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December 21, 2015VOL. 4| ISSUE 23

NIMITZNEWS.WORDPRESS.COM

CHIEF OF THE CHURCHNimitz Sailor uses dedicated spirituality to inspire those around him

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in this issue

While the holidays are a time of joy and cheer for many, some Sailors may not feel so grand if they succumb to the holiday blues. Thankfully, there are many options available for Sailors who are having a hard time this holiday season.

RPC Stanley Ponder has made it his mission to educate himself and his Sailors

on the valuable lessons he has learned from his spiritual experiences. WRead

about how this chief preaches lessons of love and life to his Sailors.

The Seattle Metro area has much to offer for Sailors who are unable to go home during the holiday stand down.

Take a look at the area event calendar to find some cool activities.

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STORY BY MC3 CHAD D. ANDERSON

Be Good for Goodness Sake

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The holiday season is often a joyous occasion filled with family and friends. But many Sail-ors face problems during the holiday season

like excessive drinking and depression.Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz

(CVN 68) have a number of options available to them to receive help during this season or any time of the year. Alcohol treatment programs are one of these.

“There are many resources Sailors have at their disposal, such as the Fleet and Family Support Cen-ter or the continuing aftercare program held onboard, which teaches healthy ways to cope with Alcoholism,” said Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Eric Powell, Nimitz’ Command Drug and Alcohol Prevention Advisor. “The last thing we want is a Sailor suffering in silence.”

Sometimes, Sailors may either ignore the support offered to them or aren’t aware of it. Additionally, many major incidences that occur during the holiday season are alcohol-related incidences (ARI), specifi-

cally unauthorized absences (UA) and DUIs. “Sailors get in more trouble during the holidays

than any other time of the year,” said Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Kenneth Fortune. “It’s especially common for junior Sailors where it’s their first Christmas away from home.”

Fortune said people often consume alcohol to cope with being away from home during the holidays, which may lead to getting behind the wheel drunk, or not showing up for work on time.

One of the biggest ways to avoid a DUI is to leave your car behind if you decide to go out and have a few drinks.

If a Sailor does decide to go out drinking and needs a ride home, there are many other options avail-able besides getting behind the wheel.

“There will always be a friend or somebody in your chain of command who can pick you up if you’ve been drinking,” said Fortune.

Some Sailors may not feel like they can rely on

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their chain of command for help in a situation like that, but it’s their job to help.

“It’s important for a Sailor to know where to go for help and to feel comfortable enough to reach out,” said Powell. “Whether it’s your chain of command, a chaplain, or Dr. Denise Miller, Nimitz’ resiliency counselor, there are a lot of people who are willing to listen.”

According to Legalman 1st Class Wilma Galido, from Nimitz’ Legal Department, Sailors can always call Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD), who offer Arrive Alive cards, and pick Sailors up with no questions asked. There are also taxi services available that will pick someone up. It might cost a little money but it’s much cheaper than a DUI.

According to the Seattle Post, in the state of Wash-ington, the average cab fee is $2.70 per mile, and the average DUI fee is $2,334. Not to mention $2,000 in court fees, and the penalties that come with a DUI through both the military and civilian courts.

ARIs are also a big problem for Sailors during the holidays, and they’re not the only problem a Sailor can experience. Depression is another issue that increases in numbers during the holidays.

“As most people know, alcohol is a depressant, and as ARIs increase, so do the depression cases,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Gregory Tramble, the behavioral health technician aboard Nimitz. “We all come from different walks of life, and the holidays don’t always mean the same thing for everyone. Some of us celebrate, but some of us don’t. On top of that, people don’t always get to go home for the holidays, so the ones who don’t may feel lonely.”

If a Sailor is feeling lonesome or depressed, there are ways to get help, such as going to medical and talking to a medical professional or to a chaplain. There are even ways to help prevent depression in the first place, like finding a hobby or hanging out with friends.

“Preventing depression is always the key,” said Tramble. “My biggest suggestion is to stay close to the friends you do have, even if it’s just communicat-ing through social media. Hang out with people you work with and their friends. Find a hobby or sport that you like and befriend people with that similar hobby. Making friends and celebrating with those friends is what gets people through the holiday season.”

If you or someone you know may be struggling with alcoholism or depression, you can reach the Chaplain at 476-2183, the resiliency counselor at 854-0638 or visit Medical. You can also contact CSADD at (360) 340-2906 or contact Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647.

