Key Points and Summary – United States Navy sailors face deployment cycles ranging from six to twelve months aboard surface combatants, submarines, and aircraft carriers — missing family birthdays, anniversaries, and major life milestones along the way.
The Navy’s Operational Stress Control program uses a four-stage stress continuum (ready, reacting, injured, ill) adapted from the Marine Corps to identify sailors needing mental health support, family readiness resources, or substance abuse intervention during long deployments at sea.
The Stresses of Being a Part of the U.S. Navy
I come from a military family with a long and distinguished service record. My father’s side of the family consists of multiple Marine Corps and Navy veterans. My mother’s side has the Army and Air Force veterans. But sometimes I have the most respect for sailors in the U.S. Navy.
I have never been on a warship at sea, but I have listened to my grandfather’s stories about serving on a submarine in World War Two, and I have been blown away by the details. I have also taken submarine tours from the war, and I am amazed at how the crew could spend so much time underwater in cramped conditions.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Jan. 8, 2026) A U.S. Sailor, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), observes an MH-60R Sea Hawk, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 79, during flight operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Roosevelt is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Indra Beaufort)
U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, assigned to the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group’s Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136, fly a mission over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, March 2, 2025. The HSTCSG is responsible for patrolling approximately 2.5 million square miles of ocean and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jackson Manske)
The Life of a Sailor Is Unique
Sailors are used to long deployments and are often away from friends, family, and life events that define our existence. Many Navy personnel have missed childhood birthdays, anniversaries, family sporting events, and other life milestones. This creates stress and regret among sailors who lack the kind of family inclusion necessary for adults to maintain sound mental health and resilience to stress.
Sea Duty Has Its Share of Challenges
Ships are often crowded, with limited living space. Sailors do not sleep on king-size beds. They share quarters and rest on bunk beds in open bays, with little privacy. Showers are brief, and hot water may be limited. Food is plentiful, but it is difficult to create restaurant-quality meals that evoke a sense of home.
Ships can also be lonely. Sailors do have friends they make on board, but no family members are present. It’s not like peacetime garrison service in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps, in which family members can be present on posts or bases.
SAN DIEGO, Ca. (April 10, 2026) – Friends and family greet Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) from the pier, as the ship returns to its homeport of Naval Base San Diego following a seven-month underway to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations, April 10. Stockdale returns safely home having successfully carried out sustained operations at sea, maintaining peace through strength and sustaining credible deterrence alongside our allies and partners. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sara Eshleman)
(April 11, 2026) – Sailors man the rails aboard the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) during the commissioning ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia, April 11, 2026. The warship bears the name of a living Medal of Honor recipient, retired Col. Harvey C. “Barney” Barnum Jr. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Theoplis Stewart)
Operational Stress Control
One stress-relieving program for sailors is the Navy’s Operational Stress Control Program (OSC). The OSC depends on its “Navigating Stress for Families” educational offering. Counselors are also on board ships to address mental health needs.
“It’s good to know the signs of stress,” said Beth Williams, the deployed resiliency counselor aboard the USS George Washington. “Quite often, I get sailors coming in asking for help in dealing with stress. Knowing the signs of stress and knowing when to get help for it are valuable tools in life, which the program provides,” according to a Navy news release.
The idea is to identify stressors early and address them in ways that help a sailor feel confident in their own coping with difficult situations, such as missing family events and milestones.
Placing Sailors in Stress Categories
Like the Marine Corps, the Navy classifies sailors into different levels of stress zones. The idea is to recognize shipmates who need the kind of personal care that a civilian counselor can provide.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), transits the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, March 22, 2026. Gerald R. Ford is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to support the warfighting effectiveness, lethality and readiness of U.S. Naval Forces Europe Africa, and defend U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tajh Payne)
“If a person is ready, they are considered to be prepared for deployment and functioning adequately both socially and emotionally. If a Sailor is reacting, they may be in distress and experiencing physical or behavioral changes.
When a Sailor is injured, this stress type may leave lasting memories, and they may experience more severe distress. Lastly, if a Sailor is ill, they are likely to have stress injuries that won’t heal without help. Their symptoms may get better initially, but then worsen,” according to the OSC program.
MyNavyHR and Warrior Toughness
The Navy also depends on what it calls “MyNavyHR.” The flagship program for this section of Naval readiness efforts is called the “Warrior Toughness.”
Watch Out for Substance Abuse
The first area of sailor care is to make sure the person does not engage in unhealthy use of alcohol or drugs. Like many professions, drinking alcohol has a long history in the Navy. Shipmates like to blow off steam during liberty and shore excursions, and it is necessary for the sailors not to overdo it. They may work hard, but they have to be careful when “playing hard.”
Building Resilient Families
Another program within Warrior Toughness is Family Readiness. This effort is designed to promote resilient families that can cope with stressors from long deployments and combat operations lasting six to twelve months.
There are family support groups at bases and installations. These are called Fleet and Family Support Centers, which offer resources for stressful situations when a family member is deployed for long periods. Financial advice, parenthood skills, and pregnancy healthcare recommendations are also included within these support centers.
Physical Health Leads to Good Mental Health
Warrior Toughness also has resources to help sailors maintain high levels of physical fitness and nutrition. Physical health is systemically related to mental health, and the Navy medical community is aware of how important it is to promote these types of remedies for stress relief.
Reducing the Risk Factors of Naval Service
Another way Warrior Toughness promotes sound, healthy leadership is through the “Integrated Primary Prevention Program.”
“Integrated Primary Prevention (IPP) promotes protective factors and reduces risk factors among individuals, within relationships, and within organizations, through policies, programs, and practices. The Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce (IPPW) focuses on risk and protective factors that impact two or more harmful behaviors,” the Navy explains.
The Navy has an excellent handle on what makes sailors tick, their fears and anxieties, the hardships at sea, and how they get along with their friends and families who are stateside.
The Operational Stress Control Program is critical in identifying sailors who have mental health issues early. So it is imperative to ensure shipmates receive the assistance they need from the ship’s chain of command before they can get professional help onshore.
Using the various “Warrior Toughness” resources is another way for families to maintain their resilience while their loved ones are on long deployments. Physical health among sailors is an important determinant of mental health, and Warrior Toughness makes sure that shipmates are physically fit, well-rested, and well-fed.
The Navy is a unique lifestyle that creates a sense of shared sacrifice, exemplary courage, and valuable camaraderie. But there are times of difficulty and loneliness that can cause stress. Thankfully, the service branch offers many programs and resources, with highly qualified professionals who know how to care for sailors. This should give families a sigh of relief, knowing that their loved ones will be well cared for at sea or on shore.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
