Division officer

A '''division officer''' (known as a '''divisional officer''' in the UK) commands a shipboard division of [[enlisted rank|enlisted]] personnel, and is typically the lowest ranking [[officer (armed forces)|officer]] in their administrative [[command hierarchy|chain of command]]. Enlisted personnel aboard [[United States Navy]] warships are assigned to a division according to their shipboard responsibilities. Small shipboard [[Ship's company#Command structure|departments]] may have a single division in which the department head serves as the division officer, while larger departments on larger ships may have several divisions with division officers reporting to a department head. Department heads report to the [[Captain (naval)|commanding officer]] through the [[executive officer]].<ref name=cbm>{{cite book |last=Mayo |first=Claude Banks |title =Your Navy |publisher =Parker & Baird Company |date =1939 |location =[[Los Angeles]] |pages =307&308 }}</ref>

==Responsibilities== Division officers maintain and display in conspicuous locations copies of all division orders including watch, quarter, station, fire, collision, and abandon ship bills. Division officers personally instruct their division during prescribed drills, while giving their [[petty officer]]s opportunities to become proficient in leadership. Division officers inspect division [[compartment (ship)|compartments]] and equipment for cleanliness, preservation, and operational readiness.<ref name=cbm/>

Division officers are responsible for safety precautions to prevent accidents while overseeing training of division personnel to prepare them for battle. Division officers encourage and assist personnel under their supervision to obtain knowledge for advancement in [[naval rating|rating]]. While inspecting division personnel for appearance and behavior, division officers instruct those needing correction and may report those guilty of infractions of regulations for punishment by higher authority.<ref name=cbm/>

==Sources== * {{Cite book |last1=Stavridis |first1=James G. |last2=Girrier |first2=Robert |last3=Heames |first3=Jeffrey |last4=Ogden |first4=Thomas |author-link1 =James G. Stavridis |title =Division Officer's Guide |publisher =[[United States Naval Institute]] |edition =12th |date =2017 |location =[[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]], [[Maryland]] |isbn =1682471721}} * {{Cite book |last=Noel |first=John V. |title =The Division Officer's Guide: A Handbook For All Young Naval Officers |publisher =United States Naval Institute |edition =1st |date =1952 |location =Annapolis, Maryland }}

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Military ranks]]