structures, plumbing, and piping systems; qualify in the techniques, skills, and use of damage control, CBR defense, and fire fighting; organize, supervise, and train personnel in maintenance, hull repair, CBR defense, and damage control; supervise and perform tasks in procurement and assurance of supplies and repair parts; instruct  personnel  and  enforce  safety  and  security precautions;  and  prepare  records  and  reports. DCs plan, supervise, and perform tasks necessary for  damage  control,  ship  stability,  preservation  of watertight integrity, fire fighting, and CBR warfare defense; instruct and coordinate damage control parties; instruct personnel in the techniques of damage control and  CBR  defense;  supervise  and  perform  tasks  in procurement  and  issuance  of  supplies  and  repair  parts; and prepare records and reports. EMs operate electrical light and power generating, distribution,  and  control  equipment;  perform  preventive and corrective maintenance of electrical generators, switchboards,  motors,  lighting  fixtures,  closed  circuit television  systems,  and  other  electrical  equipment including small boat electrical systems; and prepare and maintain  electrical  logs,  records,  and  reports. ENs operate internal combustion engines and diesel propulsion  plants,  diesel  generators,  distilling  plants, refrigeration  and  air-conditioning  systems,  small  boat propulsion equipment, hydraulic systems, and other auxiliaries  such  as  cranes  and  winches;  perform preventive  and  corrective  maintenance  of  assigned machinery, material, and systems; and prepare and maintain  required  logs,  records,  and  reports. ICs operate gyrocompass systems, IC systems, and closed circuit television equipment; perform preventive and corrective maintenance of gyrocompass systems, IC  systems,  sound-powered  and  automatic  telephone systems;  and  prepare  and  maintain  required  logs, records,  and  reports. MRs repair shipboard machinery using machine shop  equipment  such  as  lathes,  milling  machines, boring  mills,  grinders,  power  hacksaws,  drill  presses, and  other  machine  tools;  perform  preventive  and corrective maintenance on shop machinery; and prepare and  maintain  shop  files,  records,  and  reports. MMs  operate  steam  propulsion  machinery  and associated auxiliaries, turbogenerator plants, distilling plants, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, and other auxiliary machinery such as steering engines, anchor windlasses, and cranes and winches; perform preventive  and  corrective  maintenance  on  shop machinery;  and  prepare  and  maintain  shop  files, records,  and  reports. GS is a general rating at the E-8 and E-9 level. GSE (electrical)  and  GSM  (mechanical)  are  service  ratings up   to   E-7.   They   operate,   repair,   and   perform maintenance on gas turbines, associated auxiliaries, main   propulsion   machinery,   propulsion   control systems,  and  the  electrical  and  electronic  circuitry associated  with  gas  turbine  systems  and  prepare  and maintain  required  logs,  records,  and  reports. Firemen (FN) stand messenger, cold iron, and fire watches,  and  any  other  watch  for  which  they  are qualified according to PQS. They are required to clean assigned spaces and equipment; make minor repairs to engineering equipment and material and the ship’s hull depending  upon  the  rating  for  which  they  train.  They record  readings  on  various  engineering  equipment; participate  in  general  drills;  and  perform  general  detail duties.  Normally,  each  division  in  the  engineering department  is  assigned  enough  FNs  to  provide replacements  for  losses  of  petty  officers. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WATCH ORGANIZATION The   primary   objective   of   the   ship’s   watch organization is security of the ship under all probable conditions.  Optimum  efficiency  in  administration  is  a secondary   objective.   The   TYCOM   establishes requirements  for  degrees  of  readiness  and  for  condition watches. Normally, the security of the ship is adjusted to the demands of the current situation by the use of one of six general  degrees  of  readiness.  These  are  based  upon  the probability of battle as related to the combat ability of the  forces  required  to  meet  the  threat.  Condition watches are the ship’s watch organizations that provide for the manning of watch stations to meet the various general  degrees  of  readiness. The  first  general  degree  of  readiness  requires complete readiness of the ship for immediate action. Condition  watch  I  provides  for  the  first  degree  of readiness. The  second  general  degree  of  readiness  allows temporary relaxation from the first degree of readiness. This  allows  personnel  to  rest  and  permits  designated personnel  to  draw  and  distribute  meals  at  battle  stations, Condition watch IE provides for the second degree of readiness. 1-15