EMERGENCY  BILLS   —General   emergency, emergency steering, man overboard, toxic gas SPECIAL BILLS —Antisneak/antiswimmer   attack evacuating civilians, and prisoners of war Effective Assignment of Personnel Knowing   the   qualifications,   experience   level, capabilities, and strengths of your people is an important consideration  in  appointing  positions.  Particular  jobs demand specific rate requirements; however, certain tasks and details are generic in nature. Those tasks serve as a good starting point for strikers and junior petty officers  to  begin  “learning  the  ropes.”  Those  tasks  will give junior personnel the knowledge and experience they need to assume positions of greater responsibility when your more experienced sailors move on. Assign  sailors  to  more  responsible  positions  as  they show  their  competency  to  handle  them.  Be  sure  to consider  giving  more  responsible  assignments  to  those who take the initiative to request more demanding assignments.  Also  assign  more  responsible  jobs  to  those who  complete  their  personnel  qualification  standards (PQS). Others who deserve more responsibility include those who are qualified as Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialists  (ESWSs)  or  Enlisted  Aviation  Warfare Specialists  (EAWSs). WATCH-STANDING AND DUTY SECTION OBLIGATIONS The definition of a watch is any period during which an   individual   is   assigned   specific,   detailed responsibilities  on  a  recurring  basis.  All  watch  standers are subject to certain standards and watch-standing principles  that  assure  the  safety,  security,  and  proper operation  of  the  command.  Your  obligations  are  to  be sure all watch standers under your cognizance have received enough training to perform the duties of their watch station. Departmental Duty Officer The  departmental  duty  officer  is  the  officer  or  petty officer with the day’s duty. He or she represents the department head and is responsible for the functioning of the department. The departmental duty officer does the  following: • Carries out the function of the department head in his or her absence Makes  frequent  inspections  of  departmental spares to be sure of physical security, good order, and  discipline Makes reports to the command duty officer or the executive  officer  as  required Performs  other  duties  as  assigned Members of the department report to the department duty   officer,   as   prescribed   in   the   department organization  plan,  for  the  performance  of  their  duties. Duty Sections Afloat In  discussing  duty  sections  afloat,  we  will  only address in-port periods. While a ship is under way, all hands are effectively in a duty status. From  an  organizational  standpoint,  shipboard  duty sections in port are slightly more complicated than those ashore. That is because each person assigned to a duty section has more than one responsibility during a duty day. Coordinating  enlisted  watch  bills  to  meet  the requirements of your division and the command is a joint effort. It should include anyone involved in the watch organization aboard your ship. It should also include the senior watch officer and section leaders. The enlisted watch bill determines what your division’s watch-standing  requirements  are  within  each  duty section. As  the  division  officer,  your  role  in  enlisted watch-bill  coordination  is  to  make  sure  you  have distributed  your  most  qualified  and  experienced  people equally throughout each duty section. You wiIl want to make sure you have a mature and responsible individual aboard  to  represent  you  and  your  division  should  the need arise. Each person assigned to a duty section is given some responsibilities that conflict with his or her daily routine on any given duty day, such as the following: Routine  watches Shore  patrol Working  parties Damage  control/fire-fighting  parties Side  boys Duty  sections  afloat  are  expected  to  provide  a  full range of division services. They do this around the clock, if necessary, to meet the needs of the command. Some 3-7