Will my service member find out if I see an FFSC counselor?

No. Individual FFSC counseling is confidential. Your service member is not notified, is not asked for consent, and is not given access to the conversation. FFSC also does not generate a medical record that affects your service member's security clearance review.

Can I use 988 + 1 if I'm not the service member?

Yes. The Military and Veterans Crisis Line is open to family members, retirees, veterans, Reservists, and active-duty members. You don't need to be enrolled in VA care or have any documentation.

What if my child needs counseling?

FFSC provides family counseling that includes children. MFLCs include some who specialize in children and adolescents. Some Everett-area schools have school-based MFLCs serving military-connected students. Call FFSC at 425-304-3735 to route the request to the right resource.

Are MFLC sessions really off the record?

Yes, with standard mandatory-reporting exceptions for child abuse, elder abuse, and imminent danger. Routine counseling conversations stay off the medical record, off the chain of command, and off the security clearance process. That structure is by design, specifically to lower the barrier for service members and families to seek help.

What if I want to see a civilian therapist instead?

That's a valid option. TRICARE covers mental health services through a network of civilian providers. The TRICARE West Region Provider Directory has the current list. For spouses with civilian employer-sponsored health coverage, your insurance network is also an option.

How do I find the deployment ombudsman for my service member's command?

Each Navy command has a designated ombudsman whose role is to support family members. Contact information for the current ombudsman should be available through your service member's command, or through the FFSC Ombudsman Coordinator at 425-304-3735.

Where do I start if I've never used any of these resources before?

Call FFSC at 425-304-3735 and say you'd like to talk to a counselor. The intake will route you to the right resource — FFSC counseling, an MFLC referral, or another service depending on what you need. You don't need to know which resource fits before you call.

Will using FFSC counseling affect my security clearance?

FFSC counseling does not generate a medical record and does not feed into the standard security clearance review process. Many Sailors who hesitate to seek help on the medical side because of clearance worries find FFSC's non-medical model is the bridge to getting help without the documentation concerns.

Do I need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to use the Everett Vet Center?

No. Vet Centers operate on a different model from VA medical clinics. You don't need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to receive Vet Center services. The Everett Vet Center is open to combat veterans, MST survivors, family members of veterans killed in service, and active-duty members who served in a combat zone.

What's the difference between calling 988 and pressing 1 vs. just calling 988?

Pressing 1 routes you to the Military and Veterans Crisis Line, staffed by responders trained in military culture. Just calling 988 routes you to a civilian Suicide and Crisis Lifeline responder. Both are available 24/7. For service members and veterans, the +1 routing is generally preferable because the responders understand the specific stressors of military life.

Can spouses use FFSC counseling?

Yes. FFSC counseling is open to active-duty service members, spouses, dependents, and retirees. The Center runs individual, marriage, and family counseling.

How fast can I get an appointment?

For acute crisis situations, 988+1 is the right immediate door. For non-crisis FFSC counseling, appointments are typically available within days to two weeks. The Vet Center and Everett VA Clinic have variable wait times depending on demand and provider availability.

What if I'm an MST survivor?

The Everett Vet Center provides specific Military Sexual Trauma counseling. You don't need to have filed a report or have any documentation to receive MST services. The Vet Center is structured to be low-barrier for survivors who may have hesitated to engage with the broader VA system.

FFSC has family counseling that includes children. School-based MFLCs serve military-connected students at certain Everett-area schools. The Family Advocacy Program at NAVSTA also provides services for families with children. The FFSC referral line at 425-304-3735 can route family-specific requests appropriately.

I'm not active duty anymore. Which resource applies to me?

If you're separated or retired: 988+1 for crisis, Everett Vet Center for combat-trauma or MST counseling, Everett VA Clinic for routine mental health care (requires VA enrollment), and Snohomish County Veterans Assistance for emergency financial help. FFSC is generally for active-duty members and their families, with some retiree services.

Category: Everett News

Breaking news, city hall, and major developments shaping Everett.

Glacier Peak Books State, Jackson and Lake Stevens Fight at Funko Field: Wesco 4A Baseball Comes Home
**The quick read:** Wesco 4A baseball regular-season champion Glacier Peak punched its WIAA State Tournament ticket Saturday at Bannerwood Park with an 8-2 quarterfinal win over Bothell. Jackson and Lake Stevens dropped their quarterfinals and head to the Consolation Bracket — both of which are being played at Funko Field in Everett on Thursday, May 14. Then on May 29-30, the WIAA 3A and 4A State Baseball Championships return to Funko Field for the third straight year. This is a great time to be a local high-school baseball fan.

If you grew up around Everett, you already know: high school spring sports get every bit of the love that the pro and junior teams in this town do. And right now, the Wesco postseason is putting all of it within a five-mile drive of downtown Everett.

Here’s where Wesco baseball stands heading into the back half of May — and why all roads lead to Funko Field.

