Why I Want To Be An Ombudsman

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I am an ombudsman. I took the position about a year ago when the last ombudsman in my husband’s command was getting ready to leave. She recommended me to the Commanding officer and after a brief interview, I was hired the very next week. As I stepped into the position it became clear to me that many people do not understand what an ombudsman do, nor what is an ombudsman. Ombudsman in the military life is a relative or a spouse to the military service member who volunteers their time to help the families while the service member is away on deployment. Explained with few words, we, the ombudsmen, are the liaison between the families and the command. Being an ombudsman is not an easy task and most certainly is not a volunteer position for everybody. I and my fellow ombudsmen deal with a lot of bad situations, like a death in the family, financial problems and uninformed spouses who are new to the military life and are completely in the dark about what their husband’s job is or why do they leave so often. …show more content…
I have the opportunity to meet new people and I have the chance to help many first time spouses overcome the fear of the long deployments their loved ones go to so often. It feels so good being able to answer the phone and listen to the worried spouse, or troubled mother and reassure them that everything is ok and that you are there for them. It is very rewarding to shake the hand of the deploying person and give them the peace of mind, reassure them that you will help their family while they are serving the country. I feel proud to be able to serve those who serve our