services are reduced while in home port, but many services are absolutely necessary if the ship is at anchor or moored in a foreign port. Some of those services might  include  the  following: • Medical/dental • Communications •   M  a  i  l • Messing •      Hotel services (electrical power, potable water, steam,  and  so  forth) Duty Sections Ashore Most, if not all, divisions have duty sections, and they serve a vital function. Duty section organizations are as varied as the commands they serve, and a duty section’s size can range from one person to half the crew. Each division’s situation dictates the type and size of its duty sections. Several points to consider concerning duty section organization are as follows: Duty   sections   are   set   up   to   meet   specific emergency  or  unique  situations  that  might  occur outside   normal   working   hours.   They   are potentially so important that they always require a specially trained crew on board to deal with them. Duty section manning, equipment, and training must  cover  any  situation. Duty sections are the best way of dealing with emergency or unique situations. (Best in their effect   on   the   division’s   primary   mission, manpower  use,  and  crew  morale  when  compared to other ways of handling these situations, such as working in shifts.) Duty section organizations conduct all business through their own chain of command. Duty  sections  are  made  up  of  the  minimum number of people needed to handle any situation. When  it  comes  to  duty  section  manning,  many commands require a certain percentage of their people to  be  on  board  at  all  times.  Minimum  manning  (if required)  and  the  points  just  discussed  are  only  some  of the factors you must consider when developing the duty section organization to best meet your division’s needs. Your command should have an instruction or a policy  that  requires  a  minimum  or  particular  duty section  organization,  such  as  five-or  six-section  duty,  to keep a minimum percentage of your people on board at all times. If your command has no policy, you must decide on the duty section organization required to provide   the   services   described   in   your   division’s organization manual. For example, you may decide people are needed to man your division on a 24-hour basis. Duty sections ashore should not be set up to produce work  during  normal  working  hours.  Ideally,  you  should not require duty sections to serve as production, night, or  weekend  crews,  except  when  necessary.  If  the members of the duty section do not have any emergency or unscheduled work to do, they should spend their time training. Leave and Liberty Schedules Leave and liberty are important to the morale of your  division.  Make  every  effort  to  be  consistent  with operational and training requirements to make sure your sailors take the leave they have earned. Scheduling  leave  periods  is  an  efficient  way  to afford your people the opportunity to take the leave they have earned. Scheduling leave will allow you to control the number of people you have available to accomplish your  division’s  maintenance,  watch  standing,  and training obligations. Coordination with other divisions and the senior watch officer is important, especially during periods when large numbers of personnel are requesting   leave.   A   knowledge   of   the   following common categories of leave and liberty will help you to determine  how  to  handle  individual  requests. NORMAL LIBERTY. —Each command sets up guidelines for normal liberty. Many commands permit department heads or division officers to grant liberty at their  own  discretion. SPECIAL LIBERTY. —Special liberty is granted outside  of  normal  liberty  periods  for  unusual  reasons. Several reasons are compensatory time off, recognition for  exceptional  performance,  and  personal  business  not done during normal liberty periods, such as jury duty, court, and voting. ANNUAL LEAVE.  —Annual  leave  is  granted  in execution   of   a   command’s   leave   program   and chargeable  to  a  member’s  leave  account.  Although  an individual is entitled to accumulate leave, requests for leave may be disapproved. Considerations for approval or disapproval of annual leave include the following: ship’s schedule, number of people already on leave, 3-8