Consolation (AH 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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OPERATIONS THE OPERATORS How d ' ya think you got there, buddy, is a question asked more than once by personnel from O Division of friends who are relating travel experiences to the folks back home. A cooperative team of officers and men who find them- selves shuttled around to fill jobs necessary to the smooth func- tioning of our ship. The ET for instance, standing by the engine order telegraph on the bridge, the yeoman manning lookout stations and sound powered phones on the flying bridge . . . but it doesn ' t end there. As soon as the word to move is received. Operations starts planning. The Navigator and Quartermasters laying out courses, figuring mileage and arrival time. Radiomen calibrating fre- quencies to set up circuits they must guard in order to insure prompt receipt and delivery of the traffic vital to any Naval vessel ' s functioning at sea. The Yeomen in the Captain and Executive Officer ' s Offices planning ahead for the transfer or welcoming aboard the ever changing flow of personnel coming to or leaving the ship. While underway, the work goes on. The Radarmen, Quarter- masters and Radiomen are alert for signals, messages, naviga- tional aids and the many facets of necessary operational infor- mation. When we hit port, another contingent of O Division be- comes mighty popular. The Telemen who operate the ship ' s Post Office discover that they have a good many friends and do a great deal toward bolstering the morale of the crew by bringing in that ever welcome mail from home. Can ' t forget another important part of the Division. Their work shows up in the Church Programs on Sundays. The Lithog- raphers, of course. They ' re busy grinding out the programs, booklets, standard forms and ship ' s stationery. So, in co-operation with other departments. Operations acts as information of the ship, performing efficiently its job of service to the command.

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SUPPLY SERVICE IS OUR MOTTO On or about 10 August the ship will sail for WesPac stocked to capacity. Those were the orders given to the Supply Officer in July. Submit your estimates and prepare your requisitions, was the word passed to the various divisions in the Supply De- partment. Soon trailer after trailer pulled along side the dock with material to be lifted aboard. Provisions — 260 tons, General Stores Material and Spare Parts — 90 tons, Ship Store Stock and Laundry supplies worth $50,000.00, Clothing and Small Stores worth $10,000.00, and just before the ship sailed the Disbursing Officer stepped aboard with a bag full of fresh green U. S. cur- rency. Supply Department all secure, ready for sea, condition BAKER set. Sir. We are underway, did we forget anything, check the list again. Baking powder, lamps 50 watt, sewing machine needles, coke syrup, electronic capacitors — How many items — Perhaps 15,000, surely we missed something. Almost eight months and several replenishments later the storerooms are nearly empty as we welcome the sight of our homeport. What does supply do? Do you need a haircut, a hash mark sewed on, to pause for a coke, a white belt, a hand hole plate gasket, a night ration, a card of bobby pins, a buffet supper in the wardroom, a pair of dungarees washed, personal effects shipped, a special pay; if so, see SUPPLY. SERVICE Is Our Motto. 10