“There are many resources Sailors have at their disposal,

such as the Fleet and Family

Support Center or the continuing

aftercare program held

onboard, which teaches healthy

ways to cope with Alcoholism.

The last thing we want is a

Sailor suffering in silence.”

MCCS ERIC POWELL

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chief of the churchNimitz Sailor uses dedicated spirituality to inspire those around him

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chief of the churchNimitz Sailor uses dedicated spirituality to inspire those around him

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MCSN COLBY S. COMERY

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around you and be able to regurgitate that information in such a way that people can understand what you are trying to convey to them.”

The younger generation is far more electronically inclined than ever before, so they want information that can be quickly digested.

“Working with the youth takes the most dedi-cation,” said Ponder. “Whatever they are thinking, I must be patient. If that thought process is adverse to a positive lifestyle, I need to be patient enough to turn their thinking to a positive light.”

Ponder described the level of balance and poise he needed to demonstrate in order to help some indi-viduals.

“If I push too hard, I push them away,” he said. “If I don’t push enough, then I won’t give them what they need.”

At times he comes across situations where he finds himself helping people whom others might scorn.

“Are we to turn away somebody who comes to us for help simply because he or she has done wrong,” asked Ponder. “The church is a hospital of faith and if someone has an injured soul, we will try to heal it.”

This is a belief Ponder has adopted and adapted to fit his life in the Navy as well. He sees his Sailors no differently than his congregation.

“I know Sailors who have cheated on their spous-es, I know Sailors who have done malicious things,” Ponder said. “But, am I to take this person who has gone to mast three times and turn them away at the time they come to me for help?”

Ponder said he strives to treat all people with the same level of dignity, despite what they may have done in the past.

Each week, Ponder and the other members of the executive pastoral team at his church come up with a game plan on how to minister to the people they en-counter. All the while, he is taking things away from those discussions that are useful to his everyday life and to the lives of his Sailors, such as not judging people, being relatable and understanding the younger generation.

Ponder’s day winds down as the darkness finds its place in the sky once again and the warmth of his home replaces the fading sun. The sound of the video game Ponder and his wife play buzzes in their room as his daily routine comes to a close. The lights flick out, completing the last step of the process that waits to be started again when the light of a new day is just beyond the horizon.

T he air is crisp and the darkness of night still lingers, Chief Religious Programs Specialist Stanley Ponder, the Leading Chief Petty Offi-

cer of the Training Department on board USS Nimitz (CVN 68), wakes from his sleep and begins the same daily schedule he has repeated for years. At 4 a.m., Ponder, a man heavily involved in his church, begins with prayer and meditation before doing anything else.

As a church elder and a chief, Ponder dedicates himself to improving his mind, body and soul, so that he and those around him can reach new heights of ex-cellence.

Ponder doesn’t see himself as anything other than another link in the anchor chain. To keep himself as approachable as possible, he doesn’t speak to Sailors as a chief, but as a fellow Sailor and brother in arms.

As a Religious Programs Specialist, Sailors come to Ponder at times to see a chaplain but in some in-stances they simply come to him for guidance.

“I’m not a Sailor who happens to be Christian,” said Ponder.

“I’m a Christian who happens to be a Sailor.”Ponder thinks this philosophy helps him remain

relatable and approachable to Sailors of every pay grade. The foundation upon which his principals are built rests firmly upon the daily routine Ponder has developed for himself over the years.

“I need to be in prayer and meditation daily so that my heart and mind are on par with what I need to be doing” said Ponder.

Ponder likened his daily routine to the sharpening of an axe. He went on to explain that a sharp axe re-sults in more wood chopped than a dull one.

His mind, Ponder said, is similar. The more he grows and develops, the more Sailors and church members he is able to positively affect.

Over time, Ponder earned associate degrees in lib-eral arts and religious science, a bachelor’s degree in Christian education and a master’s degree in theolo-gy. He uses the knowledge learned from earning those degrees to guide Sailors and the congregation of his church down a brighter path.

He hasn’t stopped learning since earning his de-grees. Ponder continues to build on his level of knowl-edge by setting aside time every day to study some sort of educational material.

Ponder also works to keep up with the younger crowds that he deals with at church and at work.

“I need to know what my congregation, the Mil-lennials and the world are experiencing at that mo-ment,” said Ponder. “The term is ‘keeping your ear to the street;’ you have to understand what’s going on

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“I need to be in prayer and meditation daily so that my heart and mind are on par with

what I need to be doing.”

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