As part of Ombudsman Appreciation Month, leadership and ombudsmen from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) joined various commands from Hampton Roads to honor ombudsmen during a dinner at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Sept. 29.

An ombudsman is an official representative of a commanding officer, and they serve as a direct link between a command and its families.

"This dinner is a way to say thank you to all the ombudsmen because we work so closely to families and help Sailors," said Cailla Impelido-Dayoan, one of Abraham Lincoln's ombudsmen. "The most rewarding part of the job is that families are trusting us to get the information they need when they might not have anywhere else to go to for help. It's a warm feeling to see all the ombudsmen being thanked today for what we do."

Capt. Ronald Ravelo, Abraham Lincoln's commanding officer, recognized the dedication and hard work of the command's ombudsmen, Jessica Pugh, Jeshanna Walter, and Impelido-Dayoan, with bouquets of flowers before the dinner began.

"I think all of us, in any type of leadership position, come to value the ombudsmen," said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson, who spoke at the ceremony with his wife Dana Richardson. When a submarine he was commanding had pulled in, his first phone call was to an ombudsman to hear how families were doing.

"I remember really relying on the ombudsmen, especially when the submarine was out at sea," said Dana Richardson. "That was a long six months. Many of us were raising young families at that time and no communication and the ombudsman was really the liaison between the families and the command."

The ombudsman's efforts went a long way in keeping families together, said Dana Richardson.

"We are families' support system when they are in need," said Pugh. "We are especially needed during deployments because when Sailors deploy they leave their families behind. A key piece of a puzzle is missing for seven, eight months."

Sailors and their families in unfamiliar locations may experience emergencies they may not know how to solve or where to go for help.
Families may also need to contact a Sailor on deployment and ombudsmen help ease this process.

"We can even help families find emergency child-care," said Impelido-Dayoan.

Ombudsman frequently deal with these scenarios and give the families the answers they are looking for at any time of the day.

Supplying information about programs and organizations like Fleet and Family Support Centers, Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, Chaplains, legal assistance services, ombudsmen are a proven asset to Abraham Lincoln and the fleet.

"We want families to know we can help them find so many resources," said Impelido-Dayoan.

Families can contact Abraham Lincoln's ombudsmen can be reached by e-mail, phone, or through their Facebook page.

For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit http://www.navy.mil/.