NMRTC Great Lakes Ombudsman

08/19/2026

Hello Command Families!

I want to share a quick but important update for our families enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP).

Within the next week, the PERS-456 EFMP Branch will be emailing out a Respite Care Survey. If you meet the criteria, please keep an eye on your inbox (specifically the email address linked to your sponsor's NFAAS account)!

Who will receive this survey?
This specific survey is targeted to Sailors and families who have an exceptional family member (EFM) between the ages of 0-18 with a Level of Need (LoN) 3 or 4.

Why is this important?
Your feedback goes directly to Navy leadership to help them understand your experiences and ensure the respite care benefit is working for the families who need it most.

What if I'm eligible but not using Respite Care yet?
If hearing about this survey reminds you that you'd like to look into using your respite care benefit, now is a great time!

To learn more about accessing the child respite care benefit, you can visit the Child Care Aware of America website.

If you need to verify or update your current EFMP enrollment letter before applying, please reach out to your local Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) EFMP Case Liaison.

Have questions?
If you receive the survey and have specific questions about it, you can reach out directly to the PERS-456 EFMP Branch at 901-874-2496. As always, if you need help connecting with your local EFMP Case Liaison or finding FFSC resources, just let me know. I am here to help!

07/29/2026

07/29/2026

Great Lakes Area Families,



Hunt and the Naval Station are aware power has not been restored to FT Sheridan Housing. The substation that feeds into FT Sheridan was damaged and is still out of normal configuration. ComEd is sending a team out to look at the substation again. We are unsure at this time how long it will take to have power restored but we do know power will be restored.



Hunt is working to see if they can send food trucks down to the area. We have also asked NEX and USO to see what they can do to assist.



Continue to stay safe and if you are in a dire situation and need assistance, work through the OMBUDSMAN network and chains of command to relay those issues to the Naval Station.



V/R

CAPT Steve “TF” Yargosz

Commanding Officer

07/29/2026

Great Lakes Area Families,

The storms that rolled through the area have caused widespread electrical outages across Lake County. Over 200,000 people are affected. ComEd who supplies power to the local area is actively engaged in repairs and is working to restore power as soon as possible.

ComEd was made aware of the power outages shortly after the storms rolled through by both Hunt and Naval Station Great Lakes. Both Hunt and the Naval Station have been making regular inquires with ComEd on the status of repairs. ComEd owns the power lines and all repair capabilities.

ComEd is actively working to restore power to Highland Park and FT Sheridan. Right now it appears the substation that serves the entire area near FT Sheridan was severely impacted. We hope power is restored tonight but there is a good probability it will take longer than that to restore power.

Continue to stay safe and if you are in a dire situation and need assistance, work through the OMBUDSMAN network and chains of command to relay those issues to the Naval Station.

V/R
CAPT Steve Yargosz
Commanding Officer
Naval Station Great Lakes

07/10/2026

07/09/2026