NAS Sigonella Celebrates its Ombudsmen

By Lt. Cmdr. Steven Hervey / NAS Sigonella Chaplain

September was Ombudsmen Appreciation Month, and in my experience as a chaplain, there are a lot of things our Ombudsmen do that deserve our full appreciation. As I think about the value that ombudsmen bring, I wonder how to possibly quantify their value. After researching the subject, I discovered three key phrases that helped in this journey.

The first phrase I found was “critical communication.” Whether it’s sharing information from the command to the family members, sharing concerns of the family members to the commands, or telling people about base events and resources, ombudsmen are a critical link in the communication chain. Their communication efforts improve lives, smooth transitions, ease tensions, and connect people with vital resources to help them flourish.

The second phrase was “family success.” The ombudsman program is made up of successful military spouses with successful families mentoring others as they enjoy, endure, and at times even despise the military lifestyle. Ombudsmen help families succeed because they have been through similar challenges before. They’ve been there when the ship pulled away from the pier and disappeared on the horizon. They’ve lived the “single parent” life during deployments, work-ups, field exercises, and overnight duty. They understand the difficulties of the military but also the successes like promotions, awards, and the opportunity we all have to “join the Navy and see the world.” Ombudsmen are able to take the lessons they’ve learned, the trials they’ve overcome, and the successes they’ve experienced and pass them along to lead others toward family success.

The final phrase was “priceless asset,” which ultimately answers the question, “How do you quantify the value of an ombudsman?” And the answer is, “You can’t!” Ombudsmen have access to people that commanders, chiefs, and chaplains may never meet. They provide information that others can’t. They experience things that others can only talk about, and they help commands solve problems. And they do it all on a volunteer basis. Nobody makes them, nobody pays them, and many times nobody even thanks them for the priceless work they do day after day.

There is not a price tag large enough to quantify their value and I consider it an honor to work side by side with each of these “priceless assets” in all they do for us at Sigonella.