What does a torpedoman do?

Tucked in the back of the NAS Jax Weapons Department compound, the Advanced Underwater Weapons (AUW) team move, maintain, defuel, preset and prepare for shipping their stock of 24 MK-50 and MK-46 recoverable exercise torpedoes (REXTORP).

These torpedoes allow aircraft and shipboard torpedo launchers to conduct training without the threat of actual explosives and can be retrieved for later use by the fleet. After being launched, the exercise torpedoes find their target and upon contact, the nose assembly either crumbles or releases dye, which simulates a hit. The ballast weight strap will then detach and the torpedo floats to the surface.

AUW is also responsible for REXTORP flight accessories, the fins and engine area of the torpedo, which assures the underwater ordnance will reach its designated targets. ''We set the torpedoes for every movement they will make in the water, before it acquires its target,'' said TM2 Jeremy Greene, AUW team member.

Launched from fixed and rotary wing aircraft, such as the P-3 Orion, the MK-46 torpedo is designed to attack high-performance submarines and ships.

The process of transporting the torpedoes consists of a series of meticulous steps. First, the torpedo is removed from the magazine in which ordnance is housed in. After being shipped to the AUW department via forklift, the liquid fuel, Otto fuel II, similar to gasoline but with a higher flash point, is removed from the torpedo in a contained environment by personnel in spill protective suits.

Next, the exercise torpedo is placed into a container and then sent to NS Mayport's Weapons compound, where they will be sent to ships stationed there for operation or assembled into one-warshot torpedoes.

Finally, the outer shell of the weapon, or hull, is crushed for demilitarization and metal recycling. ''I like this job,'' Greene said. ''We've received some excellent training for the job that we do every day.''