Flint (AE 32) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 29 text:

(LEFT) Regular inspections of all alarm systems are a standard practice for the men of the IC gang, whose work often deals with highly classified equipment. (ABOVE) Reading the acid level in the batteries is one way of making sure they have a full charge. (ABOVE) Trying to track down a short sometimes involves a bit of detective work. (RIGHT) Inspecting a fork lift before use. i ' mm 25

Page 28 text:

m6 • « ■ - lU (BACK ROW, left to right) EM3 Thomas Wood, IC3 David Metzler, EM3 Joseph Johnson, EMFN Steven Strong, IC2 Scott Clark, IC3 Richard Mortimer, EM2 Manfred Brantley, ICC Ronald Runkles. (FRONT ROW) EM2 James Frayne, IC3 Rodney Sala, EMFN Jeffery She- pherd, IC2 Paris Doss, IC3 Edward lerardi, IC3 Casey Mann. Pictured here on the flight deck, where E Division musters for Quarters. ii E ' Division Checking out a sound powered phone on the bridge. The Electrician ' s Mates (EM ' S) and the Interior Communications Technicians (IC men) who make up E Division are responsible for maintaining shipboard electrical systems and internal communications and alarm circuits. For the EM, that means maintenance of the ship ' s battery charging station, without which FLINT couldn ' t use her fork trucks for instance. Underway, they stand watches in the Enclosed Operating Space (EOS), riding herd on the ship ' s generators to funnel power where it ' s needed. The IC man is tasked with keeping the ship ' s sound powered phone system in opera- tion, maintaining the 1MC, or general address system, and last but not least, for insuring that alarm systems are functional and dependable. 24

Page 30 text:

What ' s A Snipe? Ask an engineer what a Snipe is and he ' s like to put his hands on his hips, throw his head back and give you a look that could turn ice cream into cottage cheese. When you ' ve recovered enough to ask someone more responsive, you ' ll find out that ' s what they call a man who works in the engine room. But have you ever wondered where the word came from? Mr. Webster defines Snipe as a wading bird who lives mainly in marshes. The word itself derives from the ancient Danish, though the spelling, sneppe, later evolved into snype when the Angles and Saxons migrated to England. Mr. Shakespeare used the word in Othello to mean a contemp- tible person , but that was in 1604 and by the early 1900 ' s the term was used for workers on railroad gangs. Sometime in the early 1920 ' s the term was applied to engineers aboard Navy ships. But who coined the phrase, or why, is still a mystery. v I Could it be the nickname snipe refers to a hole-dwelling marsh bird. EM2 J P Morgan is an outspoken proponent of this theory. 26