posted                      

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sol System:
When people in the military aren't doing their job, they're training to do their job.

---

Ummmm, sure....that or reading Flare.

(Hurrys and gets back to work, before the taxpayers notice)

--------------------
Twee bieren tevreden, zullen mijn vriend betalen.

posted                      

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jason Abbadon:
Suuuure.
Look at him in those old Buick commercials: no chest there.
I bet he's got it in his closet for when he wants to impress the ladies.

---

posted                      

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peregrinus:
FWIW, I am strongly of the opinion that the Enterprise in TWOK had been retrofitted with a manual-loading system as part of her function as a training vessel. I'd wager serving ships pre and post all had automated systems a la what we saw in TUC.

---

posted                      

quote:

---

Originally posted by Intruder1701:
So I hope that answers your question.

---

Actually, it confuses me even more.

If the Navy does have a set job of Damage Controlman, then why is it that "the damage control teams during battle stations are made up of people from various occupations on the ship," and not Damage Controlmen? And what does the Damage Controlman do when not controlling damage? Practice?

I'm glad you joined the conversation, though; you're one of the people I had in mind when I posted the thread, and I'm now going to jump all over you with questions. What is a repair locker? Does it hold firefighting equipment? How big is it? Are they scattered all through the ship or concentrated in a specific area?

How did "word get around" that the ship had been damaged? In Weber's Honor Harrington novels, RMN starships have a 'Damaged Control Center' which keeps track of damage reports and tells damage control parties where to go. Do USN ships have something similar?

The TMP Enterprise had a 'Damage And Repair' station on the bridge, but it was manned by a single enlisted crewman, and pretty much unmanned in Star Trek II. Perhaps it was just there to keep the Captain updated, while an actual DCC was somewhere else in the ship.

Except, of course, when the chief engineer is a Main Character--then he does it all!

As for transporter rooms, thank's to Sol's idea about training, I guess it's plausible that they're manned all the time. (Maybe they take turns sending each other the thorniest simulated problems they can think of.) In TOS and TMP, transporters usually had two people operating them--a main operator and an assistant. The TMP Enterprise had six(?) regular transporter rooms...so that's what? Say, one PO and one able seaman per room, times three shifts, equals 36 crewmen. Plus at least one junior officer per shift to oversee, with maybe an ensign or a CPO as an exec. Does that sound realistic?

Torpedo rooms maybe wouldn't need to be fully manned all the time. Maybe the entire crew is broken into three skeleton crews, one to stand each watch and get some practice in, and during Red Alert all three groups join together to fully man the station. Based on Star Trek II, let's say it takes six crewmen and two junior officers to fully staff a torpedo room. A standard watch would then have two crewman, who could handle any routine task (like launching a sensor probe), while the officers "floated" around the schedule, running drills and sims (and doing the paperwork). During an emergency the full crew would be on hand to handle jams in the autoloading system or other equipment failure, and (grim as it may sound) insure there's enough people to keep the place running even if they take casualties.

As for damage control, maybe Intruder1701's "Damage Controlmen" lead damage control parties, but the rest of each team is made up of regular crewmen & cross-trained scientists & support services guys. Or the damage contrlmen man a DCC similar to Weber's, and coordinate the teams. The question of how many remains, though. How much of the ship could one team cover?

What do you all think?

The enlisted ranks, incidentally, are based on Bod Fletcher's background notes for ST II-IV, courtesy of Spike's awesome web site. I was able to pause a widescreen DVD copy of Star Trek II and actually see Peter Preston's 'able seaman' rank pin, in the sickbay scene when he reaches up to grasp Kirk's tunic. Naturally (alas), the dialogue and visual FX are not in sync, as he's referred to in dialogue as a midshipman.

Fletcher's notes also include a costume for damage control personnel, which appeared in Star Trek II. It's identical to the Engineering rad suit with the wide black collar, except it's orange instead of white.


Marian

posted                      

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarianLH:

How did "word get around" that the ship had been damaged? In Weber's Honor Harrington novels, RMN starships have a 'Damaged Control Center' which keeps track of damage reports and tells damage control parties where to go. Do USN ships have something similar?

---