Duty Shifts

Duty Shifts

The USS Pacifica works off a basic four-shift rotation system with each shift taking up 6 hours. The four-shift system is fairly new to the Pacifica as the ship use to work off of a three-shift rotation before recently changing to four. It has been found that the four-shift system allows for better rotation and more flexibility, it also provides the crew with additional free time.

Alpha Shift	0800 hrs - 1400 hrs
Beta Shift	1400 hrs - 2000 hrs
Gamma Shift	2000 hrs - 0200 hrs
Delta Shift	0200 hrs - 0800 hrs

A duty roster is created by the Commanding Officer, Executive Officer and by each department head who assign each crew member under their supervision to one of the four duty shifts. Crew members are often rotated through the various shifts, these rotations often don't include those on delta shift or in some positions on Gamma as these are specialist positions. It is also not uncommon to see senior officers float through two shifts during a day due to the nature of their work.

Bridge Watches

As well as shifts there are things known as ‘bridge watches’. Seems as bridge watches tend to be dull with nothing more for the crew to do but watch their work stations, it is judged that most crew would be unable to maintain interest for more than four hours at a time. And so watches are introduced so that the crew manning the bridge changes every four hours. This also has the added benefit of allowing the XO and the department heads the ability to conduct their own off bridge duties as well.

The watches are split up as such:

First Watch	2000 - 0000
Middle Watch	0000 - 0400
Morning Watch	0400 - 0800
Forenoon Watch	0800 - 1200
Afternoon Watch	1200 - 1600
First Dog Watch	1600 - 1800
Last Dog Watch	1800 - 2000

Notes

It should be noted that the CO is not required to work any set shift in a day. As well as that they have the ability to take command of the bridge at any point and can also leave at any point. This ability can also fall to the XO although they often do have assigned shifts.