Yeomen

As a yeoman, one was in charge of typing, organizing files, writing business and social letters, directives, notices, forms, and reports, receiving office visits and handling telephone communications, managing protocol, naval instructions, and evaluations, maintaining records, publications and service records, counseling office workers on administrative matters, performing administrative support for shipboard legal proceedings and maintaining shipboard legal files. The rating of yeoman was one of the original chief petty officer ratings.

Other duties yeomen were responsible for included operating office equipment such as computers and fax machines and preparing briefs and other documentation. They would perform their work with little to no supervision. Since yeomen were surrounded by asbestos products in the offices they performed their duties in, asbestos exposure was low in this military personnel. However, as no amount of asbestos is safe for the human body, they are still at significant risk of developing a serious disease today.

Relevant job titles

• administrative assistant
• office manager
• administrative supervisor
• correspondence clerk
• human resources assistant
• file clerk