|
SANTA RITA, Guam – In preparation
for the upcoming holidays, USS Frank Cable (AS 40) wants to ensure
that the crew is knowledgeable about the safety risks that come with
the festivities and added time off.
The command accomplished this by holding
a holiday safety stand down for the Sailors at the Naval Base
Theatre Nov. 16.
“Since we are currently in a PMA (Planned Maintenance Availability)
period, we know about many of the risks that are associated with our
work environment,” said Commanding Officer Capt. Tom Stanley. “Now
we are heading into another dangerous time for Sailors; the
Holidays. It can be a time of great joy, but there are many things
that can go wrong and we want to enlighten everyone on the dangers."
The training included suicide prevention, sexual assault awareness,
drug and alcohol prevention, and general home safety.
“We are here to help our fellow shipmates,” said Command Chaplain
Lt. Cmdr. Robert Jones. “I feel confident that the training being
held today is going to help every one of us become more
knowledgeable about these situations.”
The suicide awareness and prevention brief taught Frank Cable
Sailors how to identify warning signs and what actions to take to
help fellow shipmates.
“When dealing with depression and suicide it is important for
Sailors to know the warning signs and what to look for,” said Jones.
“Once we know what to look for, we can identify Sailors that are
having problems and we can give them the help that they deserve.”
The Holiday period can also cause stress for many Sailors and family
members.
Deanne Leon Guerrero from the Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC)
gave tips on holiday stress, budgeting tips, time management and
travel.
“If we start planning for a holiday like Christmas right now, we can
easily relieve some of the pressure,” said Leon Guerrero. “Many
people wait until a couple of weeks before the big day to start
shopping and planning for family to come out, but it doesn’t have to
be that hard. If we start now, things will go smoother.”
Throughout the training, one phrase kept on being said over and
over. That phrase was “look out for your shipmates.”
“What we do is very stressful because it is very important,” said
Stanley. “Plain and simple, we need to look out for each other, on
and off the ship.”
As Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet's only operational submarine
tender, Frank Cable readily deploys to ports throughout the Western
Pacific to provide services to both submarines and surface ships in
the Seventh Fleet area of responsibility. For more information on
Frank Cable, visit the ship's website at www.cable.navy.mil.
|
Download