Organizational Development Consulting Skills Assignment

Organizational Development Consulting Skills - Assignment Example On the contrary, change management is responding to changes that take place suddenly and they need to be incorporated into organization’s business. OD professionals are commonly referred to as consultants as they are the change managers who are either hired externally or internally to help an organization which is their client in achieving its goals. In most of the cases, OD practitioners act as a catalyst to bridge the gap that exists between what the organizations are presently doing and what it wants to achieve in the long-run. OD practitioners have to work in collaboration with organization’s management team so that they can successfully implement the plan designed for bringing changes in the organization (McLean, 2009; Schein, 2009). OD practitioners have to develop their consulting skills so that they can direct team members in achieving desired goals; they have to work in collaboration because their main aim is to help their clients in bringing effective changes in the organizations. OD consultants need to provide guidance to their clients by designing consultation process and ensure that they own complete process so that they can manage it independently and monitor the outcomes desired; they work at all levels in the organizational hierarchy (Scott, 2008). OD consultants working approach is entirely dependent on Action Research Model (ARM) that has been developed to guide practitioners in providing their clients best solutions for improving organization’s effectiveness. A brief representation of the model is shown in the following figure to give a snapshot of its important steps: From the figure, it is evident that the complete team that is involved in OD implementation should be taken on board.

Louise Bourgeois Essay Example for Free

Louise Bourgeois Essay Much can be learned from the environment within which we live. What we see tells a lot about the society in which we live: belief system; politics; economic undertakings; kinship and material culture among others. Through material culture, we can get insight into the world that existed long before us. Culture can be defined as the way of life of people depicting their shared experiences, political and religious beliefs, technology, insights, attitudes, and material objects. (Li Karakowsky) The sublime can be defined as the priced greatness or vast intensity in terms of biological, moral, mental, metaphysical, beauty, art or religion. Sublime is experienced over and over. It is embedded in our history, being, values, thoughts, concepts, world views, beliefs, and is responsible for our personalities (Bernadac 2007 p20) Main Body One of America’s renowned artist and sculptor, Louise Bourgeois, managed to capture the American Sublime through her artistic undertaking. She was born in Paris, France in December 25, 1911 but traveled to America in 1938 to perfect her artistic endeavor. She studied mathematics at the Sorbonne, and painting and sculpture in Ecole du Louvre, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and Art Students League of New York. She worked as an assistant to Fernand Henri Leger- a French sculptor, painter, and film maker. She is popular for her work that depicts spiders, sculptures, drawings and literary work (National Gallery of Canada 2005 p16). As a way of depicting the society in which she was living, Bourgeois work is full of inanimate images of horrifying fear, ghosts, darkness, tortured people, and disabling mental illness to attempt to get at the source of these emotions and to uphold normality even in times of chaos. Her works helped depict the intellectual climate, social and historical conditions that existed then. (Gorovoy et al 2006 pp 27 -28) She captured the effects of the First World War through carving limbless sculptures and detached limbs and had most of his paintings and sculptures painted black to depict death and mourning, (Gorovoy et al 2006 p 24) e. g. the two headless fabric bodies attempting to make love shown below. She depicts the revolution of the western politics, largely constructivism, through posters that expressed sympathy towards the Russian regime which she displayed in Moscow. The Tate Modern exhibition catalogue indicates her inclination towards Communism. Bourgeois made abstract art pieces that reflected on her childhood experiences showing how relationships within the family were entwined together thus bringing in the aspect of kinship, socialization and acculturation. This depicts how her art gives us insight to how children were brought up back then. (Lippard 2003 pp 9-10) Her Femme Maison and Fallen woman series introduced the aspect of liberation of women. They depicted a female struggling to outgrow some house like structures within