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Boatswain’s mates (BM), one of the U.S. Navy’s founding occupational ratings and considered the heart of every ship, are indispensable for many vital roles aboard U.S. Navy ships.
From extending the service life of a ship with their expertise in ship preservation to anchoring, mooring lines, driving the ship, receiving cargo deliveries and assisting the search and rescue of Sailors who fall overboard, BMs are the go-to for many essential shipboard roles.
With only three years of naval service, Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Lucille Duncan, a native of Weston, West Virginia, assigned to the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) deck department, is quickly learning the importance of leadership as a standout deckplate supervisor.
“My main responsibilities as a deckplate supervisor is to assign Sailors tasks, guide them, teach them, as well as assist them in completing any task from the daily work list,” said Duncan. “Right now, on the work list, we are doing fancy line work down on the stern dock passageway, painting and normal ship preservation.”
Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier and is expected to have a service life of at least 50 years. Throughout Gerald R. Ford’s service life, the ship will receive never-ending restorations and tune-ups to maintain the ship’s combat effectiveness and structural integrity, and boatswain’s mates play a crucial role in each of those components with their proficiency in ship preservation.
“It is very important to preserve the ship,” said Duncan. “When I walk along the Gerald R. Ford pierside, I have a sense of pride because I know our deck department puts in long hours of preservation and it shows.”
Boatswain mate’s tasks range in responsibilities. From handling-line during a sea-and-anchor detail, to managing the anchor brake that keeps the chain from paying out during an anchor drop, to handling steady lines that steady the boat during hoisting and lowering of a boat during a small-boat operation, all require BM’s to maintain a work ethic that emphasizes attention to detail in all of their responsibilities.
“Something that has been engrained in me from being a boatswain’s mate is attention to detail,” said Duncan. “Missing one simple step in a procedure could result in a huge mishap - doing a task the right way should be the only way.”
Duncan understands the importance of maintaining a high standard when accomplishing her tasks. One critical function on every U.S. Navy ship that requires a Sailor’s full attention is standing watch.
“The most important job on this ship as a boatswain’s mate is standing watch,” said Duncan. “As a boatswain’s mate, I stand a lot of watches. From lookout watches who report any contacts to the pilot house, to standing the ship’s helm watch who steer the ship, attention to detail is important to keep the ship and the crew safe.”
Another facet of Duncan’s job as a BM while at sea is participating in underway replenishments-at-sea (UNREP). During an UNREP, ordnance, stores and materials are transferred by cables from a delivery ship to the Gerald R. Ford, allowing the ship to continue to operate without pulling in to port.
There are many roles BMs execute during an UNREP. From line handler, who helps connect the span wire that delivers the materials, to riggers, whose function is to prepare on-coming and off-going materials to be transferred, to rig captain, who are accountable for all personal and cargo during the evolution, BMs fill almost every role during an UNREP evolution.
“UNREPs happen almost every other week while underway,” said Duncan. “Right now, I operate as a rigger during an UNREP. I want to be a rig captain because they are the knowledge experts, which I aspire to be.”
While UNREPs are scheduled events, BMs are in charge of a lesser known and unpredictable assignment: small-boat operations. Small-boat operations use rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIB) for a variety of tasks for U.S. Navy ships. Many U.S. Navy ships use small-boat operations for tasks like vessel board search and seizures (VBSS) and stores transfer, but Gerald R. Ford’s small-boat operations focus on search and rescue missions.
“My position for small-boat operations is being a davit captain,” said Duncan. “I am responsible for dropping a boat crew safely in the water and bringing them back. I also direct and command the line handlers and the davit operator on small-boat operations.”
Duncan has demonstrated an exceptional work ethic, proving to her department head that she is a strong and capable leader. Her devotion to her duty has earned her the title as Gerald R. Ford’s Junior Petty Officer of the Quarter for 2nd quarter, 2023.
The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) is conducting a scheduled deployment in the Atlantic Ocean in support of interoperability and maritime security. The GRFCSG provides and inherently flexible naval force capable of deploying across combatant commands to meet emerging missions, deter potential adversaries, reassure allies and partners, enhance security and guarantee the free flow of global commerce. In total, the GRFCSG is deployed with more than 6,000 Sailors across all platforms ready to respond globally to combatant commander tasking.
Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier. As the first-in-class ship of Ford-class aircraft carriers, CVN 78 represents a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. Ford-class aircraft carriers introduce 23 new technologies, including Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System, Advanced Arresting Gear and Advanced Weapons Elevators. The new systems incorporated onto Ford-class ships are designed to deliver greater lethality, survivability and joint interoperability with a 20% smaller crew than a Nimitz-class carrier, paving the way forward for naval aviation.
For more information about the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/ and follow along on Facebook: @USSGeraldRFord, Twitter: @Warship_78, DVIDS: www.dvids.net/CVN78 and LinkedIn at USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.11.2023 21:05 |
| Story ID: | 448938 |
| Location: | ADRIATIC SEA |
| Web Views: | 98 |
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This work, The Maintainer – Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Lucile Duncan, by PO2 Jackson Adkins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
