Deployment Support

The Naval Station Mayport Fleet and Family Support Center (NSMF&FSC) serves active-duty service members and their family members with programs and services to enhance their quality of life. NSMF&FSC’s mission is to provide Information and Referral, education and training, and counseling and advocacy to facilitate personal and family resiliency and to assist commands in achieving operational readiness.

NSMF&FSC plays a key role in the deployment preparation process by assisting commands in getting sailors and family members ready for each phase of deployment – pre-, mid- and post-. NSMF&FSC’s Deployment Support Programs are designed to assist sailors and family members in successfully managing the separation/reunion cycles associated with military service. Deployment Support Programs are tailored to meet the needs of individual commands and include collaboration with command leadership, ombudsmen and family readiness groups to develop the right mix of subject matter for varied target audiences.

Deployment Readiness Briefs

Pre-Deployment Briefs

Successful deployments do not just happen. They require planning on the part of service members, their families and the command.  The Pre-Deployment Brief is designed to provide necessary information for service members and their families to be deployment-ready. It focuses on the practical and emotional aspects of readiness to include the use of deployment checklists, family care plans, communication and coping strategies. The NSMF&FSC’s deployment specialist is available to provide Pre-Deployment Briefs for single sailors, single parents and married sailors to assist in preparing for deployment. Command and individual briefs are available upon request.

NSMF&FSC’s Deployment Support does not stop there. They continue to offer ongoing support for command families while the service member is deployed. Contact NSMF&FSC or your command for more information.  

The Return and Reunion Program

The purpose of Return and Reunion training is to help service members returning from deployment garner the skills necessary to ease their transition as they return home after extended absences from family and friends. Active-duty personnel start preparing to return to family and homeport during the transition home from deployment. This is a highly teachable moment and an ideal time for commands to show support for crewmembers by participating in the R&R program. NSMF&FSC provides a team of professional educators to embark at the final overseas port. As the ship transits home, the R&R team conducts a variety of programs including:

• Singles Returning to Homeport
• Reintegrating with Partners
• Reintegrating with Children
• New Parents Brief
• Car Buying Strategies
• Consumer Awareness

Homecoming Brief

The purpose of this program is to prepare family members for the challenges of reunion so that problems will be minimized and the positive aspects of reunion can be maximized. Topics of the brief include managing expectations, change, common reactions of spouses and children to reunion, and tips to ease a couple’s reunion anxiety. This program parallels the Reintegrating with Partners program offered onboard during R&R. Homecoming Briefs can be provided upon request from command leadership, command leadership spouses, ombudsmen or Family Readiness Groups.

Services for Families of Deployed

Navy Family Ombudsmen

Navy Family Ombudsmen are dedicated volunteers who are trained to assist Navy families in successfully navigating the challenges of the Navy lifestyle. They are communications links, Information and Referral resources, and advocates for command family members. Appointed by the commanding officer, command ombudsmen are spouses of service members within the command. As an official command representative, the ombudsman is a point of contact for all family members connected to the command including spouses, parents and extended family members. Contact your command or NSMF&FSC for more information. NSMF&FSC provides Ombudsman Basic Training for appointed command ombudsmen quarterly.

Family Readiness Groups

FRG are private organizations closely affiliated with the command. They are comprised of family members, sailors and civilians associated with the command and its personnel. The purpose of an FRG is to plan and conduct social, informational and morale-building activities to enhance family readiness and enable the Navy family to meet the challenges of the military lifestyle. NSMF&FSC offers quarterly training for FRG leadership.

Counseling

Short-term, individual, family, marital and child counseling are all available at NSMF&FSC. Licensed counselors understand the stresses of military life, are aware of civilian resources, and available to assist military members and their families. Counselors are available to assist with crisis intervention, stress debriefing and educational classes upon request.

Military Spouse Connection

The Military Spouse Connection workshop is designed to connect military spouses with the many resources available to assist them in successfully navigating the challenges of the military lifestyle.

Please contact NSMF&FSC for information on Deployment Support Programs, the Navy Family Ombudsman Program, Command Consultation and Support, Military Spouse Connection, and FRG by calling 904-270-6600 or visit NSMF&FSC at Massey Avenue, Building 1, Jacksonville, FL 32228.