which she is trapped – that is attempting to outgrow the masculinity into which the women were entrapped. She depicts a rebellion against the negative masculinity through her work, The Destruction of a Father, in which rock figures surround a sacrificial slab full of butchered body parts. Thus: It has been suggested that her sculpture, The Blind Leading the Blind, has a religious connotation. According to Desmond Michael and Lloyd Michael (1870-1970) Bourgeois, inspired by the Cold War, made this sculpture and that the title was picked from the New Testament verse (Matthew 15:14) that describes how a blind man leading another blind man would end up in a ditch. The structure is shown below (Bernadac 2007) Bourgeois contribution to the American Sublime is best captured in New Yorks Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and Londons Tate Modern with their massive collection of her art work. In conclusion, the American Sublime has been captured through art in poetry, carvings, paintings, songs, books, and which take us back to the origins of the cultures of past American societies. Just like the origins of the American sublime can be traced through studying works of art, similarly, so can we understand much about its revolution from the contemporary art works. Louise Bourgeois has managed to get this through her sculptures, drawings and works of art – reflecting abstract as well as tangible aspects of living that relate to feelings, political standing, material culture, religious inclination, beliefs and kinship. References Bernadac, M (2007) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Rizzoli International North America pp 18 24 Gorovoy, J. , Carver R. Read C. (2006) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois† Bellport Press University of Michigan pp 21-35 Lippard R (2003) â€Å"Overlay: contemporary art and the art of prehistory† Pantheon Books NY pp 7-16 National Gallery of Canada (2005) â€Å"Louise Bourgeois Maman† National Gallery Canada press pp 14-17

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero Essay -- Literary Analysis, J.R.R Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins, a True Hero â€Å"I wish I could be a hero!† Many adults in today’s society hear small children wishing they could become heroes. Children wish to be more like heroes for the reason that heroes are the type of people who risk their lives to help others. Throughout history, children have had a positive connotation with the word â€Å"hero.† The heroes many small children talk about are the fictional ones who protect cities from villains: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and others. However, these are not the only types of heroes in today’s world. Firefighters and policemen are also considered heroes because they save the lives of those in danger. Many adults consider their inspirations to be heroes, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Michelle Obama. Heroes do not always have to be real; for instance, they can also be literary characters such as Atticus Finch, Jonas, and Odysseus. Heroes, fictional or not, only have one purpose, to help people in need. These motivating people are in the rare category of people who willingly spend their whole lives helping people achieve their dreams. Heroes are the people who unselfishly help people live their lives in a peaceful manner. Many children wish they could become heroes, such as Bilbo Baggins. In The Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien explores how Bilbo Baggins matures and ultimately becomes a hero. A hero, as stated before, selflessly thinks about others’ well beings before his or her own. Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who was enlisted to help the dwarves retrieve Thorin’s family treasure, does the same thing when he decides to take matters into his own hands, and end the fight between Thorin, the lake men, and the woodelves. Bilbo decides to give the Arkenstone, a p... ...s. Bilbo is the one that gives the precious Arkenstone to Bard to help stop a war from starting. If it was not for Bilbo’s courage, Thorin would still be fighting for the Arkenstone and might have also been hurt. Bilbo also helps the dwarves by being a good leader and helping them find a way out of Smaug’s lair. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not have the audacity to try finding a way out of Smaug’s cave. Bilbo, like a real hero, always makes sure that he finishes the task he sets out to do. Without Bilbo, the dwarves would not be able to finish all the tasks that they want to finish. Bilbo is also the reason why the dwarves are still alive. Bilbo saves the dwarves from many different disasters. The disasters range from the spiders to Smaug. Through good or bad, Bilbo has been able to show the characteristics that a real hero should be able to show.

