Expert: Rod Powers - 9/28/2006

Question
I'm writing a novel that requires a description of a living space on an aircraft carrier (my fictional setting is on the Eisenhower).  The scenario is the accomodations a family of civilians would be given on the carrier, their living quarters.  Are the walls and doors steel?  The beds bunks?  Are there overhead bulkheads?  Is it cramped or spacious?  Would there be port-like windows?  What would the bathrooms be like?  The floors?  Ventilation?  Furniture?  Even artwork.  Colors and materials would be appreciated, even potential smells, and as many idiosyncratic details that a civilian might latch on to.  A very specific question that is particularly relevant is the locking mechanism on the door.  Thank you very much, your help would be greatly appreciated.

Steve Vollmer  

Answer
Hi Stephen,

U.S. Aircraft carriers are small cities. They carry a crew of about 3,500 sailors and officers.

A family of civilians would not be living on an aircraft carrier, except in an emergency (such as an emergency rescue or evacuation). Then, they would live on the carrier only long enough to arrange a flight to the nearest military installation (which wouldn't take very long, as Naval transport-type aircraft would land on the carrier, pick up the family members, and transport them to the nearest base, pretty quickly). Carriers are warships, not cruise ships.

The living quarters on carriers are pretty cramped. Only the Captain of the ship and the Carrier Battle Group Commander (an Admiral) would have private quarters, and even these are small (about 30 by 30 feet, and it doubles as their office). Only these two senior officers would have private latrines (bathrooms).

Mid-Level officers (O-4 through O-6), and senior petty officers (E-7 through E-9) are normally berthed two per room, with one lower and one upper rack (bunk beds). The room would have two small storage lockers (for personal effects), and a desk. Junior officers and petty officers would normally be berthed 4 per room (with two bunk beds). The room would also have four small storage lockers. No desk.

Junior enlisted (E-4 and below) are berthed in compartments with several racks (50 or so per compartment). "Rooms" on a Naval ship are referred to as "compartments." Each rack has a small, built-in storage compartment for personal items).

You may want to see: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/navy/a/diarysailor2.htm for more about Berthing. On page 2 (http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/navy/a/diarysailor2_2.htm), you'll see a photo of what a standard (lower enlisted) rack looks like. This article is actually about a Guided Missile Destroyer, but the berthing on an aircraft carrier is very similar).

As I said, it's a warship. There are no windows or port holes. The entire ship is made of re-enforced steel (a port hole would be a great place for a ship-to-ship missile to hit and sink the ship).

Walls (called bulkheads) are all steel. Floors (called decks) are steel. Doors (called hatches) are steel. The hatches for each compartment (room) on the ship are watertight, and can be closed and sealed. Officer compartments can also be locked with a key.

Bathrooms (called "heads") are "group affairs." Each head has about 10 toilets/urinals and a large shower-room with about 25 shower spaces. There are about 15 sinks in each head.

Everything is painted neutral gray (note: the Captain's compartment and Battle Group Commander's compartment may have wood paneling covering the bulkheads).

Aircraft carriers stink. It's the stink of sweat, blood, soap, and grease, and oil, jet aicraft fumes, and cleansers, and a dozen other smells soaked into the steel for several years. You notice it when you first come aboard, but stop noticing it after 3 or 4 days.

Chances are, the family wouldn't be berthed together (they would be split up, and berthed in whatever compartment happened to have an unoccupied rack), unless they were very important VIPs and the Captain felt it worth shuffling around his crew to make room.

It's common for civilians to feel they are somehow on the social and professional level of senior commissioned officers, but -- on an aircraft carrier, they are nothing more than a hinderance. The Executive Officer (called "XO")would likely apologize, but -- unless there were some very special circumstances -- would be unlikely to move around his officers or petty officers in order to "make room" so they could all live together.

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my military information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com