ANCHORED.—When your ship is at anchor, you
must be extremely alert. Other ships moving about the
harbor can see your ship during the day, but how do
they know you are at anchor? They are alerted by an
anchor ball displayed in the forward part of your ship.
The ball is black in color and a minimum of 2 feet in
diameter. In addition, the ensign and union jack are
flown during the day. The duty Quartermaster checks
to make sure your ship is anchored securely. In
addition to the duty Quartermaster, the anchor watch
regularly reports the conditions, such as tension,
status, and so forth, to the OOD.
When your ship is at anchor in a fog, the proper fog
signals must be sounded to let other ships know you are
in the area. The anchor lights are left on during the day
and the anchor ball is up. Extra sensors, such as radar,
should be used to indicate the location of ships within
the area. Lookouts should be posted to help prevent a
collision. In other words, when a ship is at anchor, care
must be taken to protect the ship at all times. As the
POOW, you are an important link in protecting the
ship. You will be assisting the OOD as much as
possible.
SECTION LEADER
Each division has a duty section leader, also called
a duty representative (duty rep), who is the senior petty
officer. On a small ship, you as a petty officer may be
assigned the duties of a section leader. However,
depending on the size or class of ship, you may not be
assigned as a section leader until you become a second
class petty officer. Aboard larger ships with large
sections, you may have to wait until you make first
class to become a section leader. Therefore, being
assigned as a section leader depends upon the size of
the command and the number of personnel in your duty
section.
As a section leader, you will have information to
report. Always use the chain of command. During
normal working hours you should report to your
leading petty officer (LPO). If the LPO is a petty officer
first class, he or she will, in turn, report to the leading
chief petty officer (LCPO) or to the division officer.
After normal working hours you report to your
department duty officer, who reports to the command
duty officer (CDO).
When you are assigned as a section leader, you
assume additional responsibilities for the work,
conduct, appearance, and welfare of the personnel in
your section. Along with these additional
responsibilities, you are granted additional authority to
carry out your duties properly.
The section leader is the first step up the ladder of
naval authority. You may be the supervisor for all the
routine and special activities of the people in your
section. These activities include reveille, quarters for
muster, observance of the proper uniform of the day,
and of items posted in the Plan of the Day or Plan of the
Week. In addition, you will be responsible for the
damage control functions of your duty section after
normal working hours.
When your duty section is being relieved, you
should pass on to your relief any pertinent information
regarding the section. This information could involve
new safety hazards or cleanliness of the ship.
POLICE PETTY OFFICER
Your command may have a division police petty
officer (PPO). This position may be called another
name such as compartment petty officer, barracks petty
officer, and so forth, but the duties and responsibilities
are the same. The PPO is usually a junior petty officer
and is not part of the master-at-arms (MAA) force. The
PPO’s duties encompass areas such as cleanliness of
divisional berthing and stowage areas, holding
reveille, maintaining silence after taps, and
maintaining order. In addition to these duties, PPOs
stand their regular watches and perform their normal
duties. Sometimes they may be required to augment
the MAA force in details such as searching the ship and
provisioning for new personnel.
8-20
Q13.
As the Petty Officer of the Watch you are
NOT responsible for personnel throwing trash
over the side into the water in your presence.
1.
True
2.
False
Q14.
How many minutes before sunset should the
ship’s anchor lights be tested?
1.
60
2.
30
3.
20
4.
15
REVIEW QUESTIONS