National Home Builders Quality Award

It is recognized as an established source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues, while it continues to promote innovation in housing technology to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of omes and home building products. Through its various testing and certification programs, the Research Center seal is recognized internationally as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance (nahbrc. com).In an effort to cultivate quality within the home building industry and promote the industrys best practices the National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) was established in 1992. This award represents the housing industrys highest recognition for achievements in the area of quality management and operational excellence in the residential construction industry (nahbrc. com). The NHQ Award is modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which was established in 1987, by C ongress to raise awareness of quality management and recognize U.S. companies that have implemented successful quality-management systems (Baldrige. com). The Award promotes awareness of performance excellence as an increasingly important element in competitiveness and information sharing of successful performance strategies and the benefits derived from using these strategies (Wikipedia). Recipients are selected based on achievement and improvement in seven areas, known as the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence, which the NHQA hasPerformance Excellence which has eight categories upon which entrants are Judged. The National Housing Quality Award (NHQA) is open to all US homebuilders, remodelers and trade contractors and is administered by the NAHBRC in conjunction with Reed Business Information, publishers of Professional Builder Magazine. NHQ Award applications are reviewed by a panel of Judges who are experts in both the housing industry and quality management, many of t hem being past NHQ awards winners.These Judges then evaluate the importance of quality in the companys construction, strategic planning, leadership and performance management, trade elationships, customer satisfaction, human resources and business results, which are the NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence (nahbrc . com). The NHQ Award is presented annually at the Professional Builders Benchmark Conference. Award winners go on to be featured in Professional Builder Magazine articles that highlight the quality management practices as models for the housing industry. The award title is held for one year.AWARD CRITERIA Patterned after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the NHQ Award was designed to recognize residential construction companies for excellence in quality chievement and promote awareness of customer focused quality as an increasingly vital element of competitiveness and productivity for building professionals. The NHQA has two divisions with one open to all U S companies that build or remodel residential homes using light construction methods. The other is open to all independent trade contractors that provide construction services to builders or remodeling companies.The NHQA consists of a set of eight criteria as outlined in their Criteria for Performance Excellence: Category I Description I Points I Leadership I How does the company's senior leaders, guide the organization towards common purposed based on shared values and priorities? | 10 | Strategic Quality Planning I How does the organization create and implement a strategic plan to achieve a vision for the future, enhance their competitive position and improve overall performance? | 10 | Performance Management I How are the companys business processes developed, managed, measured and improved to achieve performance excellence? 10 | Customer Satisfaction I How does the company manage the design and delivery of products and services that promise a high level of customer satisfaction? | 10 | Human Resources I How does the organizations mployee selection and development practices, as well as staff performance management, well being, motivation, satisfaction and compensation contribute to the growth of the organization? | 10 | Construction Quality I What methods does the company use to drive quality in the home construction process and ensure high performing, trouble free products and services? 10 | Supplier Partnerships Examines how the organization designs, manages and improves processes for implementation to deliver customer value and reach organizational success | 10 Business Results I What are the tangible measurements of the business benefits esulting from the organizations high performance practices in the financial, operational, customer satisfaction and product and service quality areas? | 30 | Despite the fact that the NHQA award is modeled after the MBNQA award there are focuses on quality assurance approaches that ensure high performing, trouble free p roducts and services.In addition the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award is awarded to a sole winner whereas the National Housing Quality Award has several award categories. The NHQA has three recognition levels: honorable mention, silver and gold. Gold is awarded to those that have attained a national benchmark level within ach area of evaluation; they have mature, fully integrated quality management principles and consistently demonstrate high level sustained results. Silver is awarded to those that are industry leaders in most evaluation areas; they have many refined business practices, key measures for continual improvement and good business results.Honorable mention is awarded in special circumstances for those that demonstrate an understanding of quality principles