Glacier Peak Locks the State Bid

Glacier Peak entered the District 1/2 4A Baseball Tournament as the No. 2 seed on the back of the Wesco 4A regular-season league title. Saturday at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue, the Grizzlies took care of business in their quarterfinal, beating No. 10 Bothell 8-2 to clinch a state berth.

In a District tournament where five of the 12 teams advance to State, a quarterfinal win is the magic number. Glacier Peak is in. From here it’s playing for seeding and a potential District 1/2 championship.

Their next game is the semifinal Thursday, May 14, at 4:00 p.m. at Bannerwood Park against No. 3 Eastlake (out of KingCo 4A). That game will be streamed on the Eli Sports Network. If Glacier Peak wins, they’re in the District championship Saturday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m., also at Bannerwood Park.

Jackson and Lake Stevens Aren’t Done — and They’re Playing in Our Backyard

This is the part that matters for an Everett high-school baseball fan with no easy way to get to Bellevue on a school night: the Consolation Bracket is being played at Funko Field.

Two Wesco programs are still alive in that bracket:
- **No. 8 Jackson** (which beat No. 9 Issaquah 3-0 in the first round before falling 3-2 to top-seeded Woodinville in the quarterfinal Saturday)
- **No. 4 Lake Stevens** (which dropped a 5-1 quarterfinal to No. 12 Skyline)
Both teams play their Consolation games at Funko Field on Thursday, May 14:
- **Bothell vs. Lake Washington — 4:00 p.m. at Funko Field**
- **Jackson vs. Lake Stevens — 7:00 p.m. at Funko Field**
That’s a Wesco-vs-Wesco showdown between Jackson and Lake Stevens in a loser-out game on AquaSox dirt. The winner survives to play on Saturday May 16 for the final State Tournament bid out of this District. It’s exactly the kind of high-school baseball game that makes a Thursday night worth showing up for.

Kamiak’s Run Ended Early

The other Wesco team in the field, Kamiak (No. 11 seed), drew No. 6 Lake Washington in the first round Thursday May 7 and dropped that game 6-0. Tough draw, tough result, but the Knights’ regular season — and the fact that they made the District field at all — speaks to the depth of Wesco 4A baseball in 2026.

And Then State Returns to Everett

Once the District 1/2 dust settles, the bigger picture: the 2026 WIAA 3A and 4A State Baseball Championships return to Funko Field on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30, for the third consecutive year. Four 3A teams and four 4A teams will play for state titles on the same field where the AquaSox host Northwest League games all summer.

This is one of the cooler quirks of the Everett sports calendar. The same outfield grass where Felnin Celesten will be standing in June was, three weekends earlier, where a Washington high-school senior took an at-bat for a state championship. That’s a sneaky-great asset for the city, and the Snohomish County Sports Commission has done well to bring it back year after year.

What About the Wesco South 2A-3A Race?

In the Wesco South 2A-3A baseball league, Edmonds-Woodway won its fourth straight league title with a clincher against Shorewood on May 1. That’s a remarkable run of program-level dominance — four-peat at the league level is the kind of thing that puts a coaching staff in the local baseball hall of memory.

Edmonds-Woodway will represent Wesco South in its respective District 1 3A tournament. Specific bracket information for that race is still developing on the WIAA schedule page; we’ll track it as the playoffs unfold.

Things to Watch This Week

Wesco 4A loyalty test: Both Jackson and Lake Stevens are alive at Funko Field Thursday night. If Wesco fans want a clear preference, it’s “let one of ours grab the last State bid.” Showing up in person is the easiest way to be loud about that.

Glacier Peak’s semifinal: Eastlake is a serious draw on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Wolves were a state semifinalist a year ago out of this same tournament. If Glacier Peak gets through, the Grizzlies are in the District championship Saturday with a real shot at the No. 1 District 1/2 4A seed at State.

The state weekend: Mark May 29-30. Two days of high-school state-championship baseball at Funko Field, before the AquaSox come back home for their summer push. If you’ve never gone to a state championship game in person, this is a good year to start.

Fan-Voice Take

There’s a thing this town does well that doesn’t always get praised the way it deserves: we show up for the kids. The Silvertips and AquaSox get the headlines, but the Wesco 4A district tournament has been a real local event for as long as the four-school Everett School District plus Glacier Peak, Jackson, Lake Stevens, and Kamiak have all been playing in the same league pyramid.

A Thursday-night doubleheader at Funko Field where one Wesco team has to send another Wesco team home with one swing? That’s why we love it. Bring a hat. Bring some money for the concession line. Bring your kid. Sit behind the dugout and pay attention, because two years from now one of those guys might be in pro spring training and you’ll get to say you saw the first big swing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Wesco 4A baseball regular-season title in 2026?

Glacier Peak. The Grizzlies entered the District 1/2 4A Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

Where is the District 1/2 4A Baseball Tournament being played?

