ARE YOU CRAZY!?

That seems to be the reaction of most of my friends when I tell them my new news... "Are you crazy?!"  Followed by a blank stare at me... ha ha ha. Calm down... Its nothing tooooo crazy.  I applied to be our boats new Ombudsman.  For those of you who don't know what it is (official definition): "An Ombudsman is an official representative of the Commanding Officer; he/she plays a vital role in establishing and maintaining current and accurate communication between the command and its family members." In my words- I'm the head wife.  I'm in charge of alllllll that goes on when the boys are in port, and ESPECIALLY when they are out to sea.  It prob doesn't sound so bad, but there is a part of me that wonders if I really am crazy.  Along with all the professional information I have to relay I do get to deal with all the drama that may arise!  But- lucky for me, we have a wonderful group of amazing girls on the Pittsburgh.  I call them my "Pittsburgh Family" because we are all very close.  I'm sure there will be challenging times.... and I know I have some big shoes to fill.  I will work very hard to maintain the morale we all have worked to uphold on the Pittsburgh.  Plus I will have to write letters and such to the families of our Sailors.... Ill need to get cute stationary that says "From the Desk of Lauren Peterson" or something like that ha ha ha.  But lets not get ahead of myself.  I'm not picked yet.  Its down to me and one other wife on the boat.... and shes been at this Navy stuff a lot longer than I have.  We had to write a paragraph on "WHY WE WANTED TO BE OMBUDSMAN"...

Do you want to see my paragraph??

Being assigned to a new command always brings a sense of adventure on one hand and anxiety on another. That’s why being part of an organization that has been in existence since October 1775, individuals can rely on the established order, chain of command, stability and security that is the same where ever you are assigned. My family and I were thankful for such leadership when were assigned to the U.S.S. Pittsburgh. This is why I wish to be the next Ombudsman for my submarine. I want to be the leader who builds upon the honor, success, and momentum that have already been established and make the Pittsburgh bigger and better. I want to borrow the quote, "The United States Navy is the envy of every other navy in the world. They don’t want to be like us - they want to be us" and use it as the Pittsburgh’s mantra. Being the ombudsman would take a great commitment. I am committed to my husband, who is committed to the U.S. Navy. Therefore I too, am married to the U.S.S. Pittsburgh and the U.S. Navy. Success and accomplishment is not an option for me in my life. I graduated with high honors in Marketing with a concentration in Leadership from Johnson and Wales University, Denver, in May of 2007. Part of my success is because I place a high value on personal integrity and represent myself in an ethical and respectable manner at all times. Life experience in my professional and personal world has taught me to always act instead or react to any situation and always use a cool head when making decisions. The way an ombudsman supports the command, and the ombudsman's mission is to take care of its families so that the service members are able to focus on their job. It is very important to have the ombudsman available and accessible to the command families because their primary job is to assist and serve as a liaison and communicator for the families. Being in the Navy is hard on all families, and every family is different. It is important to have someone they can go to, someone to help them work through the challenges of Navy life. Added to my diligence in paying close attention to people and details, as the ombudsman of the U.S.S. Pittsburgh, I would elevate the integrity and respect to our submarine family, while welcoming and embracing our new Pittsburgh family members into our fold. We all have a job and each of us will do that job whether it is baking cookies for a bake sale or being the C.O.B on the sub. We are like spokes on a wheel. We all need each other to make us successful as a whole.

What do ya think!?

Thats my news of the day. 

Stay tuned for final word on who gets picked!