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Family & Individual Help
Ombudsmen
In 1970, then Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, recognized issues and concerns that are unique to Navy families. In response to those issues, he established the Navy Family Ombudsman program. This volunteer program is designed to provide better communication between Navy families and Navy officials. The Coast Guard also uses Ombudsmen. These volunteers have become a tradition within the seagoing services.
The Ombudsman is a vital resource who assists a unit by looking out for the morale and welfare of his or her command's families. It is also a support network, providing information and the means for problem-solving at the lowest level possible.
The Marine Corps has a similar program called the Key Volunteers. The Key Volunteer Network is a communications network formed within a unit to keep families better informed about the mission and tasks of that unit, and to assist in establishing a sense of community within the unit.
The Navy's Ombudsmen are the link between the command and the Navy family. This is especially true in deploying commands, where the Ombudsman is the primary point of contact between the families at home and the command during deployment. Still, the Ombudsman is not a counselor or a social worker, but can help someone find the help they need.
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