As a Navy spouse for 13 years and a mother to three children, Summers volunteered to fill the critical role of the ombudsman since the command hasn’t had one in an official capacity since before June of 2021.
My goal is to set-up a successful program for the command. I am looking for the best way to communicate to the families and to help empower them on how to utilize the resources available.
Emily Summers, NMFL Ombudsman
A key element of her new position will be working closely with NMFL’s Command Master Chief Zachary Pryor to keep Sailors, families and staff up to date on Navy and command information, command climate issues, family challenges, and local quality of life improvement opportunities.
“Emily is the 10th ombudsman that I will be working with,” explained Pryor. “It is truly a joy to have someone on the team who brings another dynamic of team success to NMFL. I look forward to working with her as she serves the command.”
Summers attended the 3-day Ombudsman Basic Training Course with the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) Little Creek-Fort Story, where she was given the tools and resources needed to run a successful program. The training focused on confidentiality, working with the command’s military leadership, and learning how various organizations can assist in helping Sailors and their families.
“Having experienced the challenges of being a military spouse and mother, I was not aware of the resources available to me,” said Summers. “I now have a better understanding of how important it is to have a conduit between the families and the command.”
Ombudsman, official representatives of commanders, are volunteers and spouses of service members within the command that provide communications between the commanding officer and families.
“The ombudsman is here to make our families and our staff’s life easier when unforeseen incidents arise in their lives,” explained Pryor. “Everything from deployments to illness to death in the family, the ombudsman can assist or point in the direction of assistance.”
The Navy’s Family Ombudsman Program was established on Sept. 17, 1970, by Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Elmo Zumwalt to assist commands in maintaining the morale, health and welfare of Navy families. Today, ombudsmen promote self-reliance and resiliency to strengthen the military and its family members as well as support to mission readiness.
Commander, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL), headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, delivers operationally focused medical expertise and capabilities to meet Fleet, Marine and Joint Force requirements by providing equipment, sustainment and maintenance during combat operations and public health crisis. NMFL provides oversight for 21 Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Centers, logistics, and public health and dental services throughout the U.S. East Coast, U.S. Gulf Coast, Hawaii, Europe, and the Middle East.