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WATERS NEAR GUAM - Boatswain's mate (BM) is a rate that is full
of pride and tradition. They are the men and women who do “classic”
Sailor work, such as handling line, steering the ship, bringing in
fuel and cargo, standing lookouts and dropping the rigid inflatable
boat to rescue a man overboard.
The BM rate was established
in 1775 during the inception of the U.S. Navy. They were among the
first Sailors to serve on the early wooden warships.
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September 26, 2015 - Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class Alberto Balderramos, from Albuquerque, N.M., inspects a jet engine using a borescope in the jet shop of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Ronald Reagan and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Burke)
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“The term ‘boatswain' came from the captain putting
people in charge of boats and personnel. The word ‘swain'
means to be in charge of something,” said Boatswain's Mate
3rd Class Kyle Combs, from Lima, Ohio. “Back in the day to
be a Sailor was to be a boatswain's mate.”
A large
part of a BMs duty is shipboard watchstanding. BMs can be
found standing aft and foward lookouts, bridge watches,
anchor watches and more.
“We stand watch on a daily
basis,” said Combs. “We stand the helmsman and lee-helmsman
watches that steer and control speed. Our aft steering
helmsman will take charge if there is a steering casualty in
the pilothouse. We also have lookouts to watch for ships,
aircraft and man overboards.”
Combs said he thinks
it is important to know his rate's history. He believes
well-rounded Sailors should know about the legacy left by
their predecessors.
“We take pride in knowing that we
as boatswain's mates have retained a lot of our traditions
and ways of doing things,” said Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class
James Girolamo, from Hopewell Junction, N.Y. “It was the
first rate in the Navy. We say ‘first rate, best rate'. I
would say we're the lifeblood of the ship. Other rates have
been cut apart or combined with others, but not BMs. We've
been around since the start and we serve the same purpose
since our inception.”
Even though today's Sailors
work aboard and operate some of the most
technologically-advanced ships in the world, many traditions
have not been forgotten.
“Boatswain's mates used to
sew the sail, tarps and canvas,” said Combs. “We were also
in charge of piping for announcements. It's one of our
oldest traditions. Piping is the way word will get spread.
If it were time for chow they would pipe mess call. If the
captain wanted to address everyone, he would order a
boatswain's mate to pipe an all hands call. This was at a
time where there was no radio system. We still pipe before
announcements because it's such an old tradition.”
According to Girolamo, he does not mind working hard for
Deck Department. He embraces challenging and difficult work
and believes he is a better Sailor for it.
“I really
like the work that we do,” said Girolamo. “It's definitely a
rate that gets its hands dirty. We're the rate that busts
our butts all day, but we feel like we've got a lot to show
for it with our professionalism on the bridge and in
everything we do.”
Traditionally, BMs are placed in
leadership positions soon after advancement to petty officer
third class.
“As a BM3 I'm in charge of the enlisted
watch team on the bridge,” said Girolamo. “We're also in
charge of saving lives. We're the ones who throw the life
ring and smoke float in the water in case of a man
overboard.”
Combs added that he enjoys the
responsibility and the leadership requirements that were put
on him very early in his career. He said Deck Department has
a large number of seamen who require supervision and
mentoring.
“We have a lot of responsibility to start
with. In most rates, you don't start supervising until
you're a 2nd or 1st class. We start immediately when we make
3rd class,” said Combs.
According to Combs,
boatswain's mates are very proud of their rate, and many of
them are eager to tell people about what they do.
“We have a lot of pride because many boatswain's mates
strike the rate from being an undesignated seaman. It used
to be the only way to become one,” said Combs. “People are
proud because they entered the rate knowing the hard work we
do and the responsibilities we have.”
Boatswain's
Mate 2nd Class Tyler Santos, from Sunol, Calif., said
there's a lot of camaraderie in Deck Department. The blended
crew from the hull swap is getting along like a big family.
“It's a lot of fun and you really earn your
paycheck,” said Santos.
By Benjamin Carr, DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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