Over 55 percent of all eligible Anchorage crewmembers reaffirmed their commitment to the Navy in 1998. Matthew R. Smith re- enlisted in the middle of the Arabian Gulf. Smith also cited education opportunities in the Navy as major factor influencing him to stay Navy. But the Navy gives more than just stability. It also provides a multi-layered safety net that includes not just the chain of command, but the medical community, family service centers and chaplains.
Anchorage encourages an environment that seems more like family than a traditional job.
While deployed, the ship's family support group socialized regularly and kept one another informed and aware with a toll free Anchorage care line and a newsletter. Anchorage also found ways to bring Sailors closer to home while underway. Recently installed systems like the Afloat Personal Telecommunication system - an inexpensive satellite telephone system that enables Sailors to call home from sea has helped Sailors stay connected to home on a frequent basis. Anchorage also worked hard to bring email access to every Sailor by installing numerous computer terminals and innovating new ways to connect when old ones failed. Bringing Sailors and their families together happens every year around the holiday season, but Anchorage has been doing it all year long.