The COMPASS Experience
If you were about to go on an extended journey to a foreign country, you would want to do research and learn as much as you could to make your trip enjoyable and successful. You might need a passport, guidebook, and map to start off in the right direction.
Now, think about a spouse embarking on his or her journey as a Navy spouse for the first time. To this spouse, the Navy seems like a foreign land with its own language, customs, traditions, health care system, inherent moves, and deployments.
What is COMPASS?
COMPASS is a standardized Team-Mentoring program developed by spouses for spouses. COMPASS focuses on spouses new to the Navy; however, all spouses are welcome. COMPASS improves the quality of life through education, enabling spouses to understand, experience, and meet the Navy lifestyle’s challenges. With this knowledge and realistic expectations, their journeys can be successful and rewarding.
What to Expect
The COMPASS program is taught over a three day period and participants may attend an in person session or a virtual session. In person sessions are 12-hours; three four-hour sessions. Virtual sessions are 9-hours; three three-hour sessions. With Mentors acting as discussion leaders, participants are encouraged to ask any questions they may have in a non-judgmental atmosphere. There is one Mentor Team at each location. Session teams come from the main Mentor Team and present the scheduled COMPASS sessions. Typically, Session Teams consist of four Mentors.
Participants are introduced to many aspects of the Navy. The standardized curriculum includes need-to-know topics such as the Navy mission, history, organization, customs and traditions, rights and benefits, deployment, pay, moving, interpersonal communication, and investing in self and community. Another important benefit of COMPASS is the opportunity for spouses to establish a peer network. Because experienced spouses pass on their Navy lifestyle insights, the concept of “helping others to help themselves” is clearly observable and becomes an ongoing action-oriented process.
Course materials are provided free-of-charge, thanks to the generosity of FamilyLine supporters and donors.
COMPASS Locations
We are looking for volunteers for various positions including Team Leader, Mentors, and Administrative Helpers. If you are interested in becoming a Team Leader or Mentor, you must be a Navy Spouse who has been married for at least 3 years, attend the Basic COMPASS Course and Mentor Training Course. If you are interested in joining one of our teams, see below for contact information. If you don’t see a location near you and have questions, feel free to contact us.
| COMPASS Location | Volunteer Opportunities | Team Page | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
Charleston, SC | compasscharleston@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Greater Jacksonville | compassgreaterjax@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Groton, CT | compassgroton@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Guam | compassguam@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Pacific Northwest | compasspnw@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Lemoore, CA | compasslemoore@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Misawa, Japan | compassmisawa@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Naval District Washington | compassndw@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Norfolk, VA | compassnorfolk@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Pearl Harbor, HI | compasspearlharbor@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Rota, Spain | compassrota@nsfamilyline.org | ||
San Diego, CA | compasssandiego@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Whidbey Island, WA | compasswhidbey@nsfamilyline.org | ||
Yokosuka, Japan | compassyokosuka@nsfamilyline.org |
