USS Harry S Truman Preps Sailors for Return to Homeport

Official U.S. Navy file photo of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

Focus on Defense:

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, At Sea, May 29, 2008 -- Sailors of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) are participating in several new classes, May 22-31, designed to help those returning from deployment.

The classes offered are: returning to children, thrift savings plan, traffic safety, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), car buying, motorcycle safety, singles class, returning to intimacy, money management, and returning to a a spouse.

Classes help individual Sailors as well as families, by informing the Sailor about what to expect once the ship returns to homeport. The education provided could be the deciding factor in many difficult situations.

"Anybody who wants to be successful financially, should attend the money management class," said Mary Spear, financial educator and credit counselor for the fleet and family support center, also the instructor for the money management class.

The "returning to children" and "returning to intimacy" classes are family-oriented and stress the importance of working together to ease the transition of the Sailor back into the family environment.

"If a Sailor knows what to anticipate, it makes the transition a lot easier," said Spear. "Everyone should realize that it takes time to reintegrate, whether it be a week or a month. Every Sailor is different."

Spear also teaches the car buying class, in which she informs Sailors about various resources that they may use to get the best possible deal when choosing a vehicle.

"Of the 5,000 Sailors on this ship, 40 percent, or roughly 2,100 Sailors, will buy a new or used car within 60 days of the return to homeport. Out of that 2,100, 95 percent will spend too much for a car, too much for financing and end up with a poor deal."

The classes serve to fully prepare Sailors for a seamless transition back to life ashore.

(Story by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Moore, USS Truman Public Affairs.)

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