YOKOSUKA, Japan -- Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) and tenant command Ombudsman create a program to assist eligible active duty families with essential tasks during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic entitled the Family Partner Program (FPP).

In an effort to reduce interaction between individuals, the FPP allows two households to partner together to perform day-to-day essential movement tasks that are impacted due to the current base-wide Shelter in Place policy.

Some of these tasks include visits to the commissary and Navy Exchange for essential items, post office pick up and drop off, and essential medical and business appointments such as a doctor’s visit, veterinarian, vehicle registration, and auto port visit for car maintenance.

“I really appreciate the intention of this program,” said Brittany Hoggard, an FPP participant. “I think having a fellow spouse to team up with during this epidemic is happening, especially in a foreign land, all while your spouse is deployed, is very helpful for families because it limits interaction between people.”

Eligible participants include: spouses with dependent children aged 15 years or younger with a deployed active duty spouse; single active duty personnel with dependent children aged 15 years or younger; additionally, spouses of active duty personnel who do not have dependent children aged 15 years or younger are still eligible to partner with a family.

FPP coordinators emphasize this program is not to be used for scheduling of play dates, coffee visits and other non-essential tasks.

“We are in a stressful situation here,” added Hoggard. “This program relieves a portion of that stress.”

For 75 years, CFAY has provided, maintained, and operated base facilities and services in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet's forward-deployed naval forces, tenant commands, and thousands of military and civilian personnel and their families.