and show a sound, fact based improvement process. Key measures are in place and good business results are achieved in most areas (Denis 2009). To be considered for the NHQ Award applicants must complete a rigorous applic ation process which includes a 15 page application which is considered an important step in every applicant's road to quality.This is so as participants benefit from the insightful process of preparing the application, which is a long and grueling process, which takes hundreds of man- hours to complete. Judges evaluate each applicant to determine to what extent the entrant embraced a customer focus and systematically embraced it within their business practices. Those that passed the initial selection were scheduled for a site isit. On the site visit, each finalist spent at a minimum a day with a team of Judges. At the end of the visit, the Judges had a clear understanding of the company culture, management practices and the quality results.The final award is given to the organization that is deemed befitting on the overall Judge's findings. BENEFITS OF THE AWARD The NHQ Award is more than recognition of quality achievement. It sets a benchmark to strive for and a model for improveme nt. By preparing an NHQA application organizations get an opportunity to assess their business from a Total Quality perspective. This rigorous process allows organizations to really take a look at their processes and make significant improvements in order to be competitive.The organizations that submit an NHQA application receive detailed feedback on strengths and opportunities for improvement from the expert Judging panel. According to Tom Gillespie, President Kennedy Community Development, a multi-year applicant and 1997 NHQ Award winner, â€Å"no other programs has provided our company with more rewards, both financial and operational, than the NHQ application process provides† (Toolbase. org). This shows the depth of the application rocess and the benefits that can be yielded from its undertaking. Tom Gillespie is not the only one that praises the benefit of the NHQ way.David Simon, president of operations at Veridian Homes, a 2005 Silver award winner, says that, â€Å"t he in-depth review of our application and the detailed site visits provide valuable feedback not only for our strategic planning but also for driving quality improvement throughout the organizations† (Builderonline, 2005). The benefits of the NHQ award are far reaching, applicants benefit Just by undertaking the award application process and y implementing changes based on the feedback that they are provided by the gross profit margins which can be significant.Mercedes Homes, a 1996 NHQ Award winner used the NHQ criteria as a model to â€Å"tune-up† their management practices. As a result of this improvement process they had higher profits in 1996 than the previous five years combined! Scott Buescher, V. P Operations, COO, attributes reports that using the NHQ model was a major factor in their success (Toobase. org, NHQ Agenda). The bottom line is that there are really no losers with the NHQ award as the enefits far outweigh the time and effort that are invested into th e application process.According to Paul Deffenbaugh, editorial director of Professional Builder, as a result of going through the process, NHQ Award winners, â€Å"significantly improve the performance of their companies, making them more consistent and more reliable. Home buyers have found these companies execute the best quality homes and deliver the highest quality satisfaction† (National Building News, 2007). PAST WINNERS Since the inception of the NHQA in 1993 through 2009, 67 builders have received recognition, of which eight builders have earned multiple awards.These organizations range in size from small family owned to large national builders, building a variety of homes in a wide price range. In addition six remodelers and five trade partners have been awarded recognition (Leonard, 2009). NHQ Award winners represent the best of the best in the home building industry. In 1993 Town and Country Homes was named the first National Housing Quality Award winner. This win w as attributed to customer satisfaction and sales as the leading Chicago area home builder (Hauser, 1993). Since then many other organizations have gone on to win what is considered the hardest award to win in home building.In 2009, Tempe, Arizona based builder, T. W Lewis become the sole recipient of the 2009 NHQ Gold Award, having won in 1998 the NHQ Silver Award. â€Å"This award is a significant accomplishment in the homebuilding industry and one that our company and associates are very honored to received,† said T. W Lewis president and COO Kevin Egan. â€Å"The NHQ Award reaffirms the path we have chosen as a company-a path that is focused on productive quality, customer satisfaction and operational excellence† (East Valley Living, 2009).In 2002 only one U. S builder was recognized as a Gold Award winner and that was History Maker Homes of Forth Worth, Texas. History maker attributed their success to the relationships that they have been able to foster. Nelson Mit chell, president of history maker a family owned company said, â€Å"we strive for valued relationships with our customers and with each of our team members, as well. Our company works diligently to maintain the family culture we have enjoyed for many decades† (History Maker Homes, 2002). 