| Aviation boatswain's mate | |
|---|---|
 insignia | |
| Issued by | United States Navy |
| Type | Enlisted rating |
| Abbreviation | AB |
| Specialty | Aviation |
Aviation boatswain's mate (abbreviated as AB) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
| Aviation boatswain's mate | |
|---|---|
| insignia | |
| Issued by | United States Navy |
| Type | Enlisted rating |
| Abbreviation | AB |
| Specialty | Aviation |
Aviation boatswain's mate (abbreviated as AB) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
Aviation boatswain's mates operate, maintain, and perform organizational maintenance on catapults, arresting gear, barricades, and associated flightdeck launching and recovery equipment; operate and service aircraft ground-handling equipment and machinery; operate and service aircraft crash, firefighting, and rescue equipment; handle aircraft afloat and ashore; operate, maintain, and repair aviation fueling, defueling, lubricating oil, and inert gas systems; perform crash rescue, crash removal, and damage control duties.
Aviation boatswain's mates, equipment (ABEs) operate and perform maintenance on steam catapults, barricades, arresting gear, and associated equipment ashore and afloat; operate catapult hydraulic systems, retraction engines, water brakes, jet blast deflectors, deckedge and integrated catapult control stations (ICCS), and jet blast deflector control panels; arresting gear engines, sheave dampers, deckedge control station, and associated equipment; perform aircraft handling duties related to the operation of aircraft launching and recovery equipment.
Most of the work in this rating is performed outdoors on the flight deck of aircraft carriers, in all climatic conditions, in fast-paced and often potentially hazardous environments. Although most of the operations are only visible on the flight deck, the equipment responsible for the functioning of launch and recovery operations is 95% below decks. ABEs work closely with others in aviation ratings but often only interact with other ABEs. [1]
Aviation boatswain's mates, fuels (ABFs) play a major part in launching and recovering naval aircraft quickly and safely from land or ships. This includes aircraft fuelling and fuel systems. Later in their careers ABFs can earn the advanced AB rating that requires supervision of all these individual specialties.
The duties performed by ABFs include:
This rating's work is performed outdoors, atop aircraft carrier decks, in all climatic conditions, and in fast-paced hazardous environments. ABFs or "grapes" work closely in concert with: aircraft handlers (yellow shirts), chocks and chains (blue shirts), plane captains (brown shirts), aviation maintenance technicians (green shirts), and various other aviation and shipboard ratings. ABFs additionally work in the bottom levels of a ship, such as the pump rooms and filter rooms were purifying fuel and then subsequently pumping refined fuels to their flight deck counterparts. Working lower levels of a ship earns one the title, "snipe"; concisely, lower levels of a ship remain excessively hot, dark, grimy, noisy, poorly ventilated, and unforgiving.
Aviation boatswain's mates, handling (ABHs) play a major part in launching and recovering naval aircraft quickly and safely from land or ships. This includes aircraft handling, fire fighting and salvage and rescue operations. Later in their careers ABHs can earn the advanced AB rating that requires supervision of all these individual specialties. Other job assignments include deck edge elevator operator, working the spotting board in flight deck control, tractor driver, tractor king (who dispatches tractors, and supervises tractor drivers) and performs aircraft engine starting. Handlers also operate mobile crash cranes and mobile firefighting vehicles on the flight deck and hangar bay. ABHs can also be assigned to in-port fire crew, and damage control petty officer (DCPO), which are in charge of the material condition and battle readiness of divisional work spaces. [3]
The duties performed by ABHs include:
Most of the work in this rating is performed outdoors on the deck of aircraft carriers, in all climatic conditions, in fast-paced and often potentially hazardous environments. ABHs work closely with others in aviation ratings.
STOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier, combining elements of "short take-off and vertical landing" (STOVL) with "catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery" (CATOBAR).
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
1 Main Circuit (1MC) is the term for the shipboard public address circuits on United States Navy and United States Coast Guard vessels. This provides a means of transmitting general information and orders to all internal ship spaces and topside areas, and is loud enough that all embarked personnel are (normally) able to hear it. It is used to put out general information to the ship's crew on a regular basis each day. The system consists of an amplifier-oscillator group which is located in the IC/gyro room, a microphone control station, portable microphones at each control station and loudspeakers located throughout the ship. Control stations for the 1MC announcing system are located at the pilot house, OOD stations on the quarterdecks, aft steering and Damage Control Central area.
