During Military Family Month, we pay tribute and offer thanks to our military families We honor their service to our country and recognize the extraordinary ways in which they give of them-selves. Some endure hard separations during multiple deployments.  Spouses suspend their careers or strive to balance work and family while their loved ones are away.  Millions of military children work hard to maintain their studies and make new friends, despite changing school systems six to nine times before graduation.

Service members help keep our nation safe from threats at home and abroad, but our

Military Family Month: Honoring Heroes on the Home Front

security is not maintained by those in uniform alone.  We are stronger and safer thanks to the millions of military family members who provide support and make sacrifices day in and day out.

In 2015, President Barack Obama declared November as Military Family Month. View his proclamation here. The Fleet and Family Support Program would like to thank all military families for the tremendous contributions and sacrifices they make in support of our service members and our nation. We honor our “heroes on the home front.”

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Family Connection is a publication of the Fleet and Family Support Program.

The Navy's Fleet and Family Support Program promotes the self-reliance and resilience of Sailors and their families. We provide information that can help you meet the unique challenges of the military lifestyle.

The appearance of external links in this newsletter does not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. Navy or Department of Defense.

If you have questions or comments, contact the Fleet and Family Support Program, ffsp.fct@navy.mil.

Visit us online at:

TheCenterFleet & Family Support

ContentsVice Admiral Smith Signs Domestic Violence Awareness Proclamation

Keep Your Kids Safe

Navy Safe Havens and Evacuations

Now is the Time to Create a Holiday Spending Plan

2016 Mrs. Sybil Stockdale Ombudsman of the Year Event

What are You Thankful For?

USPS Releases Military Holiday Mail Dates

Returning Warrior Workshops (RWW)Returning Warrior Workshop Schedule and IA Family Events — www.ia.navy.mil. Click “Resources” then “IA Services.”

U.S. Navy Individual Augmentees

IA Discussion Group Schedule View the Fleet-wide list of classes, sup-port groups and events.

Vice Admiral Smith Signs Domestic Violence Awareness Proclamation Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) held a proclamation signing and remembrance ceremony on Oct. 5 to recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The remembrance event was held at the Washington Navy Yard, where Commander, Navy Installations Command, Vice Adm. Dixon Smith signed a proclamation outlining the dangers and effects of domestic violence.

“Our dedicated Fleet and Family Support Centers’ staffs encourage our Sailors, their families and the whole Navy community to nurture healthy relationships while provid-ing programs and services to prevent domestic violence,” said Smith.

According to the proclamation, Domestic Violence Awareness Month is observed to inform the community about the damage caused by domestic violence to individuals,

children, long-term health, work productiv-ity and community safety. Mr. William Kellibrew, a victim of domestic violence at age 10, was the guest speaker and spoke of his personal tragedy.

“Family advocacy is a congressionally-man-dated program that provides prevention and intervention to military families that are involved in domestic abuse,” said Lolita Allen, Family Advocacy program manager. “We provide services in terms of treatment for offenders and victims, and for children who have witnessed domestic violence.”

Licensed clinical counselors provide services and support to help couples build their relationship skills and work through com-mon relationship problems at installation Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSCs) located across the Navy, both within the United States and overseas. For example,

they can help couples meet par-enting challenges through every stage of a child’s life. Visit www.ffsp.navy.mil for more information. View the full article at http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=9704.

Keep Your Kids SafeFor most parents, school is back in full swing. Everyone has busy schedules filled with work, after-school activities and the everyday hustle and bustle of life. When you have a deployed spouse, and have to take on re-sponsibilities generally shared by two people, things can get a bit overwhelming. Being familiar with available resources can have a significant positive impact on your quality of life during deployment, and support healthy family relationships to last a lifetime.

You may wonder: is it okay to leave your child home alone for a few minutes or a few hours before/after school? Maybe you need to run out for a quick errand, but you don’t want to load up the kids for such a short trip. Do you know the legal guidelines for leaving your child unsupervised in your home?

Many states and Installations set guidelines to help parents make such judgments, but no single factor determines whether a child is safe alone. Before leaving a child home alone, you should evaluate his/her maturity level, get familiar with your Installation and state guidelines, develop a safety plan and more. The Child Welfare Information Gateway resource offers some great tips and resources that will help you get the answers you need. Additionally, there are options available to military families to help meet childcare needs.

For assistance or more information, you may also consider visiting http://www.miltaryonesource.mil or contact your local FFSC Family Advocacy Program. Get the information and resources that you need, and keep kids safe.

