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TO THE VETERAN:  This Rating Description is an official document of the United States Navy.  It has been issued to you mainly to help you get a job in civilian life which will make the best use of your naval training and experience.  Don't hesitate to show it to any employer or prospective employer.  Your Rating Description may prove to be one of your most valuable papers.  Take care of it.

        This description is designed to give prospective employers, employment service officials, educators and other interested persons an over-all picture of the technical responsibilities assumed, duties performed, and knowledge and skills acquired by personnel in this rating.  Representative related civilian occupations are included as a placement guide.

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        It is the Navy's policy to issue a Rating Description booklet that most accurately reflects the dischargee's naval experience as determined by examination of his service record.  For this reason, the booklet issued will not always correspond to the rating classification held by the dischargee.

        Special skills, training or qualifications other than those described in the following sections may be obtained from the certificate of discharge or other separation records and by personal interview.

        Enlisted personnel of the Navy are divided into two groups, rated and non-rated.  The rated personnel are petty officers and are divided into four levels of responsibility and skill, ranging from third class, upward through second class and first class, to chief, which is the highest petty officer rating.

 

        The signalman is a petty officer who is responsible for visual communications in the Navy.  When ships are under "radio silence" all ship-to-ship communications in the area are performed by signalmen.  The methods of signaling used are flashing light or blinker, semaphore flags, and flag hoists.  The International Morse Code is employed in the blinker method.

        The SIGNALMAN, First Class supervises a signal watch and handles all visual communications.

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III.  DUTIES PERFORMED  (Representative duties performed by a SIGNALMAN, First Class.)

        (1)  Takes charge of a watch and handles visual communications traffic as supervisor.  (2)  Trains non-rated men and less experienced men in the rating.  (3)  Visually observes signals sent from ship or shore stations by signal flag, semaphore, or flashing light (blinker), calling out signals as they are received or writing them down as they are called.  (4)  As directed, hoists signal flags on halyards, which are lines running from the yardarm of the mast down to the signal bridge.  (5)  As directed sends plain language messages by semaphore at the rate of 125 characters, per minute.  (6)  Sends messages by flashing light (blinker) at the rate of ten 5-character coded words per minute, transmitting the message by opening and shutting a lens which allows rays of light to escape for intervals representing dots and dashes.  (7)  Maintains a signalman's log, entering all signals received and transmitted, with the time and type of signaling used.  (8)  When not actually signaling, he is on the alert for signals from other vessels and aircraft, and keeps a sharp lookout for enemy aircraft and ships.  (9)  Occasionally assists the quartermaster in such routine functions as reading and recording bearings, temperatures, air pressure, wind velocity, etc., at regular intervals.

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        (1)  Supervises the maintenance of the signal bridge deck, mast, flag hoist equipment, and signal flags.  (2)  Makes signal flags.

 

        1.  Knows all the flags and pennants used in the Navy, and the meaning of standard flag hoist combinations.

        2.  Is familiar with all naval communication publications used aboard ship, and with naval visual communication procedure.

        3.  Knows the national and man-of-war ensigns of principal maritime powers, and how to determine the identity of any flag not recognized.  Knows the personal flags of the U.S. Navy and those of other principal maritime powers.

        4.  Is skilled at transmitting and receiving messages by flashing light, signal flags, and semaphore.

        5.  Knows storm warnings, distress signals, emergency signals, signals to lifeboats and to aircraft.

        6.  Is skilled as a lookout and can recognize friendly and enemy aircraft and ships with speed and accuracy.

        7.  Is skilled at the operation of a sewing machine used in making signal flags.

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        8.  Knows International Morse Code.

        9.  Knows the precautions to be observed in order to guard the security of cryptographic materials.

 

        A SIGNALMAN, First Class, with the experience described above is qualified for various civilian occupations.  Listed below are some of the more closely related fields of work with specific examples of suitable OCCUPATIONS.

        With brief on-the-job training to learn duties of a particular job, to gain facility in operating specific equipment, or to obtain a license, a SIGNALMAN, First Class, can qualify for such jobs as COMPASS MAN, LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER, SPOT-LIGHT OPERATOR, SAIL FINISHER or ABLE SEAMAN, QUARTERMASTER, or DECK CADET in government service, theatrical, water transportation, logging, canvas goods, or motion pictures industries.

        With brief training to learn specific job duties and hand signalling or light signalling techniques differing from those with which he is familiar, a SIGNALMAN, First Class, can qualify for such jobs as BRAKEMAN in railroad transportation, HIGHBALLER in construction, FLAGMAN in logging, or LAMPMAN in mining or railroad transportation.

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        With additional training in techniques of  telegraphy, commercial radio broadcasting, or typwriting, a SIGNALMAN, First Class, can qualify for such jobs as RADIO OPERATOR, WIRES-TRANSFER CLERK, TELEGRAPHIC-TYPEWRITER OPERATOR, or TELEGRAPH OPERATOR in airplanes or ships, in governmental service, in radio broadcasting, or in financial and other businesses which maintain private communications systems.

        With additional training in the set-up, adjustment and operation of surveying instruments and in specific type of surveying done, or in calculating information for map-making, a SIGNALMAN, First Class, can qualify for jobs such as SURVEYOR ASSISTANT, INSTRUMENT MAN, or GEODETIC COMPUTER in government service or in the professional field.

 

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