The main bracket games are at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. The Consolation Bracket games are being played at Funko Field in Everett.

When is the Wesco vs Wesco Consolation game at Funko Field?

Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., when No. 8 Jackson plays No. 4 Lake Stevens in a loser-out game.

How many teams from the District 1/2 4A Tournament advance to State?

Five teams. Quarterfinal winners are guaranteed State bids; Consolation Bracket survivors play for the remaining spots.

When and where is the WIAA State Baseball Tournament?

The 2026 WIAA 3A and 4A State Baseball Championships are at Funko Field in Everett on Friday and Saturday, May 29-30. Four 3A and four 4A teams will compete.

Who won the Wesco South 2A-3A baseball title in 2026?

Edmonds-Woodway, defeating Shorewood on May 1 for the Warriors’ fourth straight league title.

Where can I watch the District 1/2 games online?

Eli Sports Network is streaming all seven games at Bannerwood Park. The Consolation games at Funko Field have been historically streamed by local outlets — check the WIAA and Wesco Athletics schedule pages.
May 11, 2026
Anders Miller’s Road Test: Silvertips’ Backbone Heads to Art Hauser Centre With a Historic Save Percentage
**The quick read:** Everett Silvertips goaltender Anders Miller takes a 12-0-1 playoff record, a 1.79 goals-against average, and a .936 save percentage into Game 3 of the WHL Championship Final on Tuesday, May 12, at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert (6:30 p.m. PT). Through two rounds he sat at .948 — no WHL goalie with nine-plus playoff games has ever posted better. With the series tied 1-1 and the next three games on the road, the Silvertips’ chances of winning their first Ed Chynoweth Cup since 2007 depend on whether Miller can carry that work in front of someone else’s crowd.

Hockey playoff series get decided by goaltending. We say that every spring like it’s a fortune-cookie cliché, but in the 2026 WHL Final it’s also literally what’s happening. The Everett Silvertips are tied 1-1 with the Prince Albert Raiders heading into a three-game road swing, and the player most responsible for keeping this dream season alive is wearing pads.

Here’s why Anders Miller’s Game 3 might be the single most important shift of his career, and why Silvertips fans should feel both nervous and weirdly calm.

The Number That Makes the Rest of the WHL Stop Talking

Through two rounds of the 2026 WHL Playoffs, Miller put up a .948 save percentage. That is, per QuantHockey, the highest save percentage ever recorded in WHL playoff history by a goalie with nine or more games played. Not the highest of the year. Not the highest in the conference. The highest, full stop, going back through every postseason the league has ever played.

Through 13 playoff games this spring, Miller now sits at:
- **Record: 12-0-1**
- **Goals-against average: 1.79** (2nd in the WHL playoffs)
- **Save percentage: .936** (2nd in the WHL playoffs)
- **Shutouts: 1** (T-2nd)
- **Wins: 12** (1st)
He’s the Mary Brown’s Chicken WHL Goaltender of the Month for April. He was Goaltender of the Week earlier in the run. He came over from Calgary in a midseason trade and proceeded to author the most efficient playoff goaltending stretch any 16-team WHL has seen.

For fans who weren’t paying attention until the Penticton series: this isn’t a hot streak. This is the structural reason this franchise is two wins from each side of a championship.

What Game 2 Told Us — and What Game 1 Didn’t

In Game 2 of the Final at Angel of the Winds Arena, Miller stopped 37 of the shots he saw and the Silvertips ran away with it 6-2. That’s the version that has the Penticton series fresh in your head: Anders deletes a six-game series with goaltending, the team scores enough, off we go.

Game 1 wasn’t that. The Raiders broke through with three second-period goals and won 4-2 — Mason Sivertson, Lukas Cootes on the power play, and Owen Christensen with the game-winner. Miller wasn’t bad; the second period got away from the entire team. But the gap between his Game 1 line and his Game 2 line is the entire reason this series shifted in 48 hours.

Translation: the Silvertips don’t need Miller to be perfect. They need him to be the version of himself that the 2026 playoff numbers describe, and they need the team in front of him to give him a second period he can actually defend.

Why Art Hauser Centre Changes Everything

The Raiders take a 26-6-2 home regular-season record into Game 3. That is one of the best home environments in the entire CHL. The Art Hauser Centre is older, smaller (roughly 2,800 capacity), and louder than what Everett’s faced in this run — the building is structurally close to the ice in a way that newer arenas have engineered away.

Three games in a row in that environment is the test. Game 3 Tuesday, Game 4 Wednesday, Game 5 Friday if needed. Then back to Angel of the Winds. The Silvertips have been 8-0 on the road through these playoffs — the best road playoff team in the WHL this spring — but that record was built against Wenatchee, Spokane, Penticton’s South Okanagan Events Centre. The Art Hauser Centre is a different room.

