John F Kennedy (CVA 67) - Naval Cruise Book

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ER One of the heirs to the breakup of OE Division over a year ago, ER Division encompasses two seemingly disparate elements. The Radar Systems oup, operating out of Electronics Shop No. 2, is composed ofETs and FTs who maintain, repair, align, test, curse and sometimes operate the ship's air search, surface search, air traffic control and navigation radars, and the ship's TACAN. The dishes on the mast are ours, as are the bedspring above the bridge, the tower aft if the island, and the reflectors attached to the 07 gallery deck. lanes would not fly without us, the Combat Information Center would be blind and the bridge would be limited to the range of lookout eyes. Without us, hostile ships and surface aircraft would be virtually undetectable, friendly ships and planes lost over the horizon. The hours are irregular. There is the boredom of waitin? for days on end as normal routine, then the feverish rou -the- clock activity needed to br-ini up a million-dollar radar brought down by what turns out to e no more than a ten cent bit of copdper and carbon. The skills re?uired are complex: mechanics, hy raulics, physics, computer ogic and several varieties of math, as well as electronics. The work is varied and demanding, anywhere from hoisting a manazthousand pound antenna to replacing an integrated circuit t size of a fingernail Still, it's one of the most rewarding iobs in the Navy. Literally, the last line of defense of the shig is the Basic Point Defense Missile System, consisting of three parrow missile and two CHAFFROC launchers. Maintaining a watch in CIC, the FTs and GM s of Point Defense man their launchers and directors whenever the ship is in danger of attack, be it around- the-clock in hostile waters and during operational exercises, or at a moment's notice when the Com at Air Patrol is launched and general quarters sounded. The hours are harsh, the work is sometimes monotonous and eling but we ensure blyzconstant vigilance that the ship can dgfelnd itself against hosti aircraft, even without the protective umbrella of Air Wing One. This, then, is ER Division - the eyes and teeth of Kennedy. Timothy N. Nagle ETR2 ER Division Cambridge, Mass.

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