ascertain  the  sanitary  conditions  of  certain  spaces. It  inspects  the  ship’s  messing,  food  service,  living, berthing,  and  working  spaces. The  medical  department  is  also  responsible  for the  dental  care  and  oral  health  of  the  ship’s personnel.   Normally,   if   no   dental   officer   is assigned  on  board,  the  medical  department  simply maintains the dental records of the crew. In the event of a dental emergency, the medical depart- ment   provides   temporary   treatment   until   the member  can  be  sent  to  a  dental  facility.  To  ensure the prevention and control of dental diseases and maintain  dental  hygiene  within  the  command,  the medical   department   schedules   periodic   dental examinations  for  all  crew  members. Some  larger  ships  have  dental  officers  and separate  medical  and  dental  departments. AIR   DEPARTMENT On ships having aircraft, the air department is  responsible  for  aircraft  handling,  both  on  the flight deck and the hangar deck. The department is also responsible for aviation fuels and aviation administration.  On  aircraft  carriers,  the  air department  also  has  responsibility  for  the catapults and arresting gear. Personnel assigned to the air department also maintain the aircraft towing  gear  and  flight  deck  fire-fighting  gear. If an air wing is attached to the command, it brings   its   own   technicians   and   mechanics   to maintain  the  wing’s  aircraft. During flight operations, the air department head, “the air boss,” controls the operations from the  primary  flight  control  tower  (pri-fly). FUNCTIONAL    ORGANIZATION Much  planning  coupled  with  over  200  years of  experience  has  helped  to  mold  the  functional organization  of  our  Navy.  One  of  the  key  links in this organization is the chain of command. We have   described   the   roles   of   the   commanding officer;  the  executive  officer;  and  in  chapter  4, the  division  officer.  We  have  also  described  the functions of the various shipboard departments. But  how  do  the  department  heads  and  division officers  fit  into  this  functional  organization? The   head   of   a   department   represents   the commanding officer in all matters that pertain to that department. A department head is responsi- ble for and reports to the commanding officer the operational   readiness   of   the   department,   the general  condition  of  equipment,  and  any  other matters   relating   to   the   department.   The department  head  is  also  responsible  for  the administrative matters within the department. The department head customarily keeps the executive officer  informed  about  all  departmental  matters reported  to  the  commanding  officer. Division  officers  are  responsible  to  and,  in general, act as assistants to department heads. The division officer is a major link in the ship’s chain of command, particularly aboard a small ship. At the working level, the division officer carries out the  policies  of  the  command  and  ensures  the division  completes  assigned  tasks  in  a  timely manner. The  division  officer  makes  frequent  inspec- tions  of  personnel,  spaces,  equipment,  and supplies  assigned  to  the  division.  The  division officer maintains copies of all bills and orders for the  division  and  posts  those  that  should  be  posted in conspicuous places. The division officer has the responsibility  for  training  personnel  in  the  division and  preparing  them  for  battle.  Just  as  the  depart- ment head reports to the executive officer and the commanding  officer,  the  division  officer  reports to  the  department  head. Ship’s  personnel  must  function  as  a  well- coordinated team. In addition to using the chain of command, each ship maintains several guides to  help  ensure  this  coordination.  These  guides include the  Standard  Organization  and  Regula- tions  of  the  U.S.  Navy;  a   battle   organization manual;  and  a  watch,  quarter,  and  station  bill. These guides detail, for that particular ship, the assignment  and  duties  of  officers  and  enlisted personnel.  For  units  under  the  ship  manning document   (SMD)   or   the   squadron   manning document  (SQMD),  the  SMD  or  SQMD,  as applicable,  also  serves  as  a  battle  organization manual  and  battle  bill. For   commanding   officers   to   prepare   their ships to fight to the best of their abilities, ships must  have  a  special  organization  and  system  of communications  for  battle  conditions.  These  are set  forth  in  the  battle  organization  manual. This  document  contains  four  chapters  describ- ing   the   battle   organization,   conditions   of readiness,  battle  bill,  and  interior  communications systems. CONDITIONS  OF  READINESS Several different conditions of readiness have been established for battle or simulated war. The condition  of  readiness  in  effect  depends  on  the 16-5