002 was a historic year for the NHQ Awards as it was the first year since its inception in 1993 that Silver Awards were gained by two trade contractors as the award was expanded to include ot only builders, but remodelers and trade contractors as well. The inaugural winners in the contractor category were All-tech, Inc. of Monroe, N. J and Tappe Construction of Eagan, Minn. When the NHQ Awards were introduced almost two decades ago, many builders had a hard time figuring out how quality management could help their companies.The longevity of the Awards and the achievements of the winning builders have set this award as the most prestigious award in the industry. Housing Quality Award examines the builder's business and quality management practices. We are concerned with the builder's ability to deliver a quality product onsistently, have satisfied home buyers, and achieve high productivity,† says Liza Bowles, President of the NAHB Research Center, (Professional Builder, 1997). Following is a list of other past winners of The NHQ Awards.For the home building industry the epitome of quality is seen in the National Housing Quality Award, an award modeled after the infamous Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and represents the highest recognition to be gained in the housing industry. The NHQA Criteria for Performance Excellence has been an important tool for hundreds of home builders and trade contractors to assess and improve performance on critical business success factors which has enabled them to grow as n organization.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GigE_Visionhttp://www.builderonline.com/design/awards/the-winning-homes-from-the-2016-gold-nugget-awards_oHome http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/technology/internet/23worm.htmlhttp://www.historymaker.com/dfw/aubrey/arrowbrooke-50s/http://www.nbnnews.com.au/tag/t4/https://www.nahb.org/en/research/safety/~/media/EC307DD0CB534384A60E0E089E7C5831.ashxhttps://uxplanet.org/best-practices-for-microinteractions-9456211aeed0https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:HighBeamhttps://www.tceq.texas.gov/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAHBGreenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Baldrige_National_Quality_Award

Criminal Justice Trends Paper Essay

In this paper I will be evaluating past, present, and future trends pertaining to the corrections system. There are many different trends that correctional facilities have used in the past and these trends have continued on to modern day and maybe will continue on into the future. As part of my evaluation I will identify and analyze past, current and future issues facing the corrections system today and also I will discuss the budgetary and managerial impact that future trends will likely have not only on the corrections system, but also on the other components of the criminal justice system like law enforcement and the court system. Trends of Corrections In the past before there were prisons and jails the punishment of crimes were cruel and dangerous. Some of the punishments in the past included flogging, mutilation, branding, public humiliation, or exile. Today our correctional facilities focus on rehabilitating criminals so that they can be functional in society; one of the ways that is pursued is through community based corrections to save costs instead of housing an inmate. Community based corrections is used as an alternative to being locked up, this is also cost effective rather than housing them in prison or jail because they foot the bill. Community based corrections is known as parole, probation, house arrest, or electronic monitoring. Community based corrections is a privilege and there are many rules that need to be followed, and if they disobey any of the rules the get sent back to prison or jail. Currently we have a bill that passed in California called AB 109 and it was passed to release many inmates to lower the overpopulation of inmates and the end rising costs to house an inmate. â€Å"The state expects to reduce the prison inmate population by about 14,000 in 2011-2012 and approximately 40,000 upon full implementation in 2014-2015. The state estimates that these reductions will result in a state savings of about $453 million in 2011-2012 and up to $1.5 billion upon full implementation.† (Taylor, 2011). This assembly bill will just create a future problem though, when all these inmates get released out into the communities most of them will end up back in prison. According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the recidivism rate of inmates that were returned back into a correctional facility within three years was 63.7% and the other 36.3% were successful three years out of prison. AB 109 will not decrease the inmate population that largely in the long run according to those statistics. The bill will also increase the caseloads on probation officers, making it harder to keep a good eye on all inmates roaming in the communities, allowing them to reoffend put the problem back in the hands of law enforcement. Issues Facing the Criminal Justice System The current issues facing prisons are they are being over crowded, and they are too expensive to manage. Assembly Bill AB 109 tries to alleviate the problems of over crowding but I believe that it is a short-term solution because of the recidivism rate. Alternate correction systems would reduce costs to the state, and maybe even be more affective than jail or prison time. There are alternatives to jail and prison like we discussed earlier, but those are all state funded. In the future maybe there will be programs funded by organizations that want to help rehabilitate criminals or they make the criminal pay for their services. Some examples might be intensive supervised probation, house arrest, electronic monitoring, community residential centers, or shock incarceration. I think we need to have a self-sufficient prison that keeps inmates busy working for what they have, to cut down costs of prisons. One way to cut down costs is to actually use our death penalty, what is the severity of having a