Flint (AE 32) - Naval Cruise Book

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(ABOVE) Reading Stars and Stripes dur- ing the lunch break. Work on the deck force is demanding but many men enjoy it because it ' s outdoors. (BELOW) If you can ' t move it, paint it. Second Division is responsible for 0-2 level winches. (ABOVE) Setting up the refueling hose for the next day ' s UNREP. (BELOW) Painting over the side in a bosuns chair doesn ' t always raise a smile when the sun gets hot and the paint ' s sticky.

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(STANDING) BMC George Czifro, SN Vincente Suarez, SA Ronald Jones, SA Bill Dwinnels, SN Charles Finiak, SN John Beatty, SN John Hart, SN Kevin Mullins, SN Randy Archer, SA David Maher, SA Billie Moore, SA David Schuster, BML Donald Clubb. (KNEELING) SA Larry Redding, SN Otis Varner, SR James Terry, SA John Bunch, SN Colin Mills, SA Jack Glowacz, SN Gerald Poulsen. Second Division Second Division is responsible for the 0-1 Level and the 0-2 winch deck, and like their brothers in First Division, they must maintain the cleanliness and watertight integrity of their areas. Second Division also runs the ship ' s various bousun ' s lockers, preparing lines, shackles and two-folds for general use. Perhaps more than any other rating on the ship, the man on the Deck Force feels the romantic lure of the sea. Long hours spent working against the powerful backdrop of the ocean, lonely watches in the moonlit night, the things a man never forgets. The art of intricate ropework is still part of the seaman ' s skills.

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The Mission In a word the mission is UNREP - Underway replenishment. FLINT was built to answer the Navy ' s need for logistics support ships which could keep pace with today ' s modern task forces. Though her primary mission is to provide a mobile base for the transfer of ammunition to ships afloat, the additional requirements of customer ships mean FLINT must be ready to provide other types of fleet support whether it be refueling, ferrying mail or participating in combat training exercises. To meet her commitments FLINT has to maintain her replenishment gear at all times. But as in anything else, the most important ingredient is the men who operate the equip- ment. Men like the Boatswain ' s Mates, who rig the lines between ships, or Gunners Mates, who move the cargo quickly and safely. Because as the picture above shows, some- times it takes all hands pulling together to get the job done. H n The Navy ' s wildest ride, a highline transfer. 10