DEPARTMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES.-

Replenishment at sea is considered an all-hands evolution. With the exception of a major ammunition movement, UNREPs involve more personnel directly and physically than any other operation. Material is removed from the staging area of the issuing ship, loaded onto cargo nets, and sent to the receiving ship at rates in excess of 100 tons per hour. This material must be removed from the receiving area as fast as it arrives and moved to staging areas or to storerooms at approximate] y the same rate. Close coordination of all hands must be followed to move the material efficiently.

The executive officer (XO) is responsible for overall control and coordination of the UNREP. Before the scheduled UNREP, the XO convenes a meeting of all department heads and assigns individual responsibilities. The detailed planning and the day-to-day coordination with other departments are normally assigned to the supply officer. The XO is kept informed of programs in the planning of the UNREP and takes an active part only when difficulties arise that cannot be handled at the lower level. During the replenishment, the XO remains on the bridge and the supply officer is in charge of the movement of stores when received on board.

Although departments other than supply are actively concerned with the replenishment, the weapons and air departments have the greatest responsibility. The operations department irresponsible for mail being transferred and for transfer of personnel when required. The engineering department is responsible for manning the elevator pump rooms, granting permission to open hatches as required, and making sure that sound-powered telephones are available and in working condition. The aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD) is responsible for maintaining forklifts and other materials-handling equipment.

Weapons Department.- The weapons department is responsible for physically loading the material on board the receiving ship (except during VERTREPs), enforcing all safety precautions at replenishment stations, and making sure that all nets, slings, pallets, and other handling material belonging to the delivering ship are returned. Only weapons department personnel are authorized to operate weapons department elevators when used to strike incoming stores below decks. The weapons department representative is primarily concerned with the expected tonnage and the rate at which the stores come aboard.

Air Department.- The air department is responsible for providing direction to the helicopter in

spotting each net load received during VERTREPs.

The air department must be informed of the amount of clear deck space required and the elevators that must be manned during the replenishment.

REPLENISHMENT PROCEDURES.-

Replenishment procedures cover several areas that require the knowledge and attention of a senior AK These areas include the different stations used during replenishment, the personnel required, the equipment to be used, and the actual procedures employed for the receiving, strike, and transfer of accountability.

A replenishment station is any location where some significant action is taken on the stores being received. The replenishment stations may be divided into three _{general groups}-receiving, sorting, and striking. Stations within a group cover the same function, regardless of location.

The locations of replenishment stations on a typical aircraft carrier are shown in figure 3-5. Receiving stations 1 and 2 are on elevators 1 and 2 respectively, with the elevators at hangar deck level. The third receiving station, normally used during VERTREP operations, is on or in the vicinity of the No. 4 elevator.

Sorting stations are close to the receiving stations where net loads may be towed by tractor or delivered on roller conveyors. At this point, stores are sorted and palletized on the basis of strike area (station). Major strike areas, as shown in figure 3-5, view A, are located where mechanical equipment is readily available. However, strike areas may be located anywhere close to the ultimate storage area of significant amounts of materials.

The RECEIVING STATIONS are the areas where the material is received on board. Most receiving stations are located on the hangar deck. Ship designs vary, even within a class, with consequent variations in number and locations of receiving stations. For example, some ships have receiving stations on elevators 1 and 2 for highline replenishment and a receiving station on elevator 4 for vertical replenishment (VERTREP). Elevators 1, 2, and 3 remain lowered at the hangar deck level while elevator 4 is at the flight deck level until a sufficient amount of material is ready to be lowered to the hangar deck level for receiving.

Material is under the control of the weapons

department (air department in the case of VERTREPs) until the nets are detached from the transfer rig at the receiving station. When the rig is detached, the accountability of the material then belongs to the supply department and must be removed from the receiving station as quickly as possible. The time interval available is the time required for the hook to travel to

Figure 3-5.-Carrier replenishment stations (UNREP/VERTREP): (A) Hangar deck; (B) Flight deck.

the transferring ship, pick up the next loaded net, and return. Material received by helicopter during VERTREP must be moved into the elevator quickly, keeping the drop zone clear. When the elevator is full or maximum weight load is attained, it is lowered to the hangar deck, cleared of stores, and promptly raised to the flight deck for the next load.

The SORTING STATIONS are located where the material is separated by type and storage destination. These stations maybe located at any point, depending on local conditions. 'he main consideration in assigning locations for sorting stations is that they are located outside of the main passage for moving material from one station to another.

Some ships are designed so that storerooms for provisions are accessible from the messdeck. On these ships, provisions may be moved to the messdeck area before sorting. When the storerooms are located in other parts of the ship, sorting must be done on the hangar deck.

The STRIKE STATIONS are located at the access hatches where the material is moved below decks. Included in this group are the ammunition elevators, hatches where pallets are lowered by electric hoists, and hatches where material is passed down by hand or by sliding on a board, metal chutes, or belts.

This group is critically important. Access hatches must remain open until the stores are struck below. A ship is always in danger when it is unable to seal off all compartments within a few minutes.

PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS.- The number of personnel required for an UNREP depends on the number of stations to be used, the type and amount of stores to be received, and the equipment available that serves to reduce manual labor.

Normally, the ship has local instructions that list the number of personnel and the type of equipment required at each station. This instruction should be reviewed by all senior supervisors before each UNREP. When it appears the instruction is inadequate or incorrect, the planning group should not hesitate to recommend changes based on careful analysis of each provision of the instruction.

A replenishment plan, published before each UNREP operation, should assign units to each station and list the deck and frame numbers where the personnel should report.

Petty Officers.- Petty officers from other departments furnishing personnel for working parties

are the backbone of any good replenishment. These petty officers are assigned as supervisors and orders should be issued through them for their assigned personnel. Supervisory petty officers should be assigned at a ratio of 1 for each 10 people in the working party. These 10 people are under the petty officer's control as a team at all times and the petty officer is responsible for seeing that they remain on station until dismissed.

Working Party. - The number of personnel required for working parties depends on the number of stations that will be used and should be considered separately, taking into account the type of stores to be handled at that station and the equipment to be used. Heavy and hard to handle materials that must be moved rapid] y will require frequent relief of personnel to rest. Personnel relief should also be provided for any team or teams that are to be on station for an unusually long time. Proper rotation of personnel to accomplish this task will facilitate its completion and prevent accidents.

When material is to be removed from the receiving stations by towing the loaded cargo nets to the sorting stations, one team should be assigned to each receiving station to pick up items that spill from the nets. However, most of the cargo being received are palletized, which makes handling easier.