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New Spouse OrientationNew Spouse Orientation is offered as an on-demand course designed to support new Navy spouses. It provides informa-tion on benefits, support services, military culture and resources to help spouses adapt to the military lifestyle.

Relocation TipHow do I find the per diem rate for (city, county, state)? Visit www.gsa.gov/perdiem to find the rates. Click on the state of interest to view that state’s rates.

Helpful Tips from the Family Employment Readiness Program (FERP)Establishing and Maintaining References. Many employers require job applicants to provide references. Learn how to select references and maintain your reference list. When you move, you may not have a network of references in your new location during your job search. References from your previous locations can help highlight your star qualities to potential employers. Visit https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/Portal/Content/View/1447 to learn more.

JSS Dial-in Access 24/7?

1-877-JSS-NOW1(577-6691)

www.jointservicessupport.org

JSSJoint Services Support

What do the forecast of a hurricane, afteref-fects of an earthquake and large-scale release of radioactivity all have in common? Each of these and many other events can cause large-scale voluntary and Navy-directed evacuations.

Navy regional and installation emergency management organizations have plans and procedures for coordinating the movement of personnel and family members to safe havens or civilian shelters in the event of an emergency. If you evacuate before, during or after an emergency, where should you go?

A local safe haven is a facility onboard the installation that provides temporary protec-tion during large-scale incidents, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Safe havens may be identified in emergency management plans, but usually are not identified publicly until immediately before or during an actual emergency when movement to official civilian shelters may not be possible. Local safe havens usually consist of shared-use facilities, such as auditoriums, gyms, schools and similar structures.

A remote safe haven is a facility onboard a geographically distant DOD installation or facility that provides short- to medium-term lodging of displaced personnel during large-scale incidents, such as hurricanes and extended wildfires. Remote safe havens may be identified in emergency management plans and usually are identified but not activated until the evacuation has been or-dered. Remote safe havens often consist of civilian or military lodging/housing facilities, including bachelor quarters and hotels.

A shelter is a publicly identified, certified, supplied, staffed and insured mass care facility where endangered people can find temporary protection for a limited time. Navy regions and installations do not devel-op, maintain and operate certified shelters. Instead, they coordinate shelter needs with appropriate state, local, host-nation and private agencies. The American Red Cross is

the principal U.S. resource for development, management and operation of certified shelters. Certified shelters within the local community are preferred over safe haven facilities onboard an installation. Plans are coordinated with local authorities and may include provision for food, water, medicines and security.

If you evacuate to a safe haven or shelter, take your emergency supply kit with you. If a disaster is declared, be sure to muster in with your command or through the Navy Family Accountability and Assistance System. For more information on how to prepare for emergency actions such as an evacuation, visit http://www.ready.navy.mil.

Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Tony Guiette carries bags for U.S. military family members arriving at Jacksonville International Airport in March 2011 after voluntarily evacuating from Japan. The evacuees met family and friends who live in the area. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Gary Granger Jr./Released.)

Navy Safe Havens and Evacuations

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Now is the Time to Create a Holiday Spending PlanIf you have not noticed holiday items in the stores yet, you probably have not gone shopping lately. Retailers are expecting holi-day sales to increase this year, and are doing everything they can to entice consumers to make that happen. They are on their game to sell, sell, sell; are you on your game to save and spend wisely? If you have not started yet, now is the time to create a plan for holiday saving and spending.

Things to consider:

• Decide in advance how much can you afford to spend.

• Make a list of all your holiday ex-penses, not just the gifts!

• Create a strategy to stick to your shopping lists.

• Avoid debt by paying cash and stick-ing to spending limits.

Are you ready? The holiday season will be in full swing before you know it. Take the time to make your preparations now! Set a goal. Make a plan. Save automatically – for the holidays!

For more information, go to www.mili-tarysaves.org or contact your local Fleet and Family Support Center to attend the “How to survive the Holidays Financially” class. For a location near you, go to www.ffsp.navy.mil.

The 2016 Mrs. Sybil Stockdale Ombudsman of the Year recipients were formally recognized Sept. 29 at the Hampton Roads Ombudsman Appreciation Dinner sponsored by the Navy League. The awards, presented by Chief of Naval Opera-tions Adm. John Richardson and his wife, Dana, recognized four of the Navy’s top ombudsmen who served their commands and families with selfless dedication and commitment to family readiness.

The awardees were nominated by their commanding officers. They are pictured left to right:

• Elaine Allen, ombudsman for Navy Operational Support Center North Island, representing all Reserve commands under Commander, Navy Reserve Force.

