officers with the same date of rank as running mates  of  the  line  take  precedence  after  their  running mates of the line. However, they take precedence before all line and staff officers who are junior to the running mate. When officers of more than one staff corps have the same running mate, they take precedence in the following  order: Medical   Corps,   Supply   Corps, Chaplain  Corps,  Civil  Engineering  Corps,  Judge Advocate  General’s  Corps,  Dental  Corps,  Medical Service Corps, and Nurse Corps. When more than one table is in use, the treasurer usually sits at the head of the junior table. When officers of other service branches have the same relative grade and the same date of rank, they have 9-14