What Miller controls on the road is the same thing he controls at home: angle, depth, rebound control. What he doesn’t control: the second-period crowd surge after a Raiders push, the visiting bench getting last change, or the in-between TV stoppages that hand a hostile building its momentum back. Those are the moments where playoff goaltending stops being numbers and becomes character.

What to Watch in Game 3

Three things to track Tuesday night:

Volume on the first 15 shots. Miller has been excellent on the early-game shot volume across the playoffs. If Prince Albert generates 12-15 shots in the first period and Miller is at full credit, expect the Silvertips to find their offensive feet by the second.

The second-period scoreboard. It’s been the franchise’s bête noire of this series — three goals against in the second of Game 1, then the team fixed it in Game 2. If Game 3 features a clean middle 20 minutes, the road games are winnable. If Prince Albert finds another second-period gear with their crowd behind them, the math gets harder.

Power-play goaltending. Lukas Cootes scored on the power play in Game 1. Killing penalties on the road in a 2,800-seat building is one of the most uncomfortable jobs in hockey. Miller’s .948-through-two-rounds work included serious short-handed minutes against Penticton; the road PK in Saskatchewan is the next level of that test.

The 19-Year Drought Context

The Silvertips have not won the Ed Chynoweth Cup since 2007. That’s the entire framing for this stretch. There have been good Everett teams. There have been deep Everett playoff runs. There has not been a championship.

Anders Miller wasn’t on any of those rosters, obviously. He was traded in from Calgary mid-season for exactly the moment Everett is in right now: a deep run in late spring where the path is mostly carved out by goaltending. If the Silvertips lift the cup, the franchise will print Miller’s stat line on a banner.

If they don’t — well, the .948 was still the best save percentage in WHL playoff history at the cutoff, and that doesn’t go away.

Schedule
- **Game 3:** Tuesday, May 12 — at Prince Albert (Art Hauser Centre), 6:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. CT
- **Game 4:** Wednesday, May 13 — at Prince Albert
- **Game 5 (if needed):** Friday, May 15 — at Prince Albert
- **Game 6 (if needed):** Sunday, May 17 — at Angel of the Winds Arena
- **Game 7 (if needed):** Monday, May 18 — at Angel of the Winds Arena
TV: TSN in Canada. Streaming: Victory+ in the United States.

The Silvertips are eight wins from their first championship since 2007. Three of them, maybe more, have to come 1,200 miles from home. The goalie carrying the franchise’s first banner in 19 years is on the bus.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Game 3 of the 2026 WHL Final?

Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. CT) at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

What are Anders Miller’s 2026 WHL playoff stats?

Through 13 games: 12-0-1 record, 1.79 GAA, .936 save percentage, 1 shutout. His .948 SV% through two rounds was the highest in WHL playoff history for a goalie with nine or more games played.

Who has home-ice advantage in the WHL Final?

The series follows a 2-3-2 format. Games 1-2 were at Angel of the Winds Arena (split 1-1). Games 3, 4, and 5 (if needed) are at the Art Hauser Centre. Games 6 and 7 (if needed) return to Everett.

Where is the Art Hauser Centre?

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Capacity is approximately 2,800. The Raiders went 26-6-2 there in the regular season.

How can I watch the WHL Final from the U.S.?

Victory+ streaming service is the U.S. broadcast partner. TSN carries the games in Canada.

When was the Silvertips’ last WHL championship?

2007. The franchise has not won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 19 years.

Who is starting in goal for the Raiders?

Michal Orsulak started Game 1 and stopped 39 of 41. He is expected to be the starter for the home games at Art Hauser Centre.
May 11, 2026
AquaSox Drop Mother’s Day Finale 8-5 But Steal Five of Six From Hillsboro; Vancouver Up Next

**The quick read:** The Everett AquaSox lost the Mother’s Day finale 8-5 to the Hillsboro Hops on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Funko Field (Everett Memorial Stadium) in front of 2,261 fans — but they won the series five games to one, sit at 18-15, and are now tied with Tri-City for second place in the Northwest League. Next up: a six-game road trip to Vancouver starting Tuesday, May 12.

You don’t usually want your homestand to end with a loss. But if you have to give one back, give it back the day after you put up 15 runs on Star Wars Night and after you’ve already locked up five of six against your division opponent. The AquaSox can live with that math.

Here’s how the Mother’s Day finale at Funko Field went, what the full Hillsboro homestand told us, and what to watch when the Frogs cross into Canada on Tuesday.

How the Finale Got Away

Hillsboro came out of the dugout like they were trying to salvage something — and they did. The Hops put up a four-spot in the top half of the first two innings on the strength of a Kenny Castillo two-run single with the bases loaded, a Wallace Clark RBI single, and a Trent Youngblood RBI single in the second.

