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