Environment, Communication, and Status Change Aboard an American Aircraft Carrier

Abstract

In the spring of 1951, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Dauntless, operating against Communist forces in Korea, developed problems in feeding her crew and disembarking the liberty party. At sea, the chow lines were long, slow-moving and in a state of confusion. Because it kept men from their jobs, this was a potential threat to the efficient operation of the ship and contributed to lowered morale. In port, the process of disembarking the liberty party degenerated into a confused melee which hindered in-port routine and further contributed to lowered morale.1 The second problem was resolved rather simply but, in the period of the writer's service aboard the Dauntless, no solution was found to the chow line situation.