To Everett’s credit, the Frogs answered immediately. Josh Caron took the first pitch he liked deep for a solo home run to put Everett on the board. Then the AquaSox loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Jonny Farmelo drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in run number two, and a passed ball plated the third. Just like that, 4-3 game, and Funko Field had its Mother’s Day energy back.

That was as close as it got. Alberto Barriga’s two-run blast to left-center in the fifth — his fifth homer of the year — made it 6-3. Then in the top of the eighth, Wallace Clark and Brady Counsell hit back-to-back solo home runs to push it to 8-3.

The Frogs had one more swing left. Luis Suisbel led off the bottom of the eighth with a 386-foot solo shot, and Anthony Donofrio followed two batters later with a 395-foot blast to the Paine Field Home Run Porch — his first long ball of 2026 in his Everett Memorial Stadium debut. Beautiful piece of theater for Mother’s Day. Not enough to flip the result.

Final: Hillsboro 8, Everett 5. Loss to Walter Ford (0-2). Hops righty Joangel Gonzalez (W). Game time: 2:32.

The Homestand: Five-and-One

This is the part that matters. Across six games against Hillsboro, the AquaSox took five. They opened the series winning four straight, blew the doors off the Hops 15-1 on Star Wars Night Saturday in front of a season-high 3,254, and then dropped the Mother’s Day matinée. Net result: the AquaSox climbed to 18-15, tied with the Tri-City Dust Devils for second place in the Northwest League, and they did it while running their best hitters through their first true rhythm of the season.

Star Wars Night Saturday was the showcase — four home runs from Luke Stevenson (a three-run shot in the first that put Everett on the board), Luis Suisbel, Felnin Celesten, and Carlos Jimenez. Evan Truitt pitched 5.1 innings of one-run baseball, walked one, struck out four. The bullpen — Will Armbruester and Adam Smith — closed it without surrendering another run. 15-1. That game alone tells you why this prospect group is starting to feel real.

Friday’s 8-1 win on Colton Shaw’s seven-strikeout start. Bryce Miller’s rehab gem on Silver Sluggers Night. Stevenson, Celesten, Jimenez, Caron, Donofrio, Suisbel — six different bats putting up tape-measure swings on a single homestand. That’s not noise. That’s a roster catching fire at the right time.

Players to Watch Heading Into Vancouver

A few names you want on your radar before the Frogs roll into B.C.:

Felnin Celesten. Back-to-back Northwest League Player of the Week earlier this stretch, the Mariners’ top-tier middle infield prospect kept it going on Star Wars Night with a two-run home run plus an RBI single. He’s the engine.

Luke Stevenson. Mariners’ Hitter of the Month for April, ranked the organization’s No. 8 prospect, and the Star Wars Night three-run homer was a reminder why the rankings exist.

Anthony Donofrio. The Sunday solo homer is his first of the season, but the swing path on a 395-foot ball to the Home Run Porch is the kind of contact you remember. Watch this one.

Luis Suisbel. Two homers across the homestand including the Mother’s Day shot. He’s quietly building a power profile.

Brandon Eike. Six homers on the season heading into Vancouver. Still the longball pillar in this lineup.

Brock Moore out of the bullpen — April Bullpen Award winner, 8.1 IP / 20 K / 4 SV / 2.16 ERA across the early season. Whenever this lineup gives him a lead, you trust the result.

Next Up: Six in Vancouver, Then Home Against Tri-City

The Frogs head north and cross the border for six games against the Vancouver Canadians at Nat Bailey Stadium — the legendary “Nat” — starting Tuesday, May 12, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. The Canadians are the Blue Jays’ High-A affiliate and play in arguably the most charming ballpark in the Northwest League: 6,500 capacity, opened 1951, dual-purpose for baseball and the occasional concert.

Vancouver is a road test for a roster that’s been thriving at home. Funko Field is friendly. The Nat has its own personality — the right field porch, the wind off False Creek, the sushi-and-Pacific-Dip concessions — and the Canadians have been playing well in their own building. This is the homestand-momentum-meets-road-reality matchup.

After the six in Vancouver, the AquaSox return to Funko Field for a six-game homestand against the Tri-City Dust Devils — currently tied with Everett for second place. That’s a series with second-place implications baked in. Promotions confirmed for the Tri-City series include a ZOOperstars appearance, an AquaSox beanie hat giveaway presented by IBEW/NECA, and Sunday Fun Day.

What This Homestand Told Us About 2026

Three things came out of these six games against Hillsboro that matter for the rest of the season.

First, this lineup can score in bunches. Fifteen runs on Saturday. Eight on Friday. Ten or more in multiple games across the prior road trips. The power is there, the patience is there, and the prospect-driven energy is there.

Second, the bullpen depth is real. Moore, Smith, Armbruester, the back-end pieces — Everett has been winning the late innings even on nights where the offense doesn’t blow it open.

