>  CS> Today, that O1 ensign is tasked pronably less overall than an E6 'with
 >  CS> a clue' and depending on job, less than the Chief.
 > 
 >  CS> To make sense of this, I'd have to describe years and years of my
 >  CS> taskings. It might bore you so let me know if you (or another) are
 >  CS> curious.  Dont get the idea the officers dont work, they do.  They just
 >  CS> generally are tasked in ways now you may not expect. We even stand the
 >  CS> same watches often on the bridge or CIC or if engineering, same ones
 >  CS> they do there.
 > 
 > I doubt if a RMC or a CTC from my day could even find the bridge, let alone
 > stand a watch there.  :)  Are you saying that you, while on the bridge, had
 > the same 'power' as the OD - or were you THE OD at the time?

I never tried for that one but many QMC/SMC's have done so and they are often
the OOD.  So many times a ship has made a note that all the 'Officers' on
deck were enlisted, they stopped mentioning it around 2002.

 >  CS> CSOOW would be new to you and the first time I stood an 'Officer
 >  CS> watch'.  I was not the first enlisted to qualify for that watch, just
 >  CS> the first DPC to do it on a CVN.  (A male DPC did it almost a year
 >  CS> later and tried to crow the title but we laughed and told him he had to
 >  CS> change it to male as a female beat him).
 > 
 > The only thing that I can relate to in re to this is for years submarines
 > had a title called 'chief of the boat.'  This was the senior enlisted man
 > and he was near officer in responsibity etc, in fact I believe he could
 > take command if certain situations arose?  (Not sure what these would be,
 > but think it was possible?)

Not related.  Big deck stuff.  Small decks and subs, that position is junior
enlisted (CSOOW) if they have one at all.  Big decks, is same level as EOOW
and just under OOD.  Officer or rate related enlisted for weapons and other
combat systems gear.  Basically in a battle I trll the EOOW what load centers
to prioritize so we can survive a battle.

 > I guess the question that comes to mind is the 'old' CPO doing this stuff,
 > or is this just when you become Sr. or Master Chief?

Dunno.  Cant speak for before 1995.

 >  > Meal wasn't a factor, believe me.  :)
 > 
 >  CS> Not a long enough flight!  Today, you can get a guy into Sasebo who'd
 >  CS> been on flights and train/bus rides for up to 23 hours and may not have
 >  CS> eaten for the last 17 of them.
 > 
 > Yeah, a bit different.  :)

We take care of the troops.  Always.  Thats our job.
                xxcarol
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