December 2011/January 2012 - Navy
By Dave Bradley
The phrase “The Navy Takes Care of Its
Own” is more applicable now than
ever before. In addition to the family
support available from the individual’s
command (Ombudsman, Legal Affairs, etc) the
Navy established Commander, Navy Installations
Command (CNIC) to consolidate the myriad of
shore commands under a single command
structure reporting to the CNO.
While CNIC is responsible for energy management,
admin services, base support, some
contracting and support of the fleet, a major
component is that of fleet and family readiness.
Programs under this activity deal with policy
development, resourcing and oversight of qualityof-
life programs for Sailors and their families.
The fleet readiness activity manages the
MWR programs as well as all forms of billeting
(recreational and temporary lodging, too), as
well as all food services.
Family readiness provides programs and
services through Fleet and Family Support
Centers (FFSC), such as relocation assistance,
information and referral, financial management counseling,
spouse employment services, family advocacy and
the transition assistance program. They also provide
child development centers, the child development home
program and youth and teen centers.
Deployment support is provided predeployment,
during deployment, and return and reintegration through
Family Readiness Groups that bundle key support services
such as ombudsmen, Fleet and Family Support Centers,
chaplains, school liaison officers and child development
centers at the command level.
In addition to the expected medical services, FFSC
also provide a wide range of counseling services such as
short-term clinical counseling for individuals, groups, and
families, crisis intervention and/or response to disasters
and other catastrophes, and group counseling and/or
educational groups.
Military and personal career development is addressed
through the Career Options and Navy Skills Evaluation
Program (CONSEP) which offers present and future
Navy leaders the tools necessary to manage their military
careers effectively. The First Term Career Accelerator
Workshop identified for Sailors having 3-6 years of service
time and the Mid-Term Workshop for Sailors who have
between 6 to 12 years of service chart a course for a
thorough career review. The training topics provide vital
information on career-making decisions, upward mobility,
college and certification opportunities, apprenticeships,
financial management, and investment strategies which
will enhance your ability to achieve personal and professional
success.
The Navy’s Personal Financial Management
program addresses the financial education needs
of Sailors and their families and addresses the
Navy’s need to keep personnel focused on
mission readiness through information and
referral, education and training and financial
counseling. Working with a Command Financial
Specialist (CFS), the individual learns the
details of identity theft, how to avoid predatory
lending, how to budget and set up a spending
plan and create a financial planning worksheet,
the basics of saving and investing, and how
to be an aware consumer.
Military families face employment challenges
not experienced in the civilian sector. The Family
Employment Readiness Program (FERP)
addresses those challenges in basic workshops
that include topics about launching a job search,
career planning, resume writing, interview techniques
and provides connections to resources
such as the Military Spouse Employment Partnership,
Military One Source, and the Military
Spouse Corporate Career network to assist.
While ships, commands, and units deploy and return
with the needs of the families addressed by the infrastructure
described above, the Individual Augmentee was, oftentimes,
left to his/her own devices. Recognizing this shortfall, the
FFSC has developed programs directed at their specific
needs, such as the IA Family Handbook, Deployment Readiness
Briefs, IA Family Discussion, the Family Connection
Newsletter and the Families of Warriors in Transition
Homecoming Program. The Deployment Readiness Brief
discusses what happens once orders are received, the
challenges unique to an IA deployment and how to create
a plan to ensure success. The Individual Augmentee Web
site (http://www.ia.navy.mil/) is designed to connect
individuals, their family, their command and their employer
to mobilization information.
This Web site identifies resources that guides the individual
through areas to provide support to the IA Sailor,
Family, Command, and Employer throughout the IA
Continuum (Predeployment, Man, Train, and Equip,
Boots on Ground, and Redeployment (demobilization)
phases). In addition, this Web site connects them to the IA
Facebook and Twitter pages, where they can ask questions
and share knowledge with other IAs and IA families.
The drop-down menu on the left side of the site allows
access to valuable information for the family. Items
covered are Pay and benefits, emergency services, support
networks, IA family events, chaplain support, familygrams
(monthly items of interest and updates), and Navy
Operational Stress Control (two Web sites concerning
stress and how to avoid and cope).The Navy really does
take care of its own and never, never hesitate to ask.