Third, 18-15 with a five-of-six series win over a division opponent in May is the kind of position you want to be in heading into a road swing. The Frogs are not chasing anymore. They’re being chased.

The Mother’s Day loss stings. The homestand was a statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of the AquaSox-Hops game on May 10, 2026?

The Hillsboro Hops beat the Everett AquaSox 8-5 in the Mother’s Day finale at Funko Field (Everett Memorial Stadium). Attendance was 2,261.

Who won the AquaSox-Hops series?

The Everett AquaSox took five of the six games against Hillsboro on the May 5–10 homestand.

What is the AquaSox record after the homestand?

The AquaSox are 18-15 on the season, tied with the Tri-City Dust Devils for second place in the Northwest League.

When does the AquaSox next series start?

The Frogs play a six-game road series at the Vancouver Canadians starting Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at Nat Bailey Stadium. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.

Who hit home runs for the AquaSox on Mother’s Day?

Josh Caron hit a solo home run in the second inning. Luis Suisbel hit a 386-foot solo shot in the eighth, and Anthony Donofrio hit a 395-foot solo shot in the same inning — his first long ball of the season.

What happened on Star Wars Night?

The AquaSox demolished the Hops 15-1 on Saturday, May 9, in front of a season-high 3,254 fans. Luke Stevenson, Luis Suisbel, Felnin Celesten, and Carlos Jimenez all homered.

When do the AquaSox return to Funko Field?

After the Vancouver series, the AquaSox return home for six games against the Tri-City Dust Devils. The Tri-City series includes a ZOOperstars appearance, a beanie hat giveaway, and Sunday Fun Day.

May 11, 2026
Armed Forces Day Is May 16 — The Bremerton Parade Is the Puget Sound’s Flagship Tribute, and Here’s What NAVSTA Everett Families Should Know
What is Armed Forces Day 2026 and where is the Puget Sound’s flagship event? Armed Forces Day 2026 falls on Saturday, May 16. Established by Defense Secretary Louis Johnson in 1949 to honor all U.S. military branches under one banner after the Department of Defense unified the services, it lands annually on the third Saturday in May. In the Puget Sound region, the Bremerton Armed Forces Day Parade — the longest-running such parade in the country — steps off at 10 a.m. along Pacific Avenue in Downtown Bremerton, followed by a Heroes’ BBQ free to anyone with a military ID at Quincy Square. For NAVSTA Everett’s Navy families, it’s an hour’s drive (or a ferry ride) to the regional center of the day.

For the roughly 6,000 sailors who call Naval Station Everett their duty station and the families who PCS in alongside them, Armed Forces Day is the one calendar day each year that recognizes active service across all branches at the same time. It is distinct from Memorial Day — May 25 in 2026, honoring those who died in service — and from Veterans Day in November, which honors those who have served honorably. Armed Forces Day, as the Department of Defense puts it, is the day for the people currently wearing the uniform.

A Holiday Built for Uniformed Service

On August 31, 1949, Defense Secretary Louis Johnson announced the creation of Armed Forces Day to replace the separate Army Day, Navy Day, and Air Force Day observances. The unified holiday followed the 1947 National Security Act, which had folded the services under a single Secretary of Defense. The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on May 20, 1950, with a parade in Washington, D.C. that drew 10,000 troops from all branches past the president and his party. The inaugural theme — “Teamed for Defense” — survives as the holiday’s core idea seventy-six years later.

The Puget Sound’s Flagship Event: The Bremerton Parade

Across the water from Everett, Bremerton has run an Armed Forces Day Parade every year since 1948 — the local procession predates the federal holiday itself. The first march was organized by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce to honor Master Sergeant John “Bud” Hawk, a Bremertonian who received the Medal of Honor from President Truman for his actions in the Falaise pocket during World War II. The parade absorbed the Armed Forces Day designation when the holiday formalized in 1950 and has run continuously since.

By scale, the Bremerton parade is now the longest-running and largest Armed Forces Day parade in the nation, per the City of Bremerton and the Greater Kitsap Chamber, which organizes it. It draws 20,000+ from across Western Washington, with entries from Oregon and Spokane.

Parade Specifics for 2026
- Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
- Step-off: 10:00 a.m.
- Route: Pacific Avenue, Downtown Bremerton
- Reviewing stand: Pacific & 5th Street (units perform a one-minute slot in front of the stand)
- Cost to spectate: Free
- Runtime: About two hours
Expect military marching units, color guards, classic vehicles, school bands, civic groups, and floats. The U.S. Navy Brass Band, Naval Base Kitsap’s resident ensemble, typically anchors the parade’s music slot.

The Festival, the BBQ, and the Resource Fair

After the parade clears Pacific Avenue, festivities continue at Quincy Square in downtown Bremerton. The Heroes’ BBQ is free to active-duty, reserve, retired, and veteran service members with a valid military ID — a nontrivial perk for NAVSTA Everett sailors and their families willing to make the trip across Puget Sound. The day also includes a Resource Fair, where veteran service organizations, family-support providers, and benefit administrators staff tables and field questions.

