FLAGBAG OPERATOR

3. The top of 5 and 7, and the bottom of 2 are straight lines. The number 1 also has a straight line under it, slightly below the stem, to distinguish it from the letter I, and the zero has a bar diagonally through it (Ø) to distinguish it from the letter O. A horizontal bar through the riser of the letter helps prevent its being mistaken for the numeral 2. The heavy dot at the end of each of the light lines, which parallel each letter and figure, indicates the starting point for the stroke. This dot and arrow indicate the direction in which the letter or figure is drawn. The numerals 1, 2, and 3 placed just beside each of the light lines indicate the number and the sequence in which the strokes of a letter or figure are made. Practice printing the 26 alphabet letters and 10 numerals until you can make each character easily and legibly. Use a pencil with a good point, print each character carefully and accurately, and take care to have your printing evenly spaced. REMEMBER, the key to legible writing is practice. The Message Blank Once you have mastered the phonetic alphabet and practiced the principles of legible printing, the next step is to learn about the message blank. As illustrated in figure 1-5, a typical signal bridge message blank has spaces for the different parts of the message (the different parts are discussed in chapter 3). It is also broken down so that each group (for example, a complete word or code group) of the text has a separate space. This aids the counting of the groups. The well-trained recorder can tell at a glance if the message is complete. FLAGBAG OPERATOR "Stand by your bag" is a statement that is frequently heard on a signal bridge. As the flagbag operator, it is your duty to ready your flagbag. To become an efficient flagbag operator takes work and practice; you must become familiar with the contents of the flagbag to the point that you can close your eyes and be able to locate the various flags. Figure 1-5.—Visual message blank. 1-4