Navy question

[Alpo]

Officers. On board ship. Where did they sleep?

 

I just, for some strange reason, assumed they had a cabin. Captain's cabin, EXO's cabin, etc.

 

And they just now, on this episode of NCIS, wished to see the Lieutenant's stateroom.

 

So either I have been confused all this time, or once again the script writers are morons.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

I’ve no idea what today’s ship’s arrangements are. But a WWII Fletcher class destroyer had 2-man staterooms for a complement of 34 officers. Only the Skipper had his own cabin and the XO had his own stateroom. 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Some officers find a high rafter and hang upside down to sleep..... 

 

When watching NCIS, you'll notice that GIBBS is always drinking coffee.    Well, that's about what most of the CHIEFS do

in the NAVY and some never seem to sleep.

 

..........Widder

[Pat Riot]

Officers have staterooms aboard ship. Typically the Captain and the Executive Officer each have a cabin and the lower ranking officers share staterooms.  Usually 2 to a compartment for senior officers and 4 or more for lower ranked officers in a compartment. 
But a lot of that depends on the size of the ship and what room is available. Regardless of space the officers do not share rack space with the enlisted personnel. 

[Barry Sloe]

7 hours ago, Pat Riot said:

Officers have staterooms aboard ship. Typically the Captain and the Executive Officer each have a cabin and the lower ranking officers share staterooms.  Usually 2 to a compartment for senior officers and 4 or more for lower ranked officers in a compartment. 
But a lot of that depends on the size of the ship and what room is available. Regardless of space the officers do not share rack space with the enlisted personnel. 

What Pat said is spot on with at least one exception. Me. The wardroom of the last ship I served on had about 12 officers. I was the junior officer in rank, but only the Captain had more time in service. Because of that the XO put me in with the Supply Officer in a 2 man stateroom.  Only department heads were in 2 man staterooms.  The other officers were in 3 and 4 man staterooms. 

That's my story and I'm sticking with it. 

 

BS

[Chief Rick]

What's the difference between a "cabin" and a "stateroom"?

 

The number of people sleeping in it.

 

The CO may have two cabins- an "in-port" cabin and an "underway" cabin.

 

Senior officer's (department heads) may have a single-man stateroom or share with one other.  Junior officers may have from two to four sharing a stateroom.

 

On some of the newer ships, even senior enlisted may have staterooms.

 

Also, the number of people in a crew's berthing (enlisted) may be lower.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

How about the lowest class accommodations? How are the marines berthed?

 

I remember how the army was berthed on troopships but they don’t exist anymore.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

26 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

How about the lowest class accommodations? How are the marines berthed?

Marine berthing is... cramped to say the least. Your "rack" is a 18" X 6' frame with a canvas sheet laced onto it. They are stacked 4 high, about 18" between them. The bottom one is literally on the deck, (floor), and folds up so that it can be cleaned under. There are usually 2 rows of them end to end. There is about 18" space between the next row which is set up exactly the same way. 

Consider a Reville, there 8 Marines all getting out of the rack taking up a space 18" X 6' at the same time, or 16 Marines in a 18" X 12' space. 

If you are LUCKY, the ship has lockers in your compartment. these are about a 15" X 15" X 12". About enough room for your shaving kit. Everything else you own is in your Seabag, on the floor, in a smaller compartment off the main compartment. There might be 20 or 30 Marines in there at the same time trying to collect uniforms for the days wear. 

I REALLY don't miss shipboard life.

[Chief Rick]

36 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

How about the lowest class accommodations? How are the marines berthed?

 

I remember how the army was berthed on troopships but they don’t exist anymore.

It depends on the age of the ship for the most part.

 

Most embarked troops, whether Marines or Sea Bees, are in berthings with racks stacked three or four high.  These are the plain racks (no coffin lockers) and some can be triced-up (folded up against the bulkhead).

 

Some are canvas "cots" on aluminum frames that are raised and lowered (vertically) as needed.  They are raised into the overhead during the day to allow for floor space and lowered in the evening for sleeping.

[Chantry]

And as bad as sleeping and most other conditions might be aboard a USN warship, they are almost always better than comparable foreign ships.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

1 hour ago, Chantry said:

And as bad as sleeping and most other conditions might be aboard a USN warship, they are almost always better than comparable foreign ships.

I believe that for sure.  Now I suspect that if for some reason the Air Force had ships the accommodations would rival Carnival Cruise Lines, swimming pool included.

[Phantom Falcon, SASS # 46139]

7 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

I believe that for sure.  Now I suspect that if for some reason the Air Force had ships the accommodations would rival Carnival Cruise Lines, swimming pool included.

 

You have to remember the Air Force is a paramilitary organization. They are prima donnas when it comes to amenities. Air Force enlisted would consider the CO's cabin aboard ship to be substandard.  I hated it when I was Airfield Ops O at Yuma and the AF would come to town. They would drive to El Centro to sleep in a motel rather than bunk in the base BOQ.

 

PF