For a Navy family new to the region — the May-through-August window is the peak Permanent Change of Station arrival period — the Bremerton resource fair functions as a one-day overview of what’s available across Puget Sound for service members and their dependents.

How NAVSTA Everett Families Get There

NAVSTA Everett to Downtown Bremerton is roughly an hour by car (I-5 south to WA-16 west to WA-3) or, often faster on a Saturday, the Edmonds-Kingston ferry plus a 30-minute drive south down the Kitsap Peninsula. Vehicle wait times on Washington State Ferries grow on Armed Forces Day weekend; check the morning sailing schedule before leaving.

Closer-to-Everett options exist on a smaller scale. USO Northwest serves NAVSTA Everett and other regional installations with Armed Forces Day recognition activities. The American Legion Post 6 in Everett and the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at the Drewel Building (425-388-7255) historically mark the day locally.

For confirming whether NAVSTA Everett itself runs a base-specific Armed Forces Day program in any given year, the Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735 is the right clearing-house.

What Civilian Everett Neighbors Can Do

Armed Forces Day is one of the few non-controversial holidays on the American calendar specifically asking civilians to show up for the people in uniform. Practical, low-key ways to do that this year, ranked by effort:
- Lowest effort: Pick up a check at a local restaurant for a uniformed sailor sitting two tables over, without making a scene. That one gesture lands.
- Modest effort: Drive south, or take the ferry. Bremerton’s parade was built by a chamber of commerce in 1948 because a small Navy town wanted to thank one of its own.
- Higher effort: Plug into the resource fair as a civilian volunteer. The Greater Kitsap Chamber takes parade-entry and volunteer applications through Eventeny each spring.
Why the Day Still Matters for Everett

Naval Station Everett is the destroyer pier for the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Northwest grouping, with Arleigh Burke-class ships homeported here per the most recent Navy Region Northwest public listing. The community footprint of those crews — the families in Mukilteo, Marysville, north Everett, Lake Stevens, and Mill Creek schools — is the part of “Navy in Everett” that is visible 364 days a year, in classrooms and grocery aisles and youth-soccer sidelines. Armed Forces Day is the one day that makes that footprint visible to everyone else, all branches at once, under one roof.

It also sits at the center of the longest stretch of military observances on the U.S. calendar — Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 8), then Armed Forces Day, then Memorial Day (May 25), with Navy Gold Star Remembrance Month and Mental Health Awareness Month running underneath. Armed Forces Day is the active-duty thank-you in the middle.

Frequently Asked Questions

When exactly is Armed Forces Day 2026?

Saturday, May 16, 2026. By federal designation since 1949, Armed Forces Day always falls on the third Saturday in May (afd.defense.gov).

Is Armed Forces Day a federal holiday?

No. It is a federally recognized observance but not a federal holiday. Federal offices, banks, and post offices remain open. Active-duty personnel are typically scheduled normally, though units often participate in parades, ceremonies, and community events.

What’s the difference between Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day?

Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May) honors currently serving active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard personnel across all branches. Memorial Day (last Monday in May, falling on May 25 in 2026) honors those who died in service. Veterans Day (November 11) honors all who have served honorably, living or deceased.

Will NAVSTA Everett be open to the public on Armed Forces Day?

Naval Station Everett does not run an annual public open-house tied to Armed Forces Day. The base hosts its separate public-access events on different dates each year, and operational tempo influences which years feature broader community access. Call the NAVSTA Everett Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735 for current-year guidance.

What’s free for military ID holders on May 16, 2026?

At the Bremerton festival at Quincy Square, the Heroes’ BBQ is free to active-duty, reserve, retired, and veteran service members with a valid military ID. Many Snohomish County restaurants and businesses also run independent discount or free-meal programs for Armed Forces Day; those vary year to year and are not centrally listed.

How long has the Bremerton parade been running?

Since 1948. It started a year before Armed Forces Day was federally established, originally as a hometown tribute to Master Sergeant John “Bud” Hawk, the Bremertonian Medal of Honor recipient. The parade absorbed the federal designation in 1950 and has run continuously every year since.

Can civilians march in the Bremerton parade?

Yes. The Greater Kitsap Chamber accepts parade-entry applications from civic groups, school bands, businesses, and veterans organizations through its annual Eventeny portal. There is also a “Veterans Walk with Pride” participant track for individual veterans.

What’s the fastest way for an Everett family to get to the Bremerton parade?

