Task Force Navy Family Responding to Pascagoula Family Needs
Story Number: NNS050924-08
Release Date: 9/24/2005 9:53:00 PM
By Journalist 2nd Class Margaret A. Peng, Task Force Navy Family Pascagoula Detachment Public Affairs
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- The Community Support Center (CSC) at Naval Station Pascagoula is assessing needs and providing services to Navy families affected by Hurricane Katrina, having answered more than 1,800 requests since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast Aug. 29.
Support is provided to Navy families, including active duty, reserves, retirees, and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians.
In addition to having answers to questions specific to Sailors, the CSC, staffed by personnel at the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) here, has information about Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs, contact numbers for help with property clean up, schedules for local school openings, and telephone numbers for relief organizations and medical care facilities.
After Hurricane Katrina, Naval Station Pascagoula and the FFSC staff knew they would have to act quickly to address the immediate needs of their personnel. Concerns included access to food, fuel, housing, transportation, and medical services.
“Nothing is more frustrating than being told that you need to go to many different places to have questions answered,” said Naval Station Pascagoula Command Master Chief CMDCM (SW) Laurel Davis. “We wanted to have everything under one roof and make a difficult time easier for people.
“We created our own support structure for our Sailors,” said Davis. “Working with Naval Construction Battalion Center (CBC) Gulfport, we were up and ready to find solutions to our service members’ problems. It is a success because everybody stepped up to the plate and supported each other.”
The FFSC staff on station sent out a request for augmentation through their office network, and staffers have come to Pascagoula from all over the country, including the District of Columbia, Maine, Florida, Rhode Island, and Illinois.
“With the concept of a CSC, FFSC has been able to provide services and information about benefits in a centralized location,” said Carolyn McCorvey, director of the FFSC here. “We quickly brought together a team of people from other FFSC offices around the country to address legal issues, medical concerns, access to ready cash, personal property, human resources, questions about Sailors' orders and transfers, and the DoD Safe Haven program, among others.”
Of some concern has been the possibility of station personnel and DoD civilians not realizing the benefits they are eligible to receive.
“We can help people determine whether they are eligible,” said McCorvey. “We want to sit down with them and make sure they have all the information necessary to make the best decision about their future. We have specialists in personal financial management, clinical counselors, and Navy personnel to help with processing claims. We are here for our people.”
In addition to addressing the personal and work-related needs of the personnel, FFSC also focuses on the emotional needs. Clinical counselors have arrived to help.
“I can’t say enough about the Naval Station Pascagoula staff,” said Cathie Kobell, FFSC clinical counselor, from Brunswick, Maine. “They were in full action when I arrived, taking care of whatever needed to be done for base personnel. The focus was on taking care of the needs of the people, both military and civilian.
"I am here to answer their emotional needs," added Kobell. "It made me proud to do my small part.”
A large function of the CSC is to help people restore some normalcy to their lives. By helping to relieve the stresses of getting through large amounts of paperwork alone, they can help personnel make informed decisions. That includes doing everything to help them return to work - military and civilian.
When I saw for the first time what these families have suffered, I was especially touched. I felt like I needed to do more,” said Robert Thompson, an FFSC staffer and human resources specialist from Commander, Navy Region Southeast, based in Jacksonville, Fla. “My goal is to assist the commanding officer of the base in locating DoD civilian employees and their family members. We want to do whatever we can to help them return to their jobs.”
Naval Station Pascagoula Commanding Officer Cdr. Robert P. Benjamin Jr., of held an all-hands call Sept. 20 and reminded Sailors and other personnel to take advantage of the one-stop shopping at the FFSC building. Some Sailors were hesitant at first to seek advice and services.
“I am old fashioned,” said Electrician’s Mate 1st Class John James, of Naval Station Pascagoula's Southeast Regional Maintenance Center. "I thought my family could ride out Hurricane Katrina. I eventually evacuated, but my home and car were damaged. I had to relocate my family, too. It was a traumatic experience. I didn’t know what would happen to us.
“Being able to come to the CSSC is great," continued James. "It was definitely a stress reliever. They walked me through all the things I needed to consider before I made any decisions. Without these guys I don’t know what I would have done and where to start getting my life back together.”
The leadership at Naval Station Pascagoula and staffers at FFSC decided the best way to help their personnel was to make the typically long and confusing process of filling out stacks of forms as painless as possible.
“The biggest challenge for the Sailors was getting through the emotional trauma of losing part of their lives. Some people lost their homes, their personal property, and had to be separated from their families,” said Davis. “Add to that the stress of worrying about their basic needs - fuel, food, shelter - created a very emotional period. We felt that by fulfilling these basic needs, our Sailors and their families can start focusing on what needs to be done with reestablishing their lives.
“Because of our initial assessment of personnel, and cooperation between departments, we are able to put people in housing, have electricity, air conditioning, and put their children in schools,” said Davis. “We are able to take care of our people.
“As a base we have succeeded,” added Davis. “We came together as a family, and that is our greatest strength.”
For Navy Family members who need additional information or assistance please call the Navy Personnel Command’s Emergency Coordination Center at (877) 414-5358, or visit www.navy.mil.
