Aug. 23, 2013
Vol. 2 Issue 86
Story and photo illustration by MCSA Andrew W. Price
T
he Navy has always taken a stand against the problems facing its members, and currently in the crosshairs is sexual assault and suicide. Leadership aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) has taken it one step further. Instead of extended training sessions and online courses, they have created a new approach; a conversation. “We created Five Star Plan because we wanted to get our Sailors and Marines to look out for each other and increase awareness around suicide, stress resilience, alcohol and sexual assault,” said Lt. Lara Myers, the psychologist on board Nimitz. The Five Star Plan is presented to Sailors bi-weekly by their chains of command, usually at the work center supervisor level.
These questions are presented in a way to elicit a response and create a conversation through questions, scenarios and facts. “These conversations are meant to raise awareness of these issues at the lowest level possible,” said Cmdr. John Moore, the senior medical officer on board. “There are people on our ship who are struggling with these problems and we want them to know that there are people on this ship who care for them and they can talk to.” After this information is disseminated by the chain of command, Sailors and Marines can find pamphlets on the mess decks that engage the same topics. “We hope Sailors and Marines can find these while they are getting chow, glance Continued on page 3