Everyone has their rough patches, those hard parts of life that are domineering, stressful, and sometimes bewilders you.
There are a lot of factors that can contribute to this such as being in the military, being away from home, but the holiday season takes the cake. The majority of people have had this feeling before, fortuitously the military has resources for both Sailors and their families to help during these hard times. This article will highlight the different recourses the Navy and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) offers for those who need it and would like it.
First, let’s highlight the people onboard the Reagan that you can reach out to and what programs and guidance they have to offer. You can’t talk about recourses and not mention the Command Religious Ministries Department (CRMD). The three main people of CRMD are the chaplains, even if you aren’t religious, they offer confidential support and you can go and talk to them about anything you desire. The chaplains will also guide you to more resources that further suit your needs.
Although the Reagan has a plethora of Sailors on board, there are few civilians that hitch a ride when we go out to sea. The first person I am going to talk about is the Deployed Resiliency Counselor (DRC). DRC’s are mental health experts that provide individual therapy and train Sailors on sexual assault prevention, suicide prevention, and substance abuse as a part of resiliency.
Moving on to two more civilians that work closely together as Embedded Integrated Prevention Coordinators (EIPC) is Rachel Banta, the ship's EIPC, and Jake Wisdom, Reagan's Life Boss. They offer support on many different topics, but I will let them talk about it.
“Extended periods of dreary weather may have an impact on our emotions, sleep schedules, and drive or motivations," said Banta. "Please feel free to come and talk with us, EIPC and Life Boss, anytime. We are able to lead classes on habits, coping skills, mind body mental fitness, anger management and more. We are here to support you and also know many resources we can help you get connected to. Please feel free to visit and take whatever you need. We love getting to know our Sailors better and learning how we can best support you all.”
Our civilians and chaplains are a big part of making Reagan rock and are just a small stepping stone that can lead you to the variety of resources the Navy and military have to offer.
So even if you just consider your feelings as a ‘bad week’, it doesn’t hurt to reach out and get connected to someone just to talk. Taking a small step never hurts, they are here to prepare you for the leap.