The Navy has beefed up mental health care for sailors dealing with 'rude awakening' of military life

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The Embedded Mental Health Clinic at Naval Base San Diego is just steps away from the bustling waterfront that’s home to 51 Navy surface vessels. The clinic, which opened in October, serves the thousands of sailors stationed on those ships.

San Diego’s clinic is one of several now in operation across the Navy’s surface fleet concentration areas around the world.

Capt. Tara Smith, the mental health officer for Surface Force Pacific Fleet in San Diego, said the clinic’s 20 providers have been busy since it opened. Sailors working on ships experience stressors unique to their jobs, she said.