Military life, especially in an overseas environment, can be overwhelming as it is exciting. There are frequent moves, deployments, and a limited support system, as well as navigating a foreign country in a foreign language. These were some of the reasons that the Navy Ombudsman Program was established by then-Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. E.R. Zumwalt Jr in 1970. The program’s mission is to “serve as an information link between command leadership and Navy families” for all Navy installations – stateside and abroad – in addition to providing a support system to families.
“The mission of the Navy Ombudsman Program focuses on improving family readiness by opening lines of communication between command and families, information and referral, and providing an avenue for leadership to stay informed about the welfare of command families,” explained Monica Gonzalez, command ombudsman coordinator for Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota.
Ombudsmen are volunteers appointed by the commanding officer to improve mission readiness through their support of Navy families. They receive training through Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) Rota to learn their role on disseminating information and providing information on Navy services that enhance the quality of life for the families.
Gonzalez works with 18 ombudsmen and 2 U.S. Air Force key spouses here in Rota as well as 3 sites outside Spain. She also recruits, trains and mentors new ombudsmen as well as provides support to veteran ombudsmen. Gonzalez also facilitates the monthly assembly between NAVSTA Rota commanding officer and command master chief with the ombudsmen to discuss issues, learn about resources, and bring concerns to leadership.
“The ombudsman program is vital to the well-being of military families,” said Laura Waite, ombudsman for Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Rota. “We provide a critical support network, offering information, resources, and a compassionate listening ear. By building strong relationships and addressing concerns, we contribute to the overall readiness and resilience of our military community.”
Waite has been an ombudsman for eight years and has previously served as an ombudsman at Naval Hospital Okinawa and Naval Medical Training Support Center in San Antonio, Texas before serving as NMRTC Rota.
“The ombudsman role presents unique challenges, such as balancing the needs of individual families with the overall goals of the command,” she said. “Additionally, navigating the complexities of military life and understanding the diverse experiences of our families can be demanding. For family members, common challenges include frequent moves, deployments, and balancing the demands of military life with personal and professional commitments.”
Waite was looking for additional ways to give back to the local community so she jumped on the opportunity to serve as ombudsman chair for NAVSTA Rota. The ombudsman chair is a veteran ombudsman who mentors newer ombudsman, serves as a back-up ombudsman for Rota departments and supported commands, and supports the ombudsmen in their roles.
“I was eager to take on the ombudsman assembly chair role because I saw it as an opportunity to significantly strengthen our ombudsman program,” she said. “By collaborating closely with other ombudsmen, we can share best practices, identify shared challenges, and develop innovative solutions to better support our military families.”
One of her main goals in the role is finding ways to strengthen the support network for the families – especially in an overseas environment. With her fellow ombudsmen and key spouses, they make up a team that is passionate about helping their community.
Jessica Sanchez, ombudsman for the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), said it was her background in mental health and helping others that led her to the ombudsman program. While she had not considered volunteering for the ombudsman program before Rota, she said that it has been a good fit.
“I would say navigating my own life while my husband is out on patrol is one thing,” said Sanchez. “But it's a whole new ball game figuring out how to better support our families here while a ship is deployed (especially in this current climate).”
For the Bulkeley community, Sanchez recognized the key challenges as communication with the families and a support system. Because of this, she created a monthly newsletter that includes updates from the ship’s commanding officer, events around the installation, base resources and information, volunteer opportunities, and more. She also created a phone group where families can share activities or clubs to garner interest and participation, and to strengthen their local community and support system.
Megan Kyle, ombudsman for USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) which will homeport shift to Rota later this year, said her appointment as her command’s ombudsman was from a more logistical standpoint as her husband is the homeport shift coordinator. However, as a chaplain wife, she was used to providing support and care to her communities so she is naturally comfortable in this role.
Kyle is part of a co-team with the other ombudsman remaining in Norfolk, Virginia, until the final push of personnel to Rota. Since Kyle arrived as part of the advance team, she has been putting together information and checklists to assist inbound Sailors and families.
“Getting here, the medical screening takes a toll stress-wise,” said Kyle. “My husband and I created documents to help the Sailors and their families keep everything organized and gave them a template plan of what to achieve and when, which has helped to ease some of the stress upon arrival.”
She is also on hand to welcome families immediately upon arrival and help them in settling here. As more families arrive, her role will change to provide more local information, events, and resources.
In honor of Ombudsman Appreciation Day on September 14, Gonzalez wants to recognize the contribution that these volunteers provide to their communities.
“I would personally like to thank all our Ombudsman and Key Spouses, past and present, for their dedication to the program,” said Gonzalez. “Many people do not realize Ombudsman and Key Spouses are volunteers and devote countless hours to supporting our families.”
As the "Gateway to the Mediterranean,” NAVSTA Rota provides U.S., NATO and allied forces a strategic hub for operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. NAVSTA Rota is a force multiplier, capable of promptly deploying and supporting combat-ready forces through land, air and sea, enabling warfighters and their families, sustaining the fleet and fostering the U.S. and Spanish partnership.
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.16.2024 09:00 |
| Story ID: | 480937 |
| Location: | ES |
| Web Views: | 48 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Providing Support to Military Families in Rota, Spain: Navy Ombudsman Program, by Courtney Pollock, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
