Compass mentor manager Andrea Harris, second from left, discusses how mentors can help other Navy spouses handle the challenges of Navy life. The Compass program is presented during a 12-hour, three-day course. (Chris Fowler / S&S)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The cat had been sleeping in a bedroom drawer when the packers arrived.
Several weeks later, the family’s household goods arrived at the new duty station intact — well, mostly.
Navy life can be full of surprises, and not all of them are pleasant.
But there are programs that help guide families through the confusion, including Compass, a class developed for spouses by spouses.
Yokosuka is the only base on mainland Japan to host a Compass program, which is presented during a 12-hour, three-day course to help participants understand the many facets of Navy life.
In preparation for the next Compass session, Yokosuka-based Andrea Harris, a mentor manager for Compass, has been training experienced Navy spouses to become mentors.
“It’s not always easy to be a Navy spouse,” Harris said. “And sometimes people are hesitant to ask questions. Because Compass is taught outside of any command- or rank-based environment, it can be easier for people to ask what is really on their minds.”
During the recent mentor-training session, spouses reviewed the curriculum and traded war stories — Harris’ story of losing a cat trumping another’s “the movers packed my kitchen garbage” story.
The volunteers will answer questions and train newer spouses on a variety of Navy-life subjects — including naval customs, tipping the food baggers at the commissary and handling the cycle of emotions associated with deployments.
Compass is designed to complement other programs and organizations such as the Fleet and Family Support Center, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and area command ombudsmen, Harris said.
“Compass has given me all the recourses I need, and I always learn something new,” said mentor Shannon Houck, a Navy spouse for 10 years. “Everyone has had different experiences, so everyone has something to add to the discussion.”
Yokosuka’s Compass program currently has about 15 mentors and is always on the lookout for new members.
“I was at a social gathering when someone overheard me talking about Navy life and suggested I look into becoming a Compass mentor,” said Katrele Cesar.
As a former servicemember and current Navy spouse, Cesar had been looking for an opportunity to help others.
She and others like her have found that opportunity with Compass.
According to Harris, involvement in Compass, whether as a session participant or as a mentor, is an opportunity to grow as person, as a spouse and as a friend.
For more information on Compass, visit: www.gocompass.org.
Next scheduled CompassCompass is scheduled to host a night session at the Fleet and Family Support Center’s Annex Building (next to Navy Federal Credit Union) March 25-27. The sessions will run 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. The class will be limited to 25 seats. For more information or reservations, call DSN 241-3282 or e-mail compassyokosuka@nsfamilyline.org.
