Ombudsmen are volunteers appointed by the commanding officer to serve as a primary link/liaison between the commanding officer, command, and command family members. The ombudsman’s main job is to communicate information and concerns between the command families, the command and the commanding officer.

The program was created in 1970 by then Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. He  recognized that Navy families face many unique issues and concerns and established the Navy Family Ombudsman Program in Z-gram 24 so they would have a way to express their concerns and receive assistance. Since it’s creation, the ombudsman program has evolved and adapted to meet the needs of the commands and the Navy families.