You are always required to have enough food items on board to provide for a specific period. This means enough food to provide a balanced diet. Your fleet commander specifies this period, in days, and this period varies among fleets and among type commanders. You are responsible for carrying out the directives you receive on maintaining specific quantities of food items.

Requirements

Fast frigates are expected to carry a 45-day stock. You should be ready to get underway whenever required and not worry about replenishing for at least 45 days. You should have enough of the right kinds of foods aboard to provide a balanced diet during deployment. Normally, fleet commanders specify that ships should replenish every 2 weeks while they are in the United States. The fleet commander also may specify that all ships top off storerooms (fill the storerooms to capacity). This will enable ships to stay at sea for a maximum period without replenishment.

These requirements may not be valid on your ship. When you report on board a ship for duty, check the fleet commander's instructions for the actual requirements in your area.

Five steps should be considered when you are determining your requirements. These steps are proper for either general or private messes.

Step one of your loading out is determining your present stock level; this can be done by checking your Stock Tally, NAVSUP Form 209, and your Subsistence Ledger, NAVSUP Form 335, for quantities on hand.

In step two you determine the capacity of the total storage area and then divide that figure into dry, chill, and freeze storage areas. Figuring space availability will be discussed later in this chapter.

Step three should be the planning of your menus. Menu planning is discussed in detail i cater 7 but to keep this section on procurement in a logical order, a brief mention of menus will be made now.

When you are planning menus for extended, unreplenished periods, the use of specialty items such as pizza crusts, potato chips, or ice-cream cups should be ordered in quantities that will not tax your storage spaces. The use of cycle menus is extremely important in preparing for deployment. Cycle menus are always an excellent management tool, but especially valuable when you are preparing for an extended deployment.

For more information on cycle menus, refer to the menu planning section of the Foodservice Operations Manual, NAVSUP P-421. If you have cycle menus already prepared, review them closely. Make changes and substitutions where necessary to use more stable food items such as dehydrated peppers instead of fresh peppers and dehydrated potatoes instead of fresh potatoes. Custom foods should be used to their fullest extent when you are planning for deployment. Fresh produce has a higher acceptability; therefore, you should stock what you can, considering the spoilage factor and the storage capacity.

When you are considering requirements for a deployment, think storage capacity and custom finds. The term custom food is used to describe the various types of laborsaving and spacesaving processed foods that are authorized for Navy messes. The basic forms of custom foods are canned, dehydrated (including dehydrated compressed), and frozen. Custom foods are economical spacesavers and, if properly used, will reduce the operating cost of the mess.

In step four you should determine the quantities of food items that are necessary for a specific period, such as the time between replenishment and your next scheduled replenishment.

The word scheduled is emphasized because you should allow for unforseen circumstances when your scheduled replenishment date cannot be met. For example, inclement weather could cause the postponement of replenishment, supply ships may not be available, or the supply center maybe out of an item or items.

In step five you should be able to identify the available supply source(s). You may be required to help the supply officer, FSO, or mess caterer requisition and procure food items; in some instances, you must perform these duties on independent duty. In either case, your experience, your knowledge, and your planned menus will be extremely valuable to you when you are preparing requisitions.

Procurement Publications

Certain publications are required when you requisition or purchase food items. The Federal Supply Catalog (FSC), Group 89, Subsistence, is used to requisition food items. Refer to contract bulletins when you purchase food items under contract. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) contract bulletins also may list resale food items. These items are not authorized for GM use.

The FSC furnishes the identification and management data for items required by the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. It provides the official source of identification for Department of Defense (DOD) supply and procurement activities. The stock list is published annually and updated by the publication of cumulative change bulletins.

Group 89 (except class 8965) contains items for which activities in the DOD have recorded requirements. Part I, Alphabetical List, is a list of all food items arranged in alphabetical sequence by subgroups within each of the following classes:

8905  Meat, Poultry, and Fish

8910  Dairy Foods and Eggs

8915  Fruits and Vegetables

8920  Bakery and Cereal Products

8925  Sugar, Confectionery, and Nuts

8930  Jams, Jellies, and Preserves

8935  Soups and Bouillon

8940  Special Dietary Foods and Food Specialty Preparations

8945  Food Oils and Fats

8950  Condiments and Related Products

8955  Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa

8960  Beverages, Nonalcoholic

8970  Composite Food Packages

Part I contains a list of all food items arranged in alphabetical sequence by subgroups within each FSC class. It also contains descriptive and related management data.

Part II, Ration Components, contains those ration components that are authorized for requisitioning by military services.

Figure 12-2.-Federal Supply Catalog stock list.

Part III, Case Lot Data  , is arranged in numerical sequence by national stock number (NSN).It provides weight and dimensional data applicable to unit package for items in part I for which these data are available.

Fleet Instructions

Fleet commanders furnish instructions for establishing and maintaining a balanced load through the Atlantic Fleet Requisitioning Guide, CINLANTFLTINST 4210.1, and the Pacific Requisitioning Guide, CINPACFLTINST 4235.1.

Afloat requisitioners, bothAtlanticFleet and Pacific Fleet, use the single Consolidated Afloat Requisitioning Guide Overseas (CARGO), NAVSUP P-4998, chapter 3, titled "Subsistence Requisitioning Tables." These tables contain information on stock management of food items and requisitioning procedures. The available seasonal fresh produce listing differs for the Atlantic and the Pacific Fleets. By direction of the Naval Supply Systems Command, the CARGO is issued annually by the Fleet Material Support Office (FMSO).

