December 2011/January 2012 - Navy
By Aaron Bresnahan

“Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard and found that the cupboard was bare.” This old nursery rhyme seems quite appropriate in today’s environment of austerity and budget scrutiny. Not since the early 1990’s have we seen such a drive towards budget consolidation and a pure reevaluation of what is most critically needed to be funded in order to ensure our nation’s commitment to global security and our national defense. Sadly though, under the current economic conditions, we find that we have more obligations than we have the funds to sustain them.

This divide between what we find mission critical and what we can sustain continues to grow ever wider. In fact, programs such as pension benefits and health care for personnel are now being considered for possible updates or modifications.

Let’s face it, though. How much can our Nation really afford while the economy is sluggish? One could look towards the announced force restructuring in Iraq and Afghanistan as a contribution to the lion’s share of possible reductions for future DoD budgets. However, it will be essential to prioritize current requirements against investments for the future. As the costs of health care and benefits continue to rise, there will most likely need to be some other tough decisions to implement. Our nation’s leaders will continue to balance our needs against the available resources. I know that they will do their best to make the hard decisions that are in the best interests of our nation.

In light of these ongoing budget pressures, one benefit for service members that continues to provide good value for money is the Navy’s Fleet and Family Support program. This program is dedicated to providing deployment support for Sailors and their families; personal and family wellness education and counselling; emergency preparedness and response support; crisis intervention and response support; military and personal career development counseling and support; financial education and counseling; and guidance on spouse employment.

With the added stress associated with long deployments or the ongoing exposure to combat conditions, it is a relief for Sailors to know that they have a support network available to them and their families. This program is a great retention tool, which can ensure Sailors with specific skill sets can be retained and supported.

There are 81 Fleet and Family Support Centers throughout the world. You can easily find a Support Center nearest to you by accessing the Commander Navy Installations Command Web site on-line. There is lots of good information there; basically, something for everyone.

You can also get updated and real time information from accessing Fleet and Family Support resources through their Facebook link. For today’s busy Sailors and their families, it might be best to keep track of what’s available, while you are already sharing pictures and keeping in touch with friends and loved ones.

For those Sailors and families that might be working through some significant challenges in their lives or might just have some family readiness questions, another great program is Military OneSource. Military OneSource is a global support network accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Many Sailors and families have benefitted from Fleet and Family Support programs. The resources are easily accessible and are there to remove a lot of the uncertainty associated with relocating to a new area or dealing with deployments. When Sailors know that family members are being taken care of, they can keep a clear head and focus on mission accomplishment.

Budgets are tight, and personnel issues continue to be a major focus area. Budgets are being scrutinized and many programs will need to be vetted. Thankfully, though, many great resources, such as Fleet and Family Support are available to Sailors and their families providing a great return on investment.