death penalty if you know you are going to sit in a cell until you die of natural causes. We are not posing enough threat to these criminals. Watching Lock Up on MSNBC, most of the inmates will never be functioning citizens, some of them admit they need to be behind a cell. Why pay so much money for someone to rot in jail, they are no use to the country and think they need to be put down, just like a viscous dog at the pound. If the vet determines the animal is too aggressive they euthanize the animal because they can never be adopted out, I think we can use the same concept in our correctional system. With an overpopulated correctional system, and the realignment bill 109 there will be many criminals back on the streets, which only adds to the problem for every other component of the criminal justice system. The police are having a bigger population of criminals back on the streets and the departments have tight budgets and do not have enough funds to hire more help to control the streets. The sheriff and police departments then will have to stretch themselves thin to try to put the recommitting offenders back in the correction system. Which then puts the criminal back into the already overcrowded court system, which creates more of a problem because now there are even more cases which will create bigger case loads and slow down the already slow system. Conclusion In this paper I discussed the past, current, and future trends in corrections. In the past the punishments were cruel, and now we are focused more on rehabilitation and California facilities are being over crowded. I also analyzed current and future issues facing the overpopulated prisons. The budget deficit is only going to get worse and these problems within the criminal justice system is only going to get bigger and bigger. Bill AB 109 was put into affect to help relieve the budget issue but as I discussed I think that it is a short-term solution because of the recidivism rates. The criminal justice system is always growing and changing to satisfy the needs of the communities they protect.

The event tourism and the event management Essays

The event tourism and the event management Essays The event tourism and the event management Essay The event tourism and the event management Essay The report is about event tourism and it will be discussing the definition of both the event tourism and the event management. The report will also be focusing on the different typologies of event tourism, the links between the event and tourism, the impacts of event tourism moreover will also be giving the comparison of the impact of events Definition of Event management Event management includes areas of applied knowledge and specialized training focused on planning, construction and administration of events that are organised, surrounded by celebrations and other events, especially those in the field of firm and companies comprising of conferences, exhibitions as well as in field of private events comprising of weddings, celebrations and social gatherings of certain groups.(Getz 2008) Definition of event tourism An organised occasion such as a meeting, conversation, exhibition, special event, gala dinner, etc. An event is often composed of several different yet related functions. (Getz 2005, p. 16, as citied in Bowdin et al 2011) the principle that applies to the events are provisional plus that: Every such event is unique, stemming from the blend of management, program, setting, and people Links between tourism and event The New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department (1987, as citied in Getz 2008) says that Event tourism is an important and rapidly growing segment of international tourism. According to Getz (2008), both the demand and supply aspects must be considered when combining events and tourism together. A certain determination of the type of tourists travelling as well as visiting the events is required for a clear understanding of whether event tourism is worth it or not. However, on the other hand Getz (2008) has mentioned that local and regional events could present as a problem from a tourism point of view. If tourism is linked with these local events where investment is required to develop and promote them, it might cause some discomfort to students to the local residents. Typologies of the event (Getz 2005 as citied in Getz 2008) According to Getz (2005) the typology of planned event makes an effort to categorise major categories, differentiating among those in the public area and those of primary interest to individuals and minor, private groups. Depending on the purpose and circumstances, events can fall into more than one category. (Getz 2005:19) Getz (2008) highlighted that the important classes of the organised occasions are arranged on the basis of their structure which includes variations in their aim and functioning. Some variations are for public events whereas some other programmes are organised for contest, fun, entertainment and socializing reasons. A lot of times there is a need of specialized services which allows the managers of the services to contact particular types of events. The events can also be linked with highly qualified associations and occupational routes. What makes event special Getz (2005) suggests that some of the things that makes event Special are its uniqueness as all event offers an irreplaceable experience by the combination of management, setting of the event, and the visitors that attend the event. Many events depend on the must see or once-in-a-lifetime scenarios to increase its visitor numbers. Other things like the quality of the event, use of the tradition within the event, meeting the customer needs, affordability of the event things like these can also make an event special.

