Aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis' (CVN 74) command religious ministries department (CRMD) is making rounds throughout the ship, speaking with Sailors in each department about the resources they offer with a program called the "Chaplain Road Show."

The program is getting a revival in response to the increased tempo of the ship's ongoing planned incremental availability (PIA) period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS).

"Commander [Carey] Cash started the program during the 2016 deployment to inform Sailors about resources available and help manage operational stress," said Lt. Cmdr. Tavis Long, a Navy chaplain assigned to John C. Stennis and 15-year veteran of the Navy's Chaplain Corps from Dover, Ohio. "We initiated the program during deployment. Now that we are in the yards and the tempo is increasing, we decided to go back out and treat the yards as an operationally stressful environment, just like deployment."

Focusing on a new department each week, the aim of the Chaplain Road Show is to inform Sailors of the resources available, to let them know the chaplains are always there, and to provide some character education.

"Since we came home from deployment, we've had many new Sailors check on board," said Long. "We want them to know that we're not only available, but accessible as well. We will work around their schedule and with their chain of command because we understand how busy they are. The Road Show is saying, 'Here we are; don't cheat yourself from the opportunity to get the help you need.'"

Each chaplain brings his or her own specialty to the table, whether it's stress management, communication skills or relationship counseling. Long's emphasis is on managing stress from a moral, decision-making perspective.

"When Sailors tell me they're stressed, I tell them, 'I'm glad you're human and are open about your feelings, because this environment is incredibly stressful and stress is a normal thing,'" said Long. "When you let it overwhelm you, that's when it starts to become a little less normal. The more you develop good decision-making skills, while it may not get rid of the stress, you will get a better handle on it."

Sailors say the message of the Chaplain Road Show is an essential one.

"It's important for Sailors to understand that they're in PIA, and the intensity of work is just like deployment," said Senior Chief Electrician's Mate Frank Kappler, from Harpursville, New York. "It's important that they know that even though we're no longer deployed, the chaplains are still providing the same resources to give them the resiliency and the help they need."

John C. Stennis is conducting a planned incremental availability (PIA) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, during which the ship is undergoing scheduled maintenance and upgrades.

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