I was sworn on at MEPS two days ago and will be working in the Avionics filed. I had looked at a lot of other ratings before I decided both online and with the adviser but nowhere does it say who's job is it to take out the trash? Who does the laundry? Who's responsible for cleaning the bathrooms? There are a lot of jobs that are necessary but not mentioned anywhere.

Thank you.

Short answer - you do. I do. (Well, did) Keeping the ship clean is everyone's job. Taking the trash out is everyone's job. There may be a set of people who are normally doing the laundry (I have heard of this, but never seen it, as I was on a sub).

On surface ships, SH's do the laundry.

But yes, until you make E5 (and if your division is "top-heavy", then until you make E6), you WILL be doing sweepers, you WILL be scrubbing toilets, you WILL be doing all of the other cleaning. Let's not forget pulping, working parties, etc.

All in all though, it's still a job and you're getting paid to do it. It seems to me that ever since Generation X, young people are being raised to think they're too good to do work that doesn't require a college degree.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Yggdrasil,

Concur with Kline.

Generally the work is done by whomever is assigned the job. Each division is responsible for providing compartment cleaners, etc. The people should be rotated to ensure everyone gets a turn. Ditto for working parties.

Yeah, the jobs are dirty, but they need to be done.

quote:

Originally posted by 16205943:
I was sworn on at MEPS two days ago and will be working in the Avionics filed. I had looked at a lot of other ratings before I decided both online and with the adviser but nowhere does it say who's job is it to take out the trash? Who does the laundry? Who's responsible for cleaning the bathrooms? There are a lot of jobs that are necessary but not mentioned anywhere.

Thank you.

You really didn't think you would only be working in your rating did you? You will learn right away at boot camp about who does the cleaning and so forth. Same thing with working parties etc, you will be doing it.

You being avionics (I was too) will probably follow somwwhat what I did. Bootcamp, a-school (did some compartment cleaning till class started)(working parties cleaned the school buildings) Sent to a training Sqd. (VF-121)and attended some C-schools. Assigned to perminte Sqd. (VF-213). imeaditly did compartment cleaner. WE went aboard ship and went TAD to the mess deck (mess cook). Off mess cook went to the line (Plane Capt).(made E-4 here)
All this took from Feb 14 1968 to Sept 1969 when I finaly got to work as an AT.
The new guy gets all the jobs nobody wants.
The new lo rate guy gets all the crap jobs.
Just do them. They do watch to see who is the cry-baby, the slacker and who is dependable.
Shockey

quote:

Originally posted by PO1_Kline:
Short answer - you do. I do. (Well, did) Keeping the ship clean is everyone's job. Taking the trash out is everyone's job. There may be a set of people who are normally doing the laundry (I have heard of this, but never seen it, as I was on a sub).

Targets have a whole division that does nothing but laundry.

To OP. You need to REALLY understand this... you are a NUB. NON USEFUL BODY. Until the point you become a USEFUL qualified body, you will be the trash man. You will be the guy picked for working parties. YOU will do LOTS of cleaning. It's part of the job, EVERYBODY does it. So get used to the idea.

I echo everyone else's sentiments. Everyone does the work because it needs to be done. Even when I was a rider when serving as a squadron secretary, I still cleaned the compartment at the end of every watch and the only reason I didn't scrub the deck during field day was because I was on the sonar stack.

Former YN1(SS)

Yeah! its a bummer! If I was you ,I would Wake up the Chief, and tell him its time for Sweepers,and hand him the Broom. Aint that the way it works?? Hes/Shes the person with the Anchors on their Collars. They have some nerve to put a broom in your Hand, dont they realize you are well educated?? Keep a eye on their faces,They will understand how inportant you are to the Navy.! Good Luck !!

quote:

Originally posted by ErikBloodaxe:

quote:

Originally posted by PO1_Kline:
Short answer - you do. I do. (Well, did) Keeping the ship clean is everyone's job. Taking the trash out is everyone's job. There may be a set of people who are normally doing the laundry (I have heard of this, but never seen it, as I was on a sub).

Targets have a whole division that does nothing but laundry.

To OP. You need to REALLY understand this... you are a NUB. NON USEFUL BODY. Until the point you become a USEFUL qualified body, you will be the trash man. You will be the guy picked for working parties. YOU will do LOTS of cleaning. It's part of the job, EVERYBODY does it. So get used to the idea.

They also run the ship store, cut hair and stock the soda machines...SH's that is.

On the carrier the SH's only did the bulk laundry. They're not there to wash your skivvies but to wash the uniforms that are all soiled and not fit to be washed in the regular machines. So yes you must sit in the very hot, not very ventilated laundry room to do your own tshirts, civvies and skivvies.
Lets see another one of the famous jobs noone has mentioned is stripping and waxing. Every Sailor can strip and wax a deck like nobodys business.

Chief is not your mother and will not be cleaning up after you. Keep your stuff squared away and the biggest problem you'll have during cleaning stations is that there's nothing to do.

quote:

Originally posted by elemanski:
Lets see another one of the famous jobs noone has mentioned is stripping and waxing. Every Sailor can strip and wax a deck like nobodys business.

PRC decking is your friend.
Pretty much every small boy I have been on had PRC decking. (rubber coated plastic basically). Anyway that was much easier to keep clean and did not require stripping and waxing.

Tile was the dumbest thing I ever saw on a ship and only seen it on a carrier. Complete waste of time and effort to strip and wax a deck. Who ever though of tiles for a deck should have their head examined. Absolutely ridiculous for a ship.

OK
How many of you tried to ride the buffer.
I did.

Shockey

Two more reasons why I will NEVER accept orders to a carrier.

I was on an LPD recently and I stripped and waxed, took trash out, sweepers, etc as an E6

The dental department had only three enlisted so we had to share the load.

No big deal... Nobody cleans up your mess in the fleet.

quote:

Originally posted by DC2crabby:

quote:

Originally posted by elemanski:
Lets see another one of the famous jobs noone has mentioned is stripping and waxing. Every Sailor can strip and wax a deck like nobodys business.

PRC decking is your friend.
Pretty much every small boy I have been on had PRC decking. (rubber coated plastic basically). Anyway that was much easier to keep clean and did not require stripping and waxing.

Tile was the dumbest thing I ever saw on a ship and only seen it on a carrier. Complete waste of time and effort to strip and wax a deck. Who ever though of tiles for a deck should have their head examined. Absolutely ridiculous for a ship.

Every ship I was ever stationed on, or rode TAD had tile decks in almost all the Messing, Berthing, and Admin spaces. Then again none of those ships are still in service. I guess its a "generational thing."
I fully agree tile was/is a huge PITA....

quote:

Originally posted by shockey:
OK
How many of you tried to ride the buffer.
I did.

Shockey

LOL. Never......

quote:

Originally posted by RiverRat139:

quote:

Originally posted by DC2crabby:
PRC decking is your friend.
Pretty much every small boy I have been on had PRC decking. (rubber coated plastic basically). Anyway that was much easier to keep clean and did not require stripping and waxing.

Every ship I was ever stationed on, or rode TAD had tile decks in almost all the Messing, Berthing, and Admin spaces. Then again none of those ships are still in service. I guess its a "generational thing."
I fully agree tile was/is a huge PITA....

Could be, because every small boy I went to had PRC decking, only the big boys had tile.

Although I guess tile was a change from some of the guys who had to sand and seal their decks on the wooden ships.

You guys know who you are...

I wouldn't be picking on Mack like that....although since he does have a sense of humor, you might get away with it....

Actually wood decks were around in the modern navy. My dad tells me of the decks on the USS Wisconsin. They were/still are Teak.