USS Wasp CV-18 World War II Aircraft Carrier US Navy

USS Wasp CV-18 World War II Aircraft Carrier US Navy USS Wasp (CV-18) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built for the US Navy. It saw extensive service in the Pacific during World War II and continued to be of service after the war until it was decommissioned in 1972. Design Construction Designed in the 1920s and early 1930s, the US Navys Lexington- and Yorktown-class aircraft carriers were intended to conform to the limitations set forth by the Washington Naval Treaty. This agreement placed restrictions on the tonnage of various types of warships as well as capped each signatorys total tonnage. These types of limitations were reaffirmed in the 1930 London Naval Treaty. As worldwide tensions increased, Japan and Italy left the treaty structure in 1936. With the collapse of the agreement, the US Navy commenced designing a new, larger type of aircraft carrier and one which drew from the lessons learned from the Yorktown-class. The resulting class was longer and wider as well as included a deck-edge elevator. This had been used earlier on USS  Wasp (CV-7). In addition to carrying a larger number of aircraft, the new design mounted a greatly enhanced anti-aircraft armament. Dubbed the Essex-class, the lead ship, USS  Essex (CV-9), was laid down in April 1941. This was followed by USS Oriskany (CV-18) which was laid down on March 18, 1942, at Bethlehem Steels Fore River Ship Yard in Quincy, MA. Over the next year and a half, the carriers hull rose on the ways. In the fall of 1942, Oriskanys name was changed to Wasp to recognize the carrier of the same name which had been torpedoed by I-19 in the Southwest Pacific. Launched on August 17, 1943, Wasp entered the water with Julia M. Walsh, daughter of Massachusetts Senator David I. Walsh, serving as sponsor. With World War II raging, workers pushed to finish the carrier and it entered commission on November 24, 1943, with Captain Clifton A. F. Sprague in command. USS Wasp (CV-18) Overview Nation: United StatesType: Aircraft CarrierShipyard: Bethlehem Steel - Fore River ShipyardLaid Down: March 18, 1942Launched: August 17, 1943Commissioned: November 24, 1943Fate: Scrapped 1973 Specifications Displacement: 27,100 tonsLength: 872 ft.Beam: 93 ft.Draft: 34 ft., 2 in.Propulsion: 8 Ãâ€" boilers, 4 Ãâ€" Westinghouse geared steam turbines, 4 Ãâ€" shaftsSpeed: 33 knotsComplement: 2,600 men Armament 4 Ãâ€" twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns4 Ãâ€" single 5 inch 38 caliber guns8 Ãâ€" quadruple 40 mm 56 caliber guns46 Ãâ€" single 20 mm 78 caliber guns90-100 aircraft Entering Combat Following a shakedown cruise and alterations in the yard, Wasp conducted training in the Caribbean before departing for the Pacific in March 1944. Arriving at Pearl Harbor in early April, the carrier continued training then sailed for Majuro where it joined Vice Admiral Marc Mitschers Fast Carrier Task Force. Mounting raids against Marcus and Wake Islands to test tactics in late May, Wasp commenced operations against the Marianas the following month as its planes struck Tinian and Saipan. On June 15, aircraft from the carrier supported Allied forces as they landed in the opening actions of the Battle of Saipan. Four days later, Wasp saw action during the stunning American victory at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. On June 21, the carrier and USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) were detached to mop up fleeing Japanese forces. Though searching, they were not able to locate the departing enemy. War in the Pacific Moving north in July, Wasp attacked Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima before returning to the Marianas to launch strikes against Guam and Rota. That September, the carrier began operations against the Philippines before shifting to support the Allied landings on Peleliu. Replenishing at Manus after this campaign, Wasp and Mitschers carriers swept through the Ryukyus before raiding Formosa in early October. This done, the carriers began raids against Luzon to prepare for General Douglas MacArthurs landings on Leyte. On October 22, two days after the landings commenced, Wasp departed the area to replenish at Ulithi. Three days later, with the Battle of Leyte Gulf raging, Admiral William Bull Halsey directed the carrier to return to the