Navy Ombudsmen recognized for their contributions A way to say, 'Thanks'

The event began with the national anthem presented by MU2 Mallory McKendry of Navy Band Southeast, followed by the invocation delivered by NAS Jax Chaplain (Lt.) Buster Williams. New NAS Jax Family Ombudsman Chair Vivian Alcott was master of ceremonies.

NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. welcomed the guests. "Today, we celebrate the 38th anniversary of the family ombudsman program and I want to thank the NAS Jacksonville-based ombudsmen who work so tirelessly every day to improve family readiness. Our warfighters and the leadership aboard this base could not be successful without you -so we are sincerely grateful for your service," said Scorby.

As the guests enjoyed their lunch, NAS Jax Command Master Chief CMDCM(SW/SS) Jeff Hudson took the podium.

''I'm here today as your guest speaker because you won't find anyone else in any command or squadron who is more appreciative of the family ombudsman than a command master chief. We absolutely understand what they do for us and it helps make our job a lot easier,'' said Hudson. "Recently, the fleet master chiefs all got together and came up with six areas they believe the senior enlisted leadership needs to concentrate on. They identified the sponsorship, indoctrination, career development, ombudsman, mentorship and recognition programs as the most important aspects of making sure we take care of our Sailors."

NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. presents Consolidated Maintenance Organization Eleven's Ombudsman Ellie Teevan with a letter of appreciation at the luncheon.

"The first ombudsman program officially started in the Nordic countries when the kings there designated a person to take complaints of the peasants to try to keep them happy," continued Hudson. "Today in America, there are several states and big businesses that have formal ombudsman programs. So how did CNO Adm. Elmo Zumwalt create the Navy Family Ombudsman program in 1970? He decided an ombudsman would be a family member, because much of the information from command leadership to the Sailors never got to their family members. But, he realized they had to have training in order to funnel information from commanding officers -and so they could identify what were and were not legitimate concerns."

"And, since we were doing this training, lets also train them to help the family members to help themselves by pointing them in the right direction. And, if we were going to go that far, lets train them because they are often first responders during emergencies. So the ombudsman program has come a long way in 38 years," Hudson stated.

''We're here to give recognition to our ombudsmen who offer their support and guidance to keep Sailors and their families informed of what's going on at the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and the base,'' explained Wilhelmina Nash, FFSC education training facilitator and ombudsman coordinator and trainer.

''They are a vital link between the command and families. In time of war, they keep the military spouse informed of the status of the squadrons and arrange for teleconferences. They offer a lot of support and refer Navy families to various support agencies for assistance, ensuring that the families feel connected and that their needs are being met,'' she continued.

Ella George of the Navy Wives Club #86 presents a gift bag to HS-3 Ombudsman Freddy Cole during the annual event held to honor ombudsmen from NAS Jacksonville and tenant commands.

Each ombudsman in attendance was presented with a letter of appreciation from Scorby, along with a special gift bag courtesy of the USO, Navy Exchange and Navy Wives Club No. 86.

Nash reminded the audience that today's Navy Family Ombudsman program is a vital program that commanding officers around the world have come to value as an important part of their organizations.

The Navy ombudsman keeps the line of communication open between commanding officers and command master chiefs who must deal with the challenges that military family members experience while separated. The ombudsman is instrumental in squelching rumors with accurate and timely information, and keeps families informed of squadron movements, so forward-deployed crews can meet their commitments knowing that their family members are safe and secure. Navy Family Ombudsman Appreciation Day is celebrated Sept. 14 around the world to recognize the thousands of ombudsmen who help those military families in need.