An aircraft catapult is a device used to allow aircraft to take off in a limited distance, typically from the deck of a vessel. They can also be installed on land-based runways, although this is rarely done. They are usually used on aircraft carriers as a form of assisted take off.
Lakehurst Maxfield Field, formerly known as Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, is the naval component of Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, a United States Air Force-managed joint base headquartered approximately 25 mi (40 km) east-southeast of Trenton in Manchester Township and Jackson Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. It is primarily the home to Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, although the airfield supports several other flying and non-flying units as well. Its name is an amalgamation of its location and the last name of Commander Louis H. Maxfield, who lost his life when the R-38/USN ZR-2 airship crashed during flight on 24 August 1921 near Hull, England.
Seafaring is a tradition that encompasses a variety of professions and ranks. Each of these roles carries unique responsibilities that are integral to the successful operation of a seafaring vessel. A ship's crew can generally be divided into four main categories: the deck department, the engineering department, the steward's department, and other. The reasoning behind this is that a ship's bridge, filled with sophisticated navigational equipment, requires skills differing from those used on deck operations – such as berthing, cargo and/or military devices – which in turn requires skills different from those used in a ship's engine room and propulsion, and so on.
An aircraft handler is a member of the Aircraft Handling branch in the Royal Navy of the British Armed Forces. Aircraft Handlers are responsible for the safe movement, launching and recovering (landing) of all aircraft on board ships within the Royal Navy and some of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. They are also responsible for aircraft crash rescue and fire fighting duties on board Royal Navy ships and at Royal Naval Air Stations. The Aircraft Handling branch of the Fleet Air Arm in the Royal Navy was formed in 1945. Beforehand the duties of Aircraft Handlers were performed by members of other branches of the Navy, many of whom transferred to the new branch upon its formation.
Aviation electronics technician (AT) is a US Navy enlisted rating or job specialty. At the paygrade of E-9, ATs merge with the aviation electrician's mate (AE) rating to become avionics technicians (AV). There has been talk of completely merging the two ratings, but as yet no definite plans have been announced. Aviation electronics technicians wear the specialty mark of a winged helium atom.
Air traffic controller is a United States Navy occupational rating.
Aviation Machinist's Mates are United States Navy aircraft engine mechanics that inspect, adjust, test, repair, and overhaul aircraft engines and propellers. More specifically, ADs install, maintain, and service various aircraft engine types as well as various accessories, gear boxes, related fuel systems, and lubrication systems; determine reasons for engine degradation using various test equipment; perform propeller repairs; handle and service aircraft ashore or aboard ship; and can also serve as aircrewman in various types of aircraft.
Aviation structural mechanic is a United States Navy occupational rating.
Aviation Ordnanceman is a United States Navy occupational rating.
Operations Specialist is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard occupational rating. It is a sea duty-intensive rating in the Navy while most of Coast Guard OS's are at ashore Command Centers.
An able seaman (AB) is a seaman and member of the deck department of a merchant ship with more than two years' experience at sea and considered "well acquainted with his duty". An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination of these roles. Once a sufficient amount of sea time is acquired, then the AB can apply to take a series of courses/examinations to become certified as an officer.
The United States Navy occupational rating of boatswain's mate is a designation given by the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) to enlisted members who were rated or "striking" for the rating as a deck seaman. The colloquial form of address for a boatswain's mate is "Boats".
Modern United States Navy aircraft carrier air operations include the operation of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft on and around an aircraft carrier for performance of combat or noncombat missions. The flight operations are highly evolved, based on experiences dating back to 1922 with USS Langley.
A carrier-based aircraft is a naval aircraft designed for operations from aircraft carriers. Carrier-based aircraft must be able to launch in a short distance and be sturdy enough to withstand the abrupt forces of launching from and recovering on a pitching deck. In addition, their wings are generally able to fold up, easing operations in tight quarters.
Nautical operations refers to the crew operation of a ship. It is the term used in academic education to refer to the studies of this professional field. Nautical operations refers to all the operational procedures, specific roles of officers and crew members, and regular functions and technical processes, which together shape the structure and functions for the general operations of a ship.