of  oil  applied  after  each  day’s  work  before  they are stored for the night. Never stow any surveying gear   (especially   if   made   of   ferrous   material) without checking it thoroughly to make sure it is clean and dry—particularly steel tapes. The reason for  this  is  that,  in  the  SEABEEs,  we  have  a multitude of jobs done under variable conditions. Suppose that today you are sent to a job that does not  require  the  same  equipment  you  used yesterday and failed to clean. You are kept on this job  for  a  few  days.  There  is  a  good  chance  that the equipment you used the first day will be rusty when you return to use it again. Remember  that  you  are  liable  for  payment  for any loss of government property caused by your own  negligence. You  will  be  required  to  sharpen  surveying clearing  tools,    replace   any   broken   handles, especially those on sledgehammers, and do many other things. For delicate equipment, consult the manufacturer’s   handbook   or   other   applicable publications before you attempt any servicing or cleaning,  and,  if  necessary,  ask  your  senior  EA to  explain  the  correct  procedure  to  follow. PREPARING  FOR  FIELD  PARTY’S ESSENTIAL NEEDS You  need  to  know  how  to  prepare  or  gather your  various  needs  for  the  day;  for  example, stakes, hubs, markers, safety gear, drinking water, and  food.  The  preparation  of  the  list  of  these things  is  the  responsibility  of  your  party  chief; however,  everyone  in  the  survey  party  should review  the  list  to  make  sure  that  everything  needed for  that  particular  job  is  there.  Remember  that you are concerned with the necessary equipment not  only  for  the  job,  but  also  for  your  personal needs, especially if the job is quite a distance from your  base  camp. In a triangulation survey, for example, your stations are generally situated in remote places. You  may  be  ferried  to  your  station  point  by helicopter or by some other means, depending on the   location   and   the   mode   of   transportation available.  Be  sure  to  take  extra  drinking  water  to jobs like this, and DO NOT discard your excess water until you are safely back to your base camp. MAINTAINING  FIELD  SANITATION In  the  field,  devices  necessary  for  maintaining personal  hygiene  and  field  sanitation  must  be improvised.  If  you  are  surveying  at  a  remote location,  it  is  unlikely  that  you  will  find  a waterborne  sewage  system  available  for  your  use. The usual alternative is digging a “cat hole” about 1 ft deep and covering the feces completely with d i r t. Proper  disposal  of  garbage  should  also  be undertaken   during   field   surveys.   Whenever possible,  avoid  burning  dry  garbage  on  site. Disposal  bags  offer  a  good  means  of  preventing litter and should be used whenever available. In  extremely  hot  climates,  your  supply  of potable water is expected to run low at a faster rate. To avoid dehydration, you will be required to  treat  your  own  water  or  face  infections  or diseases, such as dysentery, cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid fever. It is imperative that water taken from any source (such as lakes, rivers, streams, and   ponds)   be   properly   treated   before   being used,  as  all  these  sources  are  presumed  to  be contaminated.  To  treat  water  for  drinking,  you can use either a plastic or aluminum canteen with the  water  purification  compounds  available  in tablet  form  (iodine)  or  in  ampule  form  (calcium hypochlorite). When disinfecting compounds are not  available,  boiling  the  water  is  another  method for  killing  disease-producing  organisms.  The standard source of information for SEABEEs on field  sanitation  and  personal  hygiene  is  Seabee Combat   Handbook,   NAVEDTRA    10479-C2, chapter 8. GIVING  VEHICLE  PRESTART CHECKS  AND  MAINTAINING VEHICLE  OPERATIONS It is likely that the field survey crew will be assigned   a   vehicle   to   transport   people   and equipment   to   and   from   the   jobsite.   Before operating the vehicle, the operator is to give it a prestart  check  to  make  sure  that  it  is  ready to  run. When  a  vehicle  is  assigned  to  you,  an operator’s daily preservice maintenance report is issued  at  the  dispatch  office.  Use  this  form  to record  or  log  items  in  the  vehicle  requiring attention as observed during the prestart check and during the working day. Other information, such  as  mileage  readings,  operating  hours,  and fuel  consumption  may  also  be  required. A  complete  checklist  of  the  vehicle  prestart and   operator’s   maintenance   procedures   are described  in  Equipment  Operator  3  &  2,  NAV- EDTRA  10640-J1,  chapters  2  and  4. 12-32