Navy warships will of course vary in size and function. Most however, have similar organizational structures. For purposes of instruction, we will examine the organizational structure of the carrier as the largest expression of ship administration. Keep in mind that individual ships will incorporate different organizational structures.
A. CARRIER ORGANIZATION
When fully manned, an carrier is home to many thousands of personnel. Thinking of a carrier as a city is a useful way to understand its organization. At the top and comparable to a city’s mayor is the ship’s Commanding Officer (CO), who is ultimately responsible for the entire ship and the accomplishment of its assigned mission. Next in line and acting as city manager is the Executive Officer (XO). From the XO on down, the ship’s individual functions are handled by the ship’s company via different departments. These departments are in turn divided into divisions, each specialized in an area of the ship’s operation and mission.
The carrier battlegroup’s primary mission is power projection. The central element of the carrier’s offensive punch is its embarked Fighter wing (CVW). The typical carrier Fighter wing normally consists of a number of squadrons, each with individual missions, which join the carrier while it is deployed.
B. Commanding Officer
The Commanding Officer of a carrier must satisfy two requirements: He must be an line officer and he must be a naval aviator. He is always the rank of Captain (O-6) or above. Through his XO, the CO runs the ship via its various departments.
C. Typical Carrier Departments
| Administration |
Navigation |
| Chaplain |
Operations |
| Communications |
Safety |
| Deck |
SIMD |
| Engineering |
Supply |
| Flight |
Training |
| Medical |
Weapons |
The Administrative
Department is responsible for maintaining all administrative
data and paperwork necessary for the ship to function properly.
These functions include recreational, police, and postal
services. This department is also responsible for operation of the
ship’s Public Affairs Office as well as the onboard entertainment
stations. This department typically handles personnel records, including
visiting Naval Reserve personnel. On small ships this may be assumed
by the supply department.
Ratings: Steward
2. Chaplain Department
Onboard the carrier, the Chaplain Department is dedicated to promoting the spiritual, religious and personal morale of embarked military personnel. The Chaplain Corps extends this mission to all military personnel and their dependents. The Chaplain Department also coordinates all personal emergency communications, provides pastoral care and counseling, and directs operation of the ship’s library. Smaller vessels may not have their own chaplain, especially if they are deployed with a CVBG. In these cases, a chaplain will fly from the carrier to conduct services. Chaplains are drawn from the various religious sects of the Imperium and are not in the chain of command.
3. Communications Department
The Communications Department maintains the ships internal communications and sends and receives messages to and from other ships, spacecraft and shore facilities via various sophisticated electronic equipment. Such equipment includes computers, satellites, cryptographic devices, and high power transmitters and receivers. This department is headed by the CommO. On smaller ships this may be assumed by the operations department.
Ratings: Bridge officer
4. Deck Department
The Deck Department is charged with the most traditional of nautical responsibilities. Able Spacers maintain the exterior of the ship’s surfaces, moor the ship, man the attached subcraft (non-combat), and monitor underway replenishment. The ASs’ most prevalent (and audible) duty is the "piping away" of different events over the ship’s intercom. This department is headed by the ship’s First Lieutenant (a job title, not to be confused with the Army or Marine Corps rank of O-2).
Ratings: AS, Coxswain
5. Engineering Department
The Engineering Department maintains the ship’s Drives. It also provides all life support systems, fresh water, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, hot water, electrical power, and maintains the ship’s sewage system. The ship’s Chief Engineer, or "Cheng", heads this department.
Ratings: Drive Engineer, Systems Engineer6. Flight Department
The Flight Department gives direct support to the embarked Flight wing. The Flight Department is in charge of launching, landing, fueling and moving subcraft. It is also responsible for the routine handling of subcraft. This department is headed by the FlightO. This may be assumed by the deck department on smaller vessels.
Ratings: Coxswain, Systems Engineer
7. Medical Department
The Medical Department is responsible for maintaining the health of the crew, the treatment of sick and injured ship’s personnel, disease prevention and the promotion of good health ship-wide. The head of this department must be an officer of the Navy Medical Corps (MC). Additionally, the Medical Officer also advises the ship’s CO on ship’s hygiene and sanitation conditions. Smaller ships may not have an embarked Medical Officer in which case Hospital Corps personnel run the department under the administrative auspices of the Operations Department (see below).
Ratings: Ships Physician
8. Navigation Department
The ship’s navigator brief the Commanding Officer and the Officer-of-the Deck (OOD) on the position of the ship, the direction of travel and the safest space lanes to traverse. The pilot is responsible for the actual movement of the vessel. The Navigation Department is also responsible for executing all military traditions, customs and honors onboard ship. On smaller vessels this may be assumed by the operations department.
Ratings: Pilot, Navigator
9. Operations Department
The Operations Department is responsible for collecting, cataloging, analyzing and distributing combat information vital to the accomplishment of the ship’s offensive and defensive missions. Heading this very important department is the ship’s Operations Officer, or "Ops." This individual is one of the busiest persons on the ship. Intelligence, photographic intelligence, local space traffic control are types of services provided by this department. The ship’s intelligence officer and the CVIC spaces fall under this department on a carrier.
Ratings: Bridge officer, Computer engineer
10. SIMD
The SIMD provides industrial level maintenance for the flight wing and the ship’s ground support equipment.
Ratings: Computer engineer, Drive engineer, Systems engineer
12. Supply Department
The Supply Department is responsible for feeding and paying the ship’s crew, including the running of ship’s wardroom(s) and messing spaces. This department holds responsibility for the laundry and dry cleaning services, stores, barbershops, and recreation services. This department also stocks spare parts for underway ship and/or aircraft repairs. Heading this department is the ship’s Supply Officer, or "SuppO". The Supply Officer may have assistants for disbursing, food service, ship’s store, or wardroom mess.
14. Weapons Department
Ratings: Steward
The Weapons Department maintains and operates the ship’s various weapons systems. Personnel of the Weapons Department also assemble, test and maintain bombs, missiles, torpedoes and small weapons ammunition. This department is headed by Gunns. On smaller ships, this department might fall under the administrative auspices of the Deck Department.
Ratings: Gunner, Screen Engineer