Carpenter's mate (CM) was 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 ...
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 ...
throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
The rating was established in 1797, and separate
pay grades were implemented in 1893.
The sleeve insignia for the rating depicted two crossed axes. Responsibilities of carpenter's mates included maintaining ship ventilation, watertight control, painting, and drainage.
During the era of wooden ships, carpenter's mates were charged with maintaining the integrity of the ship's
hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
. In times of battle, carpenter's mates would fight fires and use plugs to patch holes in the hull.
In 1948, the rating was changed to
damage controlman.
References
United States Navy ratings
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