Aviation boatswain's mate (abbreviated as ABE) is a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
occupational
rating
A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of quality, quantity, or some combination of both.
Rating or ratings may also refer to:
Business and economics
* Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness of an individual, c ...
.
Employment and sub specialties
Aviation boatswain's mates operate, maintain, and perform organizational maintenance on
catapults
A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of store ...
,
arresting gear
An arresting gear, or arrestor gear, is a mechanical system used to rapidly decelerate an aircraft as it lands. Arresting gear on aircraft carriers is an essential component of naval aviation, and it is most commonly used on CATOBAR and STOBA ...
, barricades, and associated flightdeck launching and recovery equipment; operate and service aircraft ground-handling equipment and machinery; operate and service aircraft crash, firefighting, and rescue equipment; handle aircraft afloat and ashore; operate, maintain, and repair aviation fueling, defueling, lubricating oil, and inert gas systems; perform crash rescue, crash removal, and damage control duties.
Aviation boatswain's mate, equipment
Aviation boatswain's mates, equipment (ABEs) operate and perform maintenance on steam catapults, barricades, arresting gear, and associated equipment ashore and afloat; operate catapult hydraulic systems, retraction engines, water brakes,
jet blast deflector
A jet blast deflector (JBD) or blast fence is a safety device that redirects the high energy exhaust from a jet engine to prevent damage and injury. The structure must be strong enough to withstand heat and high speed air streams as well as dust ...
s, deckedge and integrated catapult control stations (ICCS), and jet blast deflector control panels; arresting gear engines, sheave dampers, deckedge control station, and associated equipment; perform aircraft handling duties related to the operation of aircraft launching and recovery equipment.
Most of the work in this rating is performed outdoors on the flight deck of aircraft carriers, in all climatic conditions, in fast-paced and often potentially hazardous environments. Although most of the operations are only visible on the flight deck, the equipment responsible for the functioning of launch and recovery operations is 95% below decks.
ABEs work closely with others in aviation ratings but often only interact with other ABEs.
Aviation boatswain's mate, fuels
![Grape](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Grape.jpg)
Aviation boatswain's mates, fuels (ABFs) play a major part in launching and recovering naval aircraft quickly and safely from land or ships. This includes aircraft fuelling and fuel systems. Later in their careers ABFs can earn the advanced AB rating that requires supervision of all these individual specialties.
The duties performed by ABFs include:
* Operating, maintaining and performing organizational maintenance on aviation fueling and lubricating oil systems on CVNs, CVs,
landing helicopter dock
A landing helicopter dock (LHD) is a multipurpose amphibious assault ship which is capable of operating helicopters and has a well deck. The United States Navy (USN) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) use the term as a hull classification symbo ...
s (LHDs), LHAs, and LPDs
* Observing and enforcing handling safety precautions and maintaining fuel quality surveillance and control in aviation fuel systems;
* Supervising the operation and servicing of fuel farms and equipment associated with the fueling and de-fueling of aircraft ashore and afloat
* Training, directing and supervising fire fighting crews, fire rescue teams, and damage control parties in assigned fuel and lubricating oil spaces.
This rating's work is performed outdoors, atop aircraft carrier decks, in all climatic conditions, and in fast-paced hazardous environments. ABFs or "grapes" are generally and under due to clearance restrictions and work closely in concert with: aircraft handlers (yellow shirts), chocks and chains (blue shirts), plane captains (brown shirts), aviation maintenance technicians (green shirts), and various other aviation and shipboard ratings. ABFs additionally work in the bottom levels of a ship, such as the pump rooms and filter rooms where purifying fuel and then subsequently pumping refined fuels to their flight deck counterparts. Working lower levels of a ship earns one the title, "snipe"; concisely, lower levels of a ship remain excessively hot, dark, grimy, noisy, poorly ventilated, and unforgiving.
Aviation boatswain's mates, handling
Aviation boatswain's mates, handling (ABHs) play a major part in launching and recovering naval aircraft quickly and safely from land or ships. This includes aircraft handling, fire fighting and salvage and rescue operations. Later in their careers ABHs can earn the advanced AB rating that requires supervision of all these individual specialties. Other job assignments include deck edge elevator operator, working the spotting board in flight deck control, tractor driver, tractor king (who dispatches tractors, and supervises tractor drivers) and performs aircraft engine starting. Handlers also operate mobile crash cranes and mobile firefighting vehicles on the flight deck and hangar bay. ABHs can also be assigned to in-port fire crew, and damage control petty officer (DCPO), which are in charge of the material condition and battle readiness of divisional work spaces.
Aviation Boatswain's Mate – Handling (ABH)
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The duties performed by ABHs include:
*Supervising the movement, spotting and securing of aircraft and equipment ashore and afloat. Often called "the salt of the deck", because they are the enlisted leaders of on deck.
*Performing crash rescue, fire fighting, crash removal and damage control duties in connection with launching and recovery of aircraft.
Most of the work in this rating is performed outdoors on the deck of aircraft carriers, in all climatic conditions, in fast-paced and often potentially hazardous environments. ABHs work closely with others in aviation ratings..
References
*{{Cite book
, publisher = WestBow Press
, last = Atkins
, first = Edward
, title = On which we serve : where life-lessons are learned
, location = Bloomington, IN
, date = 2011
, ISBN = 9781449732844
Extensive photos and description, by a World War II aviation boatswain's mate, illustrating typical scenes on the decks of World War II aircraft carriers
United States Navy ratings