The Subsistence Requisitioning Tables listed in the CARGO show quantities of food items for nine

Figure 12-3.-Federal Supply Catalog, part 111, case lot data.

alternative balanced loads identified by column headings A through I. Column headings also provide approximate numbers of persons supported by each column. Support ranges from a 30-day level for approximately 83 persons (column A) to a 30-day level for 3,000 persons (column I).

When using the CARGO, determine your requirements for all items listed in the applicable tables by doing the following:

Checking your storerooms to see what stores you have and what space you have

Checking your records to see what you have used

Being sure you are ordering enough food items to include the private messes aboard

StorageData

If your GM requirements for each food item, including perishables, were based on subsisting 1,000 personnel for 30 days, you should adjust the cube and gross weight data to reflect local delivery schedules for various foods before listing the data to estimate storage requirements. For example, the chill storage requirement for milk for 1,000 personnel for 30 days is 1,063 cubic feet; however, this is based on milk being delivered daily except on Sunday. For example, the storage requirement for a 20-day supply of milk is 20/30ths of 1,063, or 709 cubic feet. Adjust storage data when requisitioning frozen meats instead of chilled sausage meats and other cured meats. Chilled storage is recommended for fresh potatoes and onions. If you have separate specific storage areas for these items, adjust the chill storage requirements accordingly. Storage requirements reflect only the space required for the foods in their packaging. You should estimate the additional space required for air circulation, aisles, shelves, and battens. The many variations in storage space configuration make a standard modification impractical.

The 45-day SEB and the 6-month requirement for spices and low-use staple items for afloat GMs are contained in NAVSUP P-486, volume I, appendixes D and E, respectively. They serve as guides in planning readiness requirements for those ships with prescribed endurances that extend beyond 30 days. The SEB includes a larger portion of dehydrated and other spacesaving items and a smaller portion of refrigerated items than is generally used when operating conditions permit regularly scheduled replenishment of more bulky perishable items. When these endurance base guides are used in combination with 30-to 45-day stock levels that reflect an individual ship's normal usage, endurance levels can be adapted to the storage space limitation of the ship.

Procurement Restrictions

Food items authorized for Navy use are listed in the FSC. Requests for exceptions or deviations from usage restrictions should be submitted via the chain of command to NAVFSSO with complete justification. Brand name items are not authorized. Check the NAVSUP P-486, volume I, for further information about procurement restrictions.

Private messes have the option to use either the Navy supply system or commercial vendors, or both. Determining Space Availability

Now that you know how to estimate quantities, you should learn to estimate storage space. You do not want to order more than can be stored.

The capacity of a compartment shaped like the one shown in fi r 12-4 is found by multiplying the length by the width by the height; for example, 20 x 15 x 10= 3,000 cubic feet.

Figure 12-4.-Rectangular space.

Unfortunately, all storage spaces are not this easy to figure. Many times there are coils, pipes, lights, and required passageways or aisles that prevent you from using all the space. You cannot pack or store food items up to the overhead or from bulkhead to bulkhead because room for ventilation and access to the food items must be provided.

For example, a storage space 22 feet 6 inches long, 14 feet 3 inches wide, and 9 feet 9 inches high is shown in i  r  12-  There are coils extending out 6 inches

Figure 12-5.-Space with obstructions.

from the bulkhead along both the long sides of the space. Also, a 30-inch passageway should be provided down the center of the space. Stud figure 12-5 and notice the allowances that will have to be made for the coils and passageway. In addition, the lights extend down 7 inches from the overhead, and gratings 8 inches high were placed on deck as shown in i r 12-  the side view. To find the cubical capacity of this storage space, write down the actual dimensions of the space. Then subtract the dimensions of the allowances you will need to make, like this.

Using the new dimensions, proceed as before. 22 1/2 x 10 3/4 x 8 1/2 = 2,055 15/16 cubic feet. You may have a storage space shaped like the one shown in figure 12-6 First, you will have to get the average width by adding the two widths together and dividing by 2.

12' + 20' =32'

= 16 feet.

2 2

Then complete the problem by multiplying this average width by the length and by the height.

16' x 16' x 10'= 2.560 cubic feet. Special Space Problems

Some food items, such as frozen meats, should be kept in a special type of storage. The capacity of these spaces limits the amounts you may order.

When planning for an extended cruise, you may find that freeze space on your ship is not adequate to store the total meat requirements. You will want to load

Figure 12-6.-Irregular space.

canned meats to supplement your frozen meat supply. The Table of Substitution Factors for Custom Foods lists the factors to use when converting pounds of frozen meat items to canned meat counterparts. This table can be found in the NAVSUP P-486, volume I, appendix G. REQUISITIONING FOOD ITEMS

GMs ashore and ships in port normally submit requisitions for authorized food items found in the FSC to the nearest naval supply support activity. Deployed ships should submit requisitions to a store ship (AF), combat store ship (AFS), fast combat store ship (AOE), or other afloat activity. When normal sources are not available, food items may be procured by transfer from other military sources and the United States Government departments. Food items such as fresh dairy products and commercially prepared bakery products, as authorized, normally are procured in the United States by placement of delivery orders against indefinite-type contracts. Material is taken up as a receipt from purchase. Brand name contracts (Defense Logistics Agency Supply Bulletin, SB10-500) are not authorized for use in procuring food items for the GM. Further information concerning sources of supply, procurement, and local restrictions are contained in the Procurement section of the NAVSUP P-486, volume 1.

The bulk of your food items will be procured by submitting requisitions using the DOD Single Line Item Requisition Document, DD Form 1348 or 1348m, or applicable requisition documents as required by the supply support activity.