#watchstanding

On the bridge....

TAIWAN STRAIT (February 15, 2020) -- Bridge watchstanders safely navigate the contentious waters transiting from the East China Sea to the South China Sea aboard United States Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62).

USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) was exercising (and emphasizing) the international freedom of navigation laws by passing through the Taiwan Strait, near mainland China, on her way into the South China Sea (bottom left of map). The Taiwan Strait is roughly 80 miles (130 km) wide.

These two relatively junior officers (likely in their mid-20s), albeit fully and meticulously qualified by their Commanding Officer to do the job -- the Officer of the Deck (OOD) and his assistant-in-training Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD) -- are entrusted with the safe operation and navigation of their half-billion-dollar warship and the safety of the more than 300 souls onboard.

Those junior officers “driving” USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) in the top photo are standing inside the windows atop the forward superstructure in this image (arrow).

USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) is in the midst of a lengthy deployment to the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

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I spent the better part of my Naval career standing right here on the bridge of warships -- as a JOOD, OOD, Conning Officer, Navigator, Tactical Action Officer (TAO) and Executive Officer.

It was a personal and professional challenge each and every time....to be 100% situationaly-aware at all times of everything going on around our ship and onboard our ship. Anything less would be professional negligence and invite disaster.

These were the times of my life....on the bridge!

                                          ________________________

Ship drivers....

United States Navy sailors man the helm (ship-control station) on the bridge of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20).

(That’s the Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch keeping an eye on everything off to the right.)

                                      USS Green Bay (LPD 20)

These sailors are part of a team constantly manning the pilot house of Navy ships while underway. The size of that team can range from as little as three on a very small ship....to a dozen or more aboard larger ships.

The Officer of the Deck (OOD) is the one in charge -- and ultimately responsible for everyone’s actions and professionalism. He or she has the safety, security and readiness of hundreds to thousands of crewmembers and up to billions of dollars of ship in their hands during their watch period.

Assisting the OOD will usually be a Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD) -- learning the ropes and working towards full qualification as an OOD.

In addition....the Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch (BMOW) -- in charge of the enlisted sailors on the bridge watch....the lookouts, stationed, as necessary, at various point around the ship....the Messenger of the Watch (MOOW)....administrative matters....being aware of the location of the Captain and Executive Officer (In case they are needed quickly for an emergent issue.), and ensuring the ship’s routine is carried out in the prescribed manner during that watch period.

There will also be a navigation team consisting of the Quartermaster of the Watch (QMOW), and, on the larger ships, and assistant or two.

The bridge on a warship can become quite crowded during especially difficult and challenging seamanship evolutions....such as leaving and entering a port....as shown here aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) as the ship departs Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

                                          USS Hopper (DDG 70)

All of these professional seamen must work as a fine-tuned machine every single second of their four- to five-hour watch period once or twice per day at sea. One mistake can lead to catastrophe -- from injuries to accidents to collision....or worse.

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I qualified as an Officer of the Deck in 1978 aboard my first ship, USS Chicago (CG 11)....a huge guided-missile cruiser. It wasn’t the highest qualification I earned during my career....but I think this one brought me the greatest personal and professional pride, and a deep sense of achievement.

I was still learning to “drive” as a JOOD aboard USS Chicago (CG 11) as this photo was taken in March 1978.

As one very tough and “salty” senior officer once emphatically instructed me: “When you’re Officer of the Deck....and you say “Come left”....every swinging d**k aboard this ship had better come left!” (This was in the late 1970s....right before women started going to sea aboard Navy vessels.) (No offense meant to my most esteemed female shipmates with whom I served together with professional pride and enduring friendship in later years!)

                                    ___________________________

Saturday morning, 3 AM,  and I am awake.  I really do not want to be; when I was in my twenties and thirties,  I was able to be very productive on four hours sleep.  Six hours would have been “vacation mode”.    For some reason I am reminded of many times I stood watch on the Quarterdeck in the middle of the night while our ship was in port.  Whether aboard the USS TEXAS – the cruiser,  not the…