Communications Department
The department that keeps the ship in contact with the fleet and the world.
Tying the Carrier to the Fleet
The Communications Department carried the message traffic and signals that linked the carrier to her battle group, to the chain of command, and to home. Its radio division (CR) operated the circuits — voice and teletype, secure and routine — that moved orders, reports, intelligence, and administrative traffic across the fleet. In an era before ubiquitous satellite links, reliable communications were the difference between a coordinated formation and ships operating blind.
A second tradition lived on the signal bridge. Signalmen of the visual division (CV) communicated ship to ship by flashing light, by semaphore, and by the colored flags of the international and naval signal codes — methods centuries old and prized precisely because they need no electronic emission. When radio silence was ordered or equipment failed, the flashing light and the hoist of flags still passed the word between ships in company.
Aboard Constellation
Operating with a battle group and, in the Persian Gulf, within the coalition enforcing Operation Southern Watch, the carrier depended on constant, accurate communications. Radio operators worked watch on watch around the clock, handling the volume of traffic a flagship-scale command generates and guarding the security of classified circuits. A garbled or delayed message could ripple through an entire formation, so precision was the standard.
On the signal bridge, signalmen kept the old skills sharp alongside the new. Maneuvering signals, recognition, and routine ship-to-ship exchanges still passed by light and flag, especially during replenishment and close-order steaming when a hoist of flags spoke faster and more securely than a radio call. Together the radio and visual divisions kept the ship in concert with everything sailing around her.
Divisions
Divisions
The Communications Department comprised 2 divisions; each has its own roster page with every Sailor by rank, name, and a link to the cruise book.
See the Communications Department pages in the cruise book →Questions & Answers
Did ships still use flags and signal lights in the 1990s?
Yes. Visual signaling by flashing light, semaphore, and signal flags remained in active use. These methods require no radio emission, work when electronics fail, and were valued for ship-to-ship communication, especially during close maneuvering and replenishment.
What was the difference between the CR and CV divisions?
The radio division (CR) ran the electronic circuits, voice and teletype traffic, secure and routine. The visual division (CV), the signalmen on the signal bridge, handled ship-to-ship communication by flashing light, semaphore, and flag hoist.