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equired to support missions assigned by the Strike Group
Commander. He shares this responsibility with the Carrier
Air Group (CAG) Commander, who is also a navy captain
with a similar aviation background. The relationship between
these two senior aviators is complex and largely beyond the
scope of the question asked, but basically, the CAG is responsible
for leadership of the individual squadrons which make
up the ship’s air wing and for execution of the missions those
aircraft perform once launched from the carrier. The ship’s
captain is responsible for the condition and safety of the ship
and for providing most of the material, facilities, and services
required to prepare the aircraft and pilots for those missions.
The aircraft carrier is frequently described as a small city,
and the comparison may provide a common perspective for
discussing the captain’s responsibilities. Like the mayor in
this analogy, the captain provides the leadership and organizational
structure necessary to operate the “city.” The navy’s
modern, 95,000-ton displacement aircraft carrier includes
about 75 aircraft, a 4.5-acre airfield, catapults and arresting
gear to launch and recover aircraft, large magazines and storage
facilities for ammunition, fuel and aircraft parts, as well
as high-tech maintenance activities that provide all the services
and supplies necessary to keep well-maintained aircraft
ready for mission assignment. For the crew, the carrier provides
galleys, berthing areas, laundry services, medical, surgical
and dental facilities, and myriad activities necessary to
ensure the health and well-being of the assigned personnel.
Like a city, the ship has a fire and emergency response capability
and its own security organization, including security
forces, legal services, brig and a process by which the captain
enforces good order and discipline. In addition to aircraft
maintenance, the ship has several other maintenance organizations
that keep the ship’s propulsion systems, radars, and
thousands of electronic systems operating. The ship generates
and distributes its own power, provides and maintains sanitation,
heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and
makes several hundred thousand gallons of water every day
from sea water. This description just summarizes the high-level
capabilities of the ship. The next layer includes a variety of
additional services and activities: radio and television studios,
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