CHAPTER 1 



AEROGRAPHER'S MATE RATING 



This Rate Training Manual is designed as 

 a self-study text for use by those personnel 

 of the Navy and Naval Reserve who are pre- 

 paring to meet the professional (technical) qual- 

 ifications for advancement to Petty Officer Third 

 Class and Petty Officer Second Class in the 

 Aerographer's Mate (AG) rating. A second pur- 

 pose of this manual is the improvement of 

 job skills. This purpose is achieved through 

 use of the manual as a study aid in conjunction 

 with on-the-job training. 



Minimum professional qualifications for ad- 

 vancement in all ratings are listed in the Manual 

 of Navy Enlisted Manpower and Personnel 

 Classifications and Occupational Standards, 

 NAVPERS 18068 (Series). Formerly designated 

 as the Manual of Qualifications for Advancement, 

 NAVPERS 18068 is often referred to as the 

 "Quals" Manual. 



The occupational standards upon which this 

 Rate Training Manual is based are those appear- 

 ing in Change C of NAVPERS 18068. It should 

 be kept in mind that any changes in the quali- 

 fications occurring after the (C) revision of 

 the "Quals" Manual may not be reflected in 

 the information presented in this training man- 

 ual. 



This chapter provides information on the 

 enlisted rating structure, the AG rating, re- 

 quirements and procedures for advancement, 

 and references that will help you in working 

 for advancement and in performing your duties 

 as an AG. Also included is information on how 

 to make the best use of Rate Training Manuals. 

 It is therefore strongly recommended that you 

 study this chapter carefully before beginning 

 intensive study of the remainder of the manual. 



ENLISTED RATING STRUCTURE 



The present enlisted rating structure con- 

 sists of general ratings and service ratings. 



General ratings identify broad occupational 

 fields of related duties and functions. Some 

 general ratings include service ratings; others 

 do not. Both Regular Navy and Naval Reserve 

 personnel may hold general ratings. 



The general rating provides the primary 

 means of identifying billet requirements and 

 personnel qualifications; it is established or 

 disestablished by the Secretary of the Navy; 

 and it is provided a distinctive rating badge. 

 The general rate is the pay grade level within 

 the general rating. 



Service ratings identify subdivisions or 

 specialities within a general rating which re- 

 quire related patterns of aptitudes and qualifi- 

 cations, and which provide paths of advancement 

 for career development. Although service 

 ratings can exist at any petty officer level, 

 they are most common at the P03 and P02 

 levels. Both Regular Navy and Naval Reserve 

 personnel may hold service ratings. 



The Navy Enlisted Classification Coding 

 System (NEC) has been set up to help the 

 Navy match the right person with the right 

 job. By identifying billets that require special 

 skills, and by identifying people who have or 

 can develop these special skills, the NEC sys- 

 tem provides the Navy with a means of getting 

 maximum usefulness from its manpower. Any 

 person who gains the qualifications associated 

 with one of the special skills is given a code 

 number called his NEC. 



AEROGRAPHER'S MATE RATING 



Due to the demands of World War I, the 

 United States Navy in 1917 designated some 

 men as aerological personnel for the first time. 

 The first group consisted of two hundred men 

 of various ratings who received special train- 

 ing in meteorology. 



