What does it mean to be on watch?

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kpfran14

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What does it mean to be on watch? Where do they watch? How long is the watch? Do all the classes watch or is just plebes?
 
Standing Watch is what us ground pounders called Guard Duty. There are several locations on campus where the PC's and Mid's stand watch. There are also several types of watch. This prepares the Mid's and PC's for standing mandatory daily watches on ships.

I know this is broad but will at least give you a current idea.:confused:
 
First let me say that while wolfe834 has it dead nuts on for most of the rest of the year as the time for Christmas/Holiday break comes close to getting starting .. it can also mean your DS/DD is thinking ahead - you know remember:

"You better watch out, you better not shout (except at 10PM during Exams Week), you better not cry ... I'm telling you why .... Cdr. Ragin is coming to town..." Of course it helps to hear some sort of song akin to Jungle Bells in the background as you sing these words....:shake:
 
I believe the Plebes stand watch in their own companies this year. The other watches, ie., Midshipman of the Day, waterfront, etc. are done by 1C or 2C Mids.
 
watches are 3 or 4 hour, twice a day duty assignments to different posts around the academy. they are stood by all midshipmen/plebes (except those who have served as DIs, or are members of the EMT squad, who stand EMT watch), with the responsibilities of the watch varying by class and location. for example, Midshipman On Duty (MOD), which is a 1/c Engineer watch, answers all incoming phone calls, makes announcements over the loudspeaker, hands out liberty forms, and acts as a pseudo-receptionist. Kings Pointer Bridge Watch is a 1/c Deckie watch. they are responsible for patrolling the Kings Pointer, recording draft readings and other such tasks. a new watch that has just been created for 2/c is Vickery Gate watch, i do not have the details for that at this time. North DOck watch is a 3/c watch, and is responsible for keeping an eye on all the Waterfront vessels as well as monitoring the Academy radio channel and logging vessels in and out of the basin. Kings Pointer Gangway is also a 3/c watch, and is responsible for registering visitors and workers on the Kings Pointer. Library watch is a 4/c watch, and is responsible for recording the number of visitors to the library and ensuring that people in the library conduct themselves appropriately. a new 4/c watch this year is Company Duty Midshipman, which apparently takes the place of the Battalion Officer of the Watch (BOOW). this watch, as far as i can determine, makes rounds of the company and ensures that everything is generally in order. in addition, each class stands a Supernum watch, which is a 24 hour watch that covers any watch that for whatever reason cannot be stood by the assigned member of that class. Most watches work on a 4 hours on, 8 off, 4 on system, except for Supernum which is a 24 hour watch, library watch which is just 3 hours per day, and Company Duty Midshipman which, according to the watchbill, varies depending on the day. Regimental watches are assigned at random. EMTs sign up for several 3 to 5 day watches per term, during which they wear the BDU uniform at all times and carry communication devices that allow them to respond to academy emergency calls.
 
Dont forget about Duty Company Commander (fancy way of saying OOD, which is the M/N who goes around at 0000 and does a bunk check). And if you are as fortunate as I am then you will be able to stand both MOD and OOD in the same night. Gotta love the watchbill.

KP bridge is also not being stood b/c of the state of disrepair of the pier. So 1/c deckies wont have to stand the bridge watch until the pier is replaced. But will they be added into the MOD slot to augment the engineers who have to stand the watch? The answer is no. Why? I sure would like to know.

Oh well, keep rolling with the punches until June 2011

Go Zombos!
 
How often do plebes stand watch?

Great thread here. Our DS is assigned 2 watches this Sun. Just wondered how often plebes have watch, per month? per term? etc.
Thanks
 
How often? MORE than they want to... and it continues all the way thru :)

It is especially hard to do the midnight-0400 watch during exams.
But, they will work it out. Sometimes, they can swap things around.. like trading with a buddy when watch falls on your birthday. But, that's up to them to work out.

But, as difficult as it is, it gets them trained that at ANY hour of the day (or night) they can hit the deck and be productive and responsible.. which they will definitely have to do at sea.
 
zonker said:
But, as difficult as it is, it gets them trained that at ANY hour of the day (or night) they can hit the deck and be productive and responsible.. which they will definitely have to do at sea.
Click to expand...

The training hopefully will go a bit further...

Proper relieving, standing and turning over of a watch, or any period of duty for that matter, is one of the most important early lessons taught at maritime schools. Those fundamental lessons hopefully will become ‘second nature’ as they go forward in their seagoing careers. New cadets should understand the key shift in responsibility and how crucial it is to be well prepared before they utter those magic words “I relieve you”
 
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