Lexington (CVA 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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exact bearing to a landfall is talcen through an alidade. degaussing-LEXINGTON becomes magnetized passing through the earths' field, and this effect must be neutralized. cleaning powder and swab is every sailors' occasional companion. the bridge area is a proud showcase of a proud ship. proper rendering of honors in an important collateral duty of LEXlNGTON'S navigator.

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fixes LEXlNGTON'S men of the spoked wheel practice the most ancient art of the sea-faring man. With precise courses mandatory due to operational commitments, the necessity to be at a certain point on the vast Pacific at a specific time, proper navigation spells success or failure for us as a fighting team. Navigation's iob is this: point a handful of hardware at the heavens and record some numbers. Proceed to the chart house and gather about you astronomical tables, dividers, parallel rules, sharp pencils. Thus is the ship's position plotted again. In days of yore, quartermasters provided quarters and rations for the troops. Today their chief duties are navigating and keeping the official ship's log. Operation of the auxiliary emergency steering stations and steering of the ship during general drills, com- ing alongside an UNREP ship, or coming in or going out of port are other duties of N Division.

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forms The Executive Officer heads LEXINGTON Administration. He is the man who places into effect policies of the Com- manding Officer. ADMIN has under its aegis the library, legal office, personnel office, education and training, hobby shop, athletic gear locker, public information office, public relations olfice, the MAA force, Chaplain's office, print shop, and post office. The LEXINGTON library is a well-rounded power plant of knowledge, containing everything from historical fiction to college texts. The library provides many valuable hours of cost-free entertainment and instruction to the crew. Calling Perry Mason. That is our Legal Officer. He and his staff process disciplinary cases and assist personnel who become involved in civil offenses. Are you going up for rate? Want to learn more about Japan? The E and T Office provides books, pamphlets, and films and administers advancement-in-rating examinations. They also provide high school or college credits through USAFI courses to all Minutemen. The Hobby Shop provides materials, lockers, and working space to model builders, leathercraft experts, and handi- craft doodlers. The Athletic Gear Locker furnishes baseballs, footballs, golf clubs, tennis rackets and other materials to sport enthusiasts. . The jingle of typewriters mingles with the music of the Limelighters and the Kingston Trio as the PIO staff pieces together the daily Minuteman. PIO assists Public Relations in conducting on-board tours and handles the Fleet Home Town News program. They also assemble the mater- ial for the at-sea Voice of the Lexington news broadcasts. Public Relations arranges on-board tours for civilian groups and administers the Handclasp program. PR conducts SCORE program interviews and handles various functions of leadership training. The Chaplain's Office consists of a Protestant and a Catholic Chaplain and their assistants. They conduct Divine Services and provide spiritual counsel. They also arrange excellent guided tours of the various ports of call. The Master-at-Arms Force efficiently polices the ship, keeping a sharp eye on the military conduct and appear- ance of all hands. The MAA Staff helps to conduct orderly pay lines. Print Shop manufactures the daily Minuteman and keeps the presses hot rolling out various forms, signs, pamphlets, and instructions needed. Mail Call -the most welcome sound aboard is the signal that the Post Office crew has been hard at work sorting out the days' mail. The Post Office also sells stamps, postcards, and postal money orders. For quantity of paperwork, Personnel is the place to go. Any change in the status of a crewmember involves this office: checking aboard, leaving the ship, emergency or regular leave, muster reports, change in rate, disciplinary action. If it affects the man, it affects Personnel. The Admin Office itself, together with the Captain's Office, provides the official lines of communication between LEXINGTON and other commands, maintains officer personnel records, and promulgates to the ship as a whole the various instructions and directives received. mr. administration reviews a few of the thousands of directives which affect LEXINGTON. as executive officer, cdr. moore puts into egect the commanding officer's policies. fulfilling the spiritual needs of men at sea is the always rewarding duty of the Navy's Chaplain Corps.