area to provide assistance. Racing west, Wasp took part in the later actions of the battle before again departing for Ulithi on October 28. The remainder of the fall was spent operating against the Philippines and in mid-December, the carrier weathered a severe t yphoon. Resuming operations, Wasp supported landings at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon in January 1945, before taking part in a raid through the South China Sea. Steaming north in February, the carrier attacked Tokyo before turning to cover the invasion of Iwo Jima. Remaining in the area for several days, Wasps pilot provided ground support for the Marines ashore. After replenishing, the carrier returned to Japanese waters in mid-March and began raids against the home islands. Coming under frequent air attack, Wasp sustained a severe bomb hit on March 19. Conducting temporary repairs, the crew kept the ship operational for several days before it was withdrawn. Arriving at Puget Sound Navy Yard on April 13, Wasp remained inactive until mid-July. Fully repaired, Wasp steamed west July 12 and attacked Wake Island. Rejoining the Fast Carrier Task Force, it again began raids against Japan. These continued until the suspension of hostilities on August 15. Ten days later, Wasp endured a second typhoon though it sustained damage to its bow. With the end of the war, the carrier sailed for Boston where it was fitted with extra accommodations for 5,900 men. Placed in service as part of Operation Magic Carpet, Wasp sailed for Europe to aid in returning American soldiers home. With the end of this duty, it entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet in February 1947. This inactivity proved brief as it moved to the New York Navy Yard the following year for an SCB-27 conversion to allow it to handle the US Navys new jet aircraft. Postwar Years Joining the Atlantic Fleet in November 1951, Wasp collided with USS Hobson five months later and sustained severe damage to its bow. Quickly repaired, the carrier spent the year in the Mediterranean and conducting training exercises in the Atlantic. Moved to the Pacific in late 1953, Wasp operated in the Far East for much of the next two years. In early 1955, it covered the evacuation of the Tachen Islands by Nationalist Chinese forces before departing for San Francisco. Entering the yard, Wasp underwent an SCB-125 conversion which saw the addition of an angled flight deck and a hurricane bow. This work was finished late that fall and the carrier resumed operations in December. Returning to the Far East in 1956, Wasp was redesignated as an antisubmarine warfare carrier on November 1. Transferring to the Atlantic, Wasp spent the rest of the decade conducting routine operations and exercises. These included forays into the Mediterranean and working with other NATO forces. After aiding a United Nations airlift in Congo during 1960, the carrier returned to normal duties. In the fall of 1963, Wasp entered the Boston Naval Shipyard for a Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization overhaul. Completed in early 1964, it conducted a European cruise later that year. Returning to the East Coast it recovered Gemini IV on June 7, 1965, at the completion of its spaceflight. Reprising this role, it recovered Geminis VI and VII that December. After delivering the spacecraft to port, Wasp departed Boston in January 1966 for exercises off Puerto Rico. Encountering severe seas, the carrier suffered structural damage and following an examination at its destination soon returned north for repairs. After these were completed, Wasp resumed normal activities before recovering Gemini IX in June 1966. In November, the carrier again fulfilled a role for NASA when it brought on board Gemini XII. Overhauled in 1967, Wasp remained in the yard until early 1968. Over the next two years, the carrier operated in the Atlantic while making some voyages to Europe and participating in NATO exercises. These types of activities continued into the early 1970s when it was decided to remove the Wasp from service. In port at Quonset Point, RI for the final months of 1971, the carrier was formally decommissioned on July 1, 1972. Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register, Wasp was sold for scrap on May 21, 1973. Sources DANFS: USS Wasp (CV-18)NavSource: USS Wasp (CV-18)USS Wasp Association