• Amy Anderson, ombudsman for Commander, Submarine Force, Atlantic, representing all naval shore activities in the Navy.

• Julie Pratt, ombudsman for SEAL Team ONE, representing sea commands under Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

• Kelly Sperry, ombudsman for USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) representing sea commands under Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

All four recipients expressed appreciation for the award.

“To be an ombudsman means to be there for the families,” said Anderson. “I don’t do what I do for the recognition, I love what I do. I can’t imagine not being an ombudsman.”

“Being an ombudsman means being a friend and a part of the family. It means to be there when you are needed,” said Pratt. “This award is above anything I ever imag-ined. It’s amazing.”

“It’s a special honor,” said Allen. “I’ve known the Stockdales for about 30 years and there were never two finer warriors. This really means a lot.”

“It’s an honor to serve our families,” said Sperry. “Receiving this award is an honor. If it weren’t for the families, I wouldn’t be here.”

This award is named in honor of Mrs.Sybil Stockdale; the late widow of Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale. The award memorial-izes her steadfast support to families of prisoners of war (POW) throughout her hus-band’s seven-year internment in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. She became a co-founder and national coordinator of the National League of Families (now The National League of POW/MIA families), a nonprofit organization that works on behalf of American Vietnam-era missing in action (MIA) and prisoner of war (POW) Families. For many years, Mrs. Stockdale was the orga-nization’s liaison to the White House and the Department of Defense.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Cruz contrib-uted to this story.

2016 Mrs. Sybil Stockdale Ombudsman of the Year Event

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What are You Thankful For?As the holidays approach, Navy Community Recreation is talking with Sailors and family members about what they are thankful for. Is Navy Community Recreation on your list?

Our top five reasons to be thankful for Navy Community Recreation this holiday season (and many seasons to come) are:

1. Navy Community Recreation delivers fun and dynamic leisure choices for Sailors and their families at their installations through-out the world.

2. Navy Community Recreation gets you to the great outdoors, especially with the start of their newest program, the Navy Great Campout. Starting this summer, Installations throughout the world promoted camp-ing, hiking, cooking over a fire, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, water rafting, mountain biking and many more outdoor adventure activities.

3. Navy Community brings the best of recre-ation programming, staffing and equipment into a consolidated program for better customer service, higher-quality leisure expe-riences and efficient use of MWR resources.

4. Navy Community Recreation is a program on every installation that helps service members and their families find “More Ways to Recreate.” Navy Community Recreation encompasses outdoor recreation, tickets and travel, and parks and picnic areas at 75 installations worldwide.

5. Navy Community Recreation strives to create memories, increase socialization and improve well-being in the Navy community by making recreational opportunities avail-able both inside and outside the fence lines.

Navy Community Recreation hopes that you are thankful for Navy Community Recreation this year. If Navy Community Recreation was not on your mind this holiday season, we hope we are now and that Navy Community Recreation will bring you joy in recreation this holiday season.

USPS Releases Military Holiday Mail DatesHoliday Package Deadlines Announced

Thousands of Service members will be deployed this holiday season. If you want to send care packages or gifts, you need to know the deadlines.

To ensure delivery of holiday cards and gifts by Dec. 25, the Postal Service recommends that mail be sent to military APO/FPO/DPO addresses no later than the mailing dates listed below.

Military Mail Addressed

To and From

Priority Mail

Express Military Service

(PMEMS)1

First Class Mail

Letters and

CardsPriority

Mail

Parcel Airlift Mail

(PAL)2

Space Available

Mail (SAM)3

USPS Retail

Ground

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 090-092 Dec 16 Dec 09 Dec 09 Dec 02 Nov 25 Nov 07

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP 093 N/A Dec 02 Dec 02 Dec 02 Nov 25 Nov 07

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 094-098 Dec 16 Dec 09 Dec 09 Dec 02 Nov 25 Nov 07

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIP 340 Dec 16 Dec 09 Dec 09 Dec 02 Nov 25 Nov 07

APO/FPO/DPO AE ZIPs 962-966 Dec 16 Dec 09 Dec 09 Dec 02 Nov 25 Nov 07

According to a USPS press release, the Postal Service offers a discounted price of $16.75 on its largest Priority Mail flat rate box. The price includes a $2 per box discount for mail sent to APO/FPO/DPO (Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office) destinations worldwide. You may order a Military Care Kit by calling 800-610-8734.

Priority Mail flat rate boxes are available at no cost at local post offices and online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship at usps.com/ship.

Learn more at http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2016/pr16_080.htm.

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