Ship's ombudsman is key player in
informing families of sailors lost at sea
By Rick Chernitzer,
Stars and Stripes
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — When a sailor is lost at sea — such as
Wednesday’s report that a USS Kitty Hawk sailor had fallen overboard — the
ship’s ombudsman needs to be up front and honest with family members, Yokosuka’s
ombudsman program coordinator said Friday.
Ombudsmen have to take their cues from the ship’s commanding officer and the local
points of contact, typically the beach detachment that stays at the ship’s base, said
Kim Ottmers-Orman, program coordinator at the Fleet and Family Support Center.
Spouses understandably are anxious when there’s little to no news coming back from
the ship, she said. The ombudsman must be honest, she said.
A phone tree is a plan designed to notify all family members of sailors assigned to a
ship. It works like this: a point of contact receives a message from the command. That
person calls a number of "key callers," who in turn call more people, and so on
until all family members are notified.
In this instance, the ombudsmen actually chose to initiate an e-mail tree, hoping to
reach all family members more quickly.
Due to current operations, Kitty Hawk sailors are unable to respond to e-mails being
sent to the ship, according to the ship’s Web site. Therefore, the phone tree —
or e-mail tree — may take on added significance in getting word to family members.
The usual procedure, Ottmers-Orman explained, is that the ship’s captain puts out
a brief, emergency phone-tree message.
In the case of the sailor who fell off the Kitty Hawk, the ship’s captain sent out
an e-mail explaining the situation to the families, according to Melisa Crowe, an
ombudsman for the Kitty Hawk. Crowe referred questions about the message to the U.S. 7th
Fleet. Officials there said they don’t have specifics on the captain’s letter.
When an ombudsman receives a phone call from a spouse or family member, Ottmers-Orman
said, "we remind them it’s very crucial that they explain to the family members
their options. We encourage them to let them know about counseling, either from the fleet
and Family Support Center or a chaplain.
"Even if it’s not their sailor, it’s still an emotional [situation] when
your ship loses a crewmember," she said.
Ottmers-Orman knows this grief well. She was an ombudsman for the USS Cushing when one
sailor was killed and another injured in an accident in 1999.
"We immediately set off our phone tree," she said. "As an ombudsman, I
stepped in and helped them proceed at a pace they were more comfortable with. It’s a
complete support issue."
Ombudsman are taught to have a command emergency response plan, Ottmers-Orman said.
But, she added, each command is different in how they respond.
"We teach ombudsman to be very active in creating [a plan]," she said.
"The best advice [ombudsman can] give to any family member is to stay calm, listen to
the ombudsman and follow their guidance. It’s also very important to have your
emergency information updated and provide it to your ombudsman."
She said that while she believes the ombudsman program for the Kitty Hawk is struggling
right now because they have five new ombudsman, she still has confidence in their
abilities.
"I have no doubt they will handle everything in a very professional manner."
Back to November stories
Page Two news roundup
Stories from October, 2001
Stories from September, 2001
Stories from August, 2001
Stories from July, 2001
Stories from June, 2001
Stories from May, 2001
Stories from April, 2001
Stories from March, 2001
Stories from February,2001
Stories from January, 2001
Stories from December, 2000
Stories from November, 2000
Stories from October, 2000
Stories from August and September, 2000
Stories from June and July, 2000
Home |
