three shift rotation

[Forbin]

Also sounds like life in an office cubicle. Really hard to tell if anybody's awake in there.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Reactor Department is a different animal. On Carl Vinson, our nukes worked "Five and Dimes". 5 hours on, 10 hours off, 10 hours on, 5 hours off. Their shifts were both monitoring the reactors and training. That's all they did.

Your department heads didn't stand watch? That doesn't sound right, because they are mostly senior officers (Commander, Lt Commander) whose duties are usually watchstanding on the Bridge (Conning officer, for example).

I was a Nuke on Nimitz, and we also did five and dimes, but it wasn't 5 on 10 off, 10 on 5 off, it was just 5 on 10 off, 5 on 10 off, 5 on 10 off... repeat ad nauseam.

As far as Department Heads... I think some of them stood CDO in port, but I don't know of any of them standing any bridge watches. I'm 100% sure that the Reactor Officer had no other duties than to be Reactor Officer. I think he stood EOOW watch every six months to maintain proficiency, but that's it.

 

[John Picard]

Reactor Department is a different animal. On Carl Vinson, our nukes worked "Five and Dimes". 5 hours on, 10 hours off, 10 hours on, 5 hours off. Their shifts were both monitoring the reactors and training. That's all they did.

Your department heads didn't stand watch? That doesn't sound right, because they are mostly senior officers (Commander, Lt Commander) whose duties are usually watchstanding on the Bridge (Conning officer, for example).

I was a Nuke on Nimitz, and we also did five and dimes, but it wasn't 5 on 10 off, 10 on 5 off, it was just 5 on 10 off, 5 on 10 off, 5 on 10 off... repeat ad nauseam.

As far as Department Heads... I think some of them stood CDO in port, but I don't know of any of them standing any bridge watches. I'm 100% sure that the Reactor Officer had no other duties than to be Reactor Officer. I think he stood EOOW watch every six months to maintain proficiency, but that's it.

One of the nukes explained Five and Dimes to me once and it didn't make sense. I understand the need for them to constantly train. Were you on board the Nimitz back in 1991/1992, when several of the nuked threatened to sabotage the reactor so as not to allow the ship to deploy? They called the local TV stations, making claims that the reactors were being operated in an unsafe manner, etc. Next thing you know, NCIS swooped in and Rector Department was a few nukes short Those missing people were replaced before deployment.

 

[Chaos Descending]

One of the nukes explained Five and Dimes to me once and it didn't make sense.

It's just a three shift watch rotation. It just so happens that one shift is five hours long.

Mind you, that's only the WATCH rotations. Maintenance (PMs), qualifications, cleaning, and training all still took place during the 0730 to 1700 regular work day. If you stood the 0200 to 0700 watch that morning, you were hosed because you still had the whole work day ahead of you, plus the 1700 to 2200 watch to stand. At one point the 2200-0200 watch got late sleepers chits and could rack out until 0900, but that didn't last the whole time I was there.

I understand the need for them to constantly train.

You definitely lose it if you don't use it! We had mandatory continuing training at least three days a week underway.

Were you on board the Nimitz back in 1991/1992, when several of the nuked threatened to sabotage the reactor so as not to allow the ship to deploy? They called the local TV stations, making claims that the reactors were being operated in an unsafe manner, etc. Next thing you know, NCIS swooped in and Rector Department was a few nukes short Those missing people were replaced before deployment.

I was there during 1995-1999 actually, but that stunt is legendary. At least two of them were still on board (but as non-nukes, they lost their nuclear certs after mast) while I was there.

EDIT: No, I was wrong, the dudes I knew were not among the four that blew the whistle. I was wrong about that. They were just close co-workers of the four and lost their nuke certs for a different issue entirely. My memory is foggy about it all, I have been out of the Navy for almost ten years!

 

[Timewalker]

The senior staff (Captain, XO, Department Heads) do not stand duty on shift work schedules.

They are on a "day shift" schedule, and get woken up during the night for anything important that they need to address.

This brings to mind a detail that niggles at my mind every time I see the Voyager episode where they encounter the Romulan who turns out to be 20 years out of synch. At one point in the episode, Janeway is woken up to talk to him and she's dressed in a pink nightie. They have their conversation, and the Romulan signs off by saying, "Good night."

My question is: Since they were talking with the viewscreen OFF, how did the Romulan know it was night-time for Janeway?

"How come they can go on this long without eating or peeing?"

Actually, in Trek's 42 year history, we've only seen two toilets (in the brig in Trek V, and in the decon chamber in Enterprise) and toilets have only been mentioned directly in dialogue once, in Voyager when a number of them went offline. This was problematic for the Bolian crewmembers.

Also, Zephram Cochrane had to answer a "call of nature" at one point in First Contact... and ended up explaining the phrase "take a leak" to Geordi.

But the entire TOS mission apparently went off without a hitch even though nobody ever went to the bathroom!

 

[Timo]

My question is: Since they were talking with the viewscreen OFF, how did the Romulan know it was night-time for Janeway?

One might speculate that either the person who connected the call, or the computer routine that did it, spent the appropriate effort in making it absolutely, horribly clear to the caller that he was waking the Captain in the middle of her night...

