HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — For families who have loved ones deployed on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and Gerald R. Ford, the holidays will be a time of tinsel and tension, decoration and separation. The two carriers and their strike groups are deployed to the Mediterranean during the war between Israel and Hamas.
While we are decking the halls, they are manning the decks. 10 On Your Side spoke with three women who serve as key resources when duty and distance come in between sailors and their families.
Melissa Nutter’s husband is one of the yellow shirts on the deck of the Ike, managing and directing aircraft. They’ve had several holiday seasons apart.
“I think our biggest thing is just finding how we’re gonna connect with each other throughout the holidays and how we can make that connection from far apart,” said Nutter, a Navy school liaison for JEB Little Creek Fort Story, one of dozens of liaisons throughout Hampton Roads schools.
“There really are boots on the ground in the schools to support the families,” Nutter said. “They can have sessions one-on-one with children. They’ll do lunch bunches where children can go to their table and talk about how they’re feeling that day, if there’s a certain struggle.”
Genny Elliott is one of four ombudsmen for the Ike.
“(We’re) making sure we are touching all bases for these family members — resources, emergencies, and we’ve had several ask about school liaisons,” she said, and Elliott’s husband is also a member of the Eisenhower crew. She said her role is to help Navy families get through times like these, regardless of the sailors’ level of experience or seniority.
“It is something that you have to go through to get through, and we’re here for all of them whether they’re seasoned, whether they’re new, we have the same resources.”
Before the cluster of suicides connected to USS George Washington, Terri Farricker’s position didn’t even exist. She is a force improvement officer, coordinating support among the sailor, the spouse and the children.
Her husband serves on USS Kearsarge and just returned from deployment, but she knows from experience what it’s like to be apart at Christmas.
“I think it’s the days leading up to it (that are the toughest),” she said. “What am I gonna do on the day of? How am I gonna handle what my kids are asking, how am I gonna handle my personal reaction?”
Ike and Ford both have Wi-Fi, making it easier to stay connected.
“Sharing that connection across miles really helps make the heart whole,” Farricker said.
But all the emails and Facebook Messenger in the world won’t keep the kids from asking the age-old question: When is Daddy or Mommy coming home?
“They always ask and it’s always the same answer — ‘when he gets here.’ We don’t want to give false hope, but we also want to make sure they know that he is safe and he’ll be home soon,” Elliott said.
The Navy recommends these resources for families with loved ones deployed during the holidays:
Command Ombudsman — An Ombudsman is an Official Command Representative appointed by the Commanding Officer and plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining current and accurate communication between the command and its family members. To contact your Navy Ombudsman – https://ombudsmanregistry.cnic.navy.mil/?m=contactombudsman
Family Readiness Group — The purpose of a Family Readiness Group is to help plan, coordinate and conduct informational, caretaking, morale-building and social activities to enhance preparedness and command mission readiness and to increase the resiliency and well-being of Sailors and their families. To learn more about your command’s FRG reach out to your ombudsman.
American Red Cross — https://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/military-families.html
Fleet and Family Support Center — https://ffr.cnic.navy.mil/Family-Readiness/Fleet-And-Family-Support-Program/
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society — https://www.nmcrs.org
Military OneSource — https://www.militaryonesource.mil
Navy Life MA — https://www.navymwrmidlant.com/events
Military Spouse Resource Guide — https://www.dvs.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/VDVS-Military-Spouse-Resource-Guide.pdf
Operation Homefront — https://operationhomefront.org
Exceptional Family Member Program — https://ffr.cnic.navy.mil/Family-Readiness/Fleet-And-Family-Support-Program/Work-and-Family-Life/Exceptional-Family-Member-Program/
Military Childcare — https://public.militarychildcare.csd.disa.mil/mcc-central/mcchome/
School Liaisons — https://www.dodea.edu/education/partnership-and-resources/department-defense-school-liaison-program
Navy Housing — https://ffr.cnic.navy.mil/Navy-Housing/Contact-Navy-Housing/
Suicide Prevention — https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Support-Services/Culture-Resilience/Suicide-Prevention/Getting-Help/
Military Health-TriCare — https://www.tricare.mil
Naval Services Family Line — https://www.nsfamilyline.org
