the transferring ship, pick up the next loaded net, and return. Material received by helicopter during VERTREP must be moved into the elevator quickly, keeping the drop zone clear. When the elevator is full or maximum weight load is attained, it is lowered to the hangar deck, cleared of stores, and promptly raised to the flight deck for the next load. The SORTING STATIONS are located where the material is separated by type and storage destination. These stations maybe located at any point, depending on local conditions. ‘he main consideration in assigning locations for sorting stations is that they are located outside of the main passage for moving material from one station to another. Some ships are designed so that storerooms for provisions are accessible from the messdeck. On these ships, provisions may be moved to the messdeck area before sorting. When the storerooms are located in other parts of the ship, sorting must be done on the hangar deck. The STRIKE STATIONS are located at the access hatches where the material is moved below decks. Included in this group are the ammunition elevators, hatches where pallets are lowered by electric hoists, and hatches where material is passed down by hand or by sliding on a board, metal chutes, or belts. This group is critically important. Access hatches must remain open until the stores are struck below. A ship is always in danger when it is unable to seal off all compartments within a few minutes. PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS.— The num- ber of personnel required for an UNREP depends on the number of stations to be used, the type and amount of stores to be received, and the equipment available that serves to reduce manual labor. Normally, the ship has local instructions that list the number of personnel and the type of equipment required at each station. This instruction should be reviewed by all senior supervisors before each UNREP. When it appears the instruction is inadequate or incorrect, the planning group should not hesitate to recommend changes based on careful analysis of each provision of the instruction. A replenishment plan, published before each UNREP operation, should assign units to each station and list the deck and frame numbers where the personnel should report. Petty Officers.— Petty officers from other departments furnishing personnel for working parties are the backbone of any good replenishment. These petty officers are assigned as supervisors and orders should be issued through them for their assigned personnel. Supervisory petty officers should be assigned at a ratio of 1 for each 10 people in the working party. These 10 people are under the petty officer’s control as a team at all times and the petty officer is responsible for seeing that they remain on station until dismissed. Working Party.— The number of personnel required for working parties depends on the number of stations that will be used and should be considered separately, taking into account the type of stores to be handled at that station and the equipment to be used. Heavy and hard to handle materials that must be moved rapid] y will require frequent relief of personnel to rest. Personnel relief should also be provided for any team or teams that are to be on station for an unusually long time. Proper rotation of personnel to accomplish this task will facilitate its completion and prevent accidents. When material is to be removed from the receiving stations by towing the loaded cargo nets to the sorting stations, one team should be assigned to each receiving station to pick up items that spill from the nets. However, most of the cargo being received are palletized, which makes handling easier. BRIEFING TEAM LEADERS.— Shortly before the UNREP, the supply officer (or a designated officer in charge) usually calls for a meeting with all petty officers assigned as team leaders. During this meeting, the supply officer (or designated officer) briefs the petty officers on what is expected from each team, the materials they will handle, and approximately how long they are to be on station. Safety is also discussed in detail during the meeting. Team leaders are also made aware of expected receipts of hazardous material and what part their unit will be expected to participate in. Any peculiarities of the equipment involved are explained to the team leaders. They are informed of where and when to pickup and return all equipment that will be required for the UNREP. DEBRIEFING TEAM LEADERS.— After the UNREP is completed, all supervisors and team leaders should meet to debrief the supply officer of any problems encountered during the operation. Recommendations should be submitted for corrections of procedures that did not go well during the UNREP so they will not be repeated in future operations. Any outstanding accomplishments and jobs well done should also be noted at this debriefing. 3-20