Direct Line

NAS Sigonella Command Master Chief Nancy Estrada

Sigonella, we support you!!! With our new installation mental health resource list now being widely publicized, I want to add my full support for utilizing the support systems available at NAS Sigonella. We have a vast network of resources for nearly any issue, big or small, that you can conceive of.

Starting from the least formal support available, we have our wonderful chaplains who are approachable, caring individuals and great listeners. Regardless of your religious affinity (or lack thereof), know that you can have a 100% confidential conversation with our chaplains. They are also a super resource if you don’t know who to turn to in order to solve a specific problem and you are concerned with privacy during your quest for knowledge. You can quite literally talk to them about ANYTHING.

Another mode of support is participating in volunteer activities. Sound weird? Well, you can actually gain a LOT of positive vibes from helping others routinely. Not only will you feel good for helping someone else in (possibly) greater need than yourself, but it can help you feel more grateful for what is going well in your own life. Contact the base community relations director, Dr. Alberto Lunetta at 335-779-0451 to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

In the preventative realm, we have the Fleet and Family Support Center and the CREDO team. FFSC offers classes that can help you improve on a wide range of topics—personal, family, financial, or business. They also offer services to support you in times of personal crisis like providing the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and Victim Advocates as well as Family Advocacy Program counselors. They also offer non-medical professional counseling for families, couples, and individuals.

The Chaplain Religious Enrichment Development Operation (aka CREDO) also offers a wide array of training programs that can be tailored to your group or command at YOUR desired location! Additionally, they offer an assortment of resiliency retreats which are FABULOUS! For a full list, check out CREDO Sigonella at www. facebook.com/CREDOSIG or contact Mr. Richard Graves at DSN 624-3806. And then they also offer several options for group guided meditation classes at both bases and Marinai, during the lunch hour and evenings! Come check it out and sit still for 20 minutes or so and reap the documented benefits of four hours of sleep in that space of time!

Rounding up the list with the serious care, we have mental healthcare providers at the NAS I hospital. They are here to evaluate and treat mental health issues that you or your family members might be experiencing. Don’t let this intimidate you! This is also an excellent resource for you to find alternate, supportive means that can augment what your provider recommends or prescribes for you. Of course, if you have any suicidal thoughts, you should immediately seek care at the NAS I emergency room.

What all of this means is that you and your family have a wide range of options available to you 24/7. This is certainly one area of self-care that you do not want to skimp on. If you know someone who is struggling personally, reach out to them and let them know their options. Maybe share own your experience taking advantage of support options that you have needed and the positive results that you have enjoyed. Pause to ask those around you how they are doing, and mean it—and REALLY share how YOU are doing, too.