This document summarizes Military Family Month and honors the contributions of military families. It recognizes that military families endure hardships such as long separations during deployments, changing careers or schools to support a loved one's service. While service members protect the nation, military families also sacrifice and provide crucial support through challenging times. In 2015, President Obama declared November as Military Family Month to acknowledge these "heroes on the home front."

1. 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.”
Familyc o n n e c t i o n
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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:
The
Center
Fleet & Family Support
Contents
Vice Admiral Smith Signs
Domestic Violence Awareness
Proclamation
KeepYour Kids Safe
Navy Safe Havens and
Evacuations
Now is the Time to Create a
Holiday Spending Plan
2016 Mrs. Sybil Stockdale
Ombudsman of theYear Event
What areYou Thankful For?
USPS Releases Military Holiday
Mail Dates

2. 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 Safe
For 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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3. New Spouse Orientation
New 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 Tip
How 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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4. Now is the Time to
Create a Holiday
Spending Plan
If 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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5. 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 Dates
Holiday 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
Cards
Priority
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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