YOKOSUKA, Japan (July 3, 2009) Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick West has an Ombudsman's call at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. West met with spouses from the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), the guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) to talk about any issues or concerns they may have. West is on a ten-day tour of Japan, his first visit since taking the position as MCPON. U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Jennifer A. Villalovos

Navy ombudsman linked up with commanders, families
7/23/2009
by Bruce Moody
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Commanding officers and Navy ombudsmen have a greater ability to have real-time communication with each other and with senior Navy leadership, thanks to recent upgrades to a website called the Ombudsman Registry.

The registry was established by Task Force Navy Family in August 2005 in response to the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region. Its initial purpose was to identify and manage command ombudsman assignments for recall purposes.

The recent upgrades include the addition of new services for high-level senior leadership commanders. It gives review authorization and direct communication to Type I and Type II commanders to review commands that fall under their area of responsibility. This review authority is also available to fleet and force master chiefs.

The master chief petty officer of the Navy will be able to send real-time updates and information to commanders, command designees, ombudsmen and ombudsman coordinators so they can keep Navy families up-to-date on resources, information and program changes.

Commanders are provided quantitative data based on ombudsmen worksheet submissions about their contact with families, senior leadership and local organizations. This data gives them a view into areas of interest and concern, allowing them to adjust their focus and energy as needed. The data also helps to justify much needed funding for the ombudsman program to make improvements and upgrades to training platforms, equipment, conferences and publications.

The Ombudsman Registry is located at www.ombudsmanregistry.org.

Navy families are encouraged to use the "Contact Your Ombudsman" feature that will assist them in finding their ombudsman quickly if they are getting ready to transfer and want to reach the ombudsman at their gaining command. The "Contact Your Ombudsman" feature does not require registration.

Commands are required to register, assign themselves and their ombudsmen and ensure that required worksheet data is entered into the registry per OPNAVINST 1750.1F.

"The upgrades strengthen the Navy Family Ombudsman Program," said Debby Greene, an ombudsman-at-large. "The Navy Family Ombudsman Program is Navywide. It was established to improve mission readiness through family preparedness. A strong command ombudsman program, both ashore and afloat, will help to ensure that families have the information necessary to meet the challenges of a military lifestyle."

The ombudsman program is one of many provided by the Fleet and Family Support Program, which enhances Sailor readiness and family preparedness, thereby contributing to mission readiness. The program is committed to promoting self-reliance and resilience, not dependency, and empowers Navy families to meet the unique challenges of the military lifestyle.