Actually, in Trek's 42 year history, we've only seen two toilets

But the point is, the plots never required our heroes to keep their bladders on hold for more than, say, six hours at a time. It was always possible that they had the chance to relieve themselves when the camera wasn't looking. This as opposed to a situation where a character would, say, have spent two days straight in a laboratory to crack the scientific mystery of the week when said laboratory was explicitly locked and without an adjoining toilet (and when the upper-shelf beaker didn't have the yellowish fluid surface go up as time went). It was always possible tha they snuck out of camera view for a quick leak, even if they didn't call it that any more in the 24th.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Hermiod]

Data seemed to be in command of the night shift and then would work a full shift at Ops as well, which never seemed fair. Plus he was always hanging around in Engineering helping Geordi.

 

[Sector 7]

Data seemed to be in command of the night shift and then would work a full shift at Ops as well, which never seemed fair. Plus he was always hanging around in Engineering helping Geordi.

I guess you can do that when you don't need sleep! I also recall a TNG episode which began while Data was running Nightwatch. The beginning was "a typical night on the bridge" type thing...

 

[nx1701g]

"How come they can go on this long without eating or peeing?"

Actually, in Trek's 42 year history, we've only seen two toilets (in the brig in Trek V, and in the decon chamber in Enterprise) and toilets have only been mentioned directly in dialogue once, in Voyager when a number of them went offline. This was problematic for the Bolian crewmembers.

I thought we saw one of the toilets during Voyager's run.

 

[Red Ranger]

This is an interesting topic, in terms of logistics and use of personnel. BTW, it looks like we have quite a few swabbos -- Colonel Midnight and Chaos Descending chief among them -- here on the BBS! Welcome! Me, I'm just a civilian! -- RR

 

[RobertScorpio]

I served in the navy for over twenty years. For most of that time we served on a 12 on 12 off rotation, while deployed. In the mid 70s, I think, we tried a three-rotation on a Tender I served on. Didn't work because the drills we run would still require personal. So we went back the other way...

12 on 12 off, for a six month cruise, isn't fun. But once you get use to it you can get perform.

Rob
Scorpio

 

[Sector 7]

I'm a combat veteran, so I never served rotation on board a ship. Congrats to those who did. Unfortunately we never knew where we would be deployed until just before we left. Best I can say is, we never left a man behind while I was on the team. Hopefully we made a difference, but I have my doubts sometimes.

 

[Colonel Midnight]

This is an interesting topic, in terms of logistics and use of personnel. BTW, it looks like we have quite a few swabbos -- Colonel Midnight and Chaos Descending chief among them -- here on the BBS! Welcome! Me, I'm just a civilian! -- RR

Thanks for the compliment -- even if I'm not a "swabbo"...

'Puddle Pirate' now, I'm okay with that.

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[Captain Intrepid]

When I was sailing, we did the three watch rotation, Port Starboard and Forward. 4 on, 8 off, with a dog watch every Sunday to rotate the watches. 4-8 8-12 12-4. Of course, if there was ever a situation that required more than one watch, like dousing all sail and putting up the storm tris'l in a hurry, or doing major sail handling at night, it'd be all hands on deck, wake up and drop whatever else you were doing.

 

[Hermiod]

I guess you can do that when you don't need sleep! I also recall a TNG episode which began while Data was running Nightwatch. The beginning was "a typical night on the bridge" type thing...

I imagine that was "Rightful Heir" when Riker arrived to take over for the morning shift and Worf didn't show up for duty.

It's exploitative, though. Just because Data can work longer hours that doesn't mean he should.

 

[Timo]

Data doesn't just work longer hours, he lives longer hours. Forcing him to do eight hours of sleep per day would be the equivalent of giving him 1/3 of a life sentence in solitary confinement!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[RoJoHen]

Even if they're doing full 8-hour shifts (which, ya know, most people in the real world do on a daily basis), I'm sure even Starfleet officers get lunch breaks, and I doubt anyone would get in trouble if they had to leave their post for a couple minutes to use the bathroom.

I work at a restaurant, and I often work 8-10 hours a shift without getting a single break, and I survive just fine.

 

[Hermiod]

Data doesn't just work longer hours, he lives longer hours. Forcing him to do eight hours of sleep per day would be the equivalent of giving him 1/3 of a life sentence in solitary confinement!

He doesn't have to sleep during his time off.

 

[Timo]

Exactly. So forcing him to have "free" time would be a hideous crime when he'd have no "personal" need for the eight hours of solitude we need for sleep, and would much rather spend them doing important things.

Data likes to play human every now and then. But he's not human, and he should not be treated as one against his will, any more than humans should be treated as cattle, or cattle as dirt, or dirt as androids.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[cultcross]

I work roughly an 8 hour work day, as I guess most people here might do, and I get two 15 min breaks plus an hours lunch so it could be a safe bet that the Crew of a Starship or Starfleet installation would have the same set up. I think that's why we see Crewman who show up to relieve our main cast when they leave there station. This could be the set up for most departments.

That's pretty much how many police departments work as well. The Chief and senior staff (Deputy Chiefs, Capts, Cmdrs) are on regular business hours with firstline supervisors (Sgts and Lts usually) and officers working around the clock on 8-hour shifts. Each shift is staffed with enough people to allow for vacations, training, and sick time use. The senior staff is called in during emergencies that occur during off hours.

Yup, this is how it works here too.
Although there are other shifts (given cute names like 'late late' or 'early bird') which people do who are on specific duties rather than standard patrol, the normal pattern is day/late/night shift rotation. Constables and Sergeants who work response shifts do shift work, and so are around all the time. Inspectors usually don't do night shifts and Chief Inspectors and above work essentially 9 to 5. Senior officers remain on call however, to be called in should something huge happen during the night.