NORFOLK, Va. — The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) hosted a command wellness fair for sailors and their families June 26 at Vista Point.
The event brought shipboard and community resources together in one location to help sailors and families learn about mental health, wellness, counseling, food assistance, health coaching and family support programs available on and off the ship.
“The wellness fair is really a combination wellness fair, mental health fair and family fun fair,” said Lt. Cmdr. Raymond Fernandez, Truman’s ship psychologist and a licensed clinical psychologist from Los Angeles. “We wanted to create a larger event where sailors and families could come out, be comfortable and learn about the resources available to them. Between the ship and the barge, it can be hard to know where to go or who to talk to, so this gives sailors a chance to put a face with a name.”
The fair included a sailors-only portion from 10 a.m. to noon, focused on training and resource engagement, before opening to families from noon to 2 p.m. Booths were set up primarily inside Vista Point due to weather concerns, with food trucks, refreshments and family activities available outside.
The event was planned and operated by Truman sailors from multiple departments and included support from shipboard medical and prevention teams, along with community organizations such as the Armed Forces Wellness Center, Trails of Purpose, the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, and Talkspace.
The Armed Forces Wellness Center provides health education, assessments and coaching designed to improve readiness and individual well-being. Trails of Purpose provides equine-assisted therapy and mental health counseling for service members, veterans and military families. The Foodbank supports families facing food insecurity across the region, and Talkspace provides access to virtual therapy and psychiatry services.
“A lot of times, sailors are not aware there are many mental health resources available to them on and off the ship,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kelesa Brown, who grew up in New Kent, Virginia. “Some of those resources are virtual, too. We want to bring awareness to those resources so sailors know where to go when they need help.”
Brown said sailors can reach mental health resources through medical on the barge.
“I’m always available if anyone needs to talk or is trying to reach out to someone for help,” Brown said. “I’m willing to help find resources, get sailors in touch with someone or just be an ear to listen.”
Fernandez said resources are only effective when sailors know about them and feel comfortable using them.
“We have so many resources, but sailors still have to use them,” Fernandez said. “Talkspace is available for the command, but it only helps if sailors download it and use it.”
The fair reinforced Truman’s focus on taking care of sailors and families by making resources visible, approachable and easy to access. Leaders said the goal was to connect the crew with tools that can help them stay healthy, ready and connected throughout their time in the Navy.
Truman is in port at Naval Station Norfolk preparing for its Refueling and Complex Overhaul, a once-in-a-lifetime modernization period that will extend the carrier’s operational life and enhance its ability to meet future fleet requirements.
For more news from USS Harry S. Truman, visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn75.