services are reduced while in home port, but many
services are absolutely necessary if the ship is at anchor
or moored in a foreign port. Some of those services
might include the following:
• Medical/dental
• Communications
• M a i l
• Messing
• Hotel services (electrical power, potable water,
steam, and so forth)
Duty Sections Ashore
Most, if not all, divisions have duty sections, and
they serve a vital function. Duty section organizations
are as varied as the commands they serve, and a duty
section’s size can range from one person to half the crew.
Each division’s situation dictates the type and size of its
duty sections. Several points to consider concerning
duty section organization are as follows:
Duty sections are set up to meet specific
emergency or unique situations that might occur
outside normal working hours. They are
potentially so important that they always require
a specially trained crew on board to deal with
them.
Duty section manning, equipment, and training
must cover any situation.
Duty sections are the best way of dealing with
emergency or unique situations. (Best in their
effect on the division’s primary mission,
manpower use, and crew morale when compared
to other ways of handling these situations, such
as working in shifts.)
Duty section organizations conduct all business
through their own chain of command.
Duty sections are made up of the minimum
number of people needed to handle any situation.
When it comes to duty section manning, many
commands require a certain percentage of their people
to be on board at all times. Minimum manning (if
required) and the points just discussed are only some of
the factors you must consider when developing the duty
section organization to best meet your division’s needs.
Your command should have an instruction or a
policy that requires a minimum or particular duty
section organization, such as five-or six-section duty, to
keep a minimum percentage of your people on board at
all times. If your command has no policy, you must
decide on the duty section organization required to
provide the services described in your division’s
organization manual. For example, you may decide
people are needed to man your division on a 24-hour
basis.
Duty sections ashore should not be set up to produce
work during normal working hours. Ideally, you should
not require duty sections to serve as production, night,
or weekend crews, except when necessary. If the
members of the duty section do not have any emergency
or unscheduled work to do, they should spend their time
training.
Leave and Liberty Schedules
Leave and liberty are important to the morale of
your division. Make every effort to be consistent with
operational and training requirements to make sure your
sailors take the leave they have earned.
Scheduling leave periods is an efficient way to
afford your people the opportunity to take the leave they
have earned. Scheduling leave will allow you to control
the number of people you have available to accomplish
your division’s maintenance, watch standing, and
training obligations. Coordination with other divisions
and the senior watch officer is important, especially
during periods when large numbers of personnel are
requesting leave. A knowledge of the following
common categories of leave and liberty will help you to
determine how to handle individual requests.
NORMAL LIBERTY. —Each command sets up
guidelines for normal liberty. Many commands permit
department heads or division officers to grant liberty at
their own discretion.
SPECIAL LIBERTY. —Special liberty is granted
outside of normal liberty periods for unusual reasons.
Several reasons are compensatory time off, recognition
for exceptional performance, and personal business not
done during normal liberty periods, such as jury duty,
court, and voting.
ANNUAL LEAVE. —Annual leave is granted in
execution of a command’s leave program and
chargeable to a member’s leave account. Although an
individual is entitled to accumulate leave, requests for
leave may be disapproved. Considerations for approval
or disapproval of annual leave include the following:
ship’s schedule, number of people already on leave,
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