The Edmonds-Kingston ferry plus a 30-minute drive south is often the faster door-to-door option than I-5 to WA-16 on a Saturday morning, and it’s the more pleasant trip. Check the Washington State Ferries schedule and vehicle wait times before leaving — wait times grow on Armed Forces Day weekend.
May 11, 2026
For Navy Spouses at NAVSTA Everett: Your 2026 Mental Health Resource Guide for Mental Health Awareness Month and Beyond
Quick answer for Navy spouses at NAVSTA Everett: You have your own resource map for Mental Health Awareness Month 2026, separate from your service member’s. The Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735 provides individual and family counseling open to spouses (no medical record generated). The 988 + 1 Military and Veterans Crisis Line accepts calls from family members, not just service members. Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) embedded at NAVSTA serve spouses and children. The Everett Vet Center at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way Suite 207 (425-252-9701) serves family members of veterans killed in service. Snohomish County Veterans Assistance at 425-388-7255 provides emergency help that includes military families. None require a referral, and most don’t require your service member to be present or even informed.

If you’re a Navy spouse at NAVSTA Everett, the version of Mental Health Awareness Month that gets the most attention focuses on the service member. The version that often gets less attention focuses on you — even though the research consistently shows that Navy spouses carry stress patterns specific to military family life that civilian counterparts simply don’t face. Deployments. PCS uncertainty. Single-parenting through workups. Building a career while moving every two-to-four years. Holding a household together while the FF(X) frigate program timeline drives uncertainty about the next 18 months.

This guide is the spouse-specific resource map for Mental Health Awareness Month 2026 and beyond. All the resources listed are open to you directly — you don’t have to involve your service member, you don’t have to wait for their permission, and most of them don’t generate any record that affects your spouse’s career.

Why a Spouse-Specific Read Matters

Navy spouses at NAVSTA Everett are managing several stressors that compound during 2026 specifically:
- Deployment workup season on the destroyer squadron is in its crunch phase, which means your service member’s hours are already long and unpredictable
- The FF(X) frigate program timeline introduced fresh uncertainty about who is moving where and when, which makes long-range spouse career and family planning harder than usual
- PCS season is heating up across the Navy, with rotation orders landing in waves through the spring
- Sustained inflation pressure is harder on military households because PCS moves disrupt income continuity for the working spouse
The Department of Defense’s published research on military family mental health shows that spouses carry elevated rates of anxiety and depression compared to civilian counterparts of the same age. The resources below were built specifically with that pattern in mind.

988 + 1 for Crisis — Yes, Family Members Can Use It

The Military and Veterans Crisis Line at 988, press 1 is staffed 24/7 by responders trained in military culture. The line is explicitly open to family members, not just active-duty service members. You can call about your own crisis, or you can call to talk through how to support someone else.

You can also text 838255 for the same service in text form, or chat online at veteranscrisisline.net. None of these require enrollment in VA care or any documentation.

For situations that are medical and immediate, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett on Pacific Avenue has a 24/7 emergency department with behavioral health response capability — closer to the gate than any alternative.

FFSC: Your Counseling Door, Not Just Your Service Member’s

The Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735 (email ffsp.cnrnw@navy.mil) is staffed with licensed counselors who hold master’s or doctoral degrees in social work, marriage and family therapy, or psychology. The Center provides individual, marriage, and family counseling on a short-term basis to spouses, dependents, and retirees — not just active-duty members.

Three details about FFSC that matter specifically for spouses:

You can go without your service member. Individual counseling is exactly that — individual. Your service member doesn’t need to know, doesn’t need to consent, and isn’t notified. The conversation belongs to you.

FFSC counseling does not generate a medical record and does not feed into your service member’s security clearance review. The non-medical model is intentional.

The Smokey Point satellite office at NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound is sometimes a more convenient option for families living north of the base.

MFLCs: Embedded, Free, and Designed for Family Members

Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) are Department of Defense contracted licensed clinical counselors who serve service members and families at NAVSTA Everett. The Centers for Deployment Psychology notes DoD requires MFLCs to hold a master’s degree or higher in a behavioral health field.

The conversations stay off the medical record, off the chain of command, and off the security clearance process. That confidentiality structure exists specifically so spouses and dependents — including teenagers — can talk to a licensed clinical provider without worrying about cascading consequences.

Some MFLCs at military installations specialize in working with children and adolescents, and some installations have school-based MFLCs serving military-connected students at local schools. To find out the current MFLC roster and specializations at NAVSTA, call FFSC at 425-304-3735.

For Spouses Whose Service Member Is Deployed

Deployment-period support is its own category. The FFSC runs deployment readiness counseling on the front end, and ombudsman programs (volunteer Navy spouse leaders trained to support other spouses through deployment) are active across the destroyer squadron.

For Mental Health Awareness Month specifically, the message is: asking for help during deployment is not a failure of resilience. It’s a recognition that single-parenting, holding down a household, and managing a career through a 6-9 month deployment is hard work that benefits from structured support. FFSC, the deployment ombudsman network, and MFLCs are the local backbone of that structure.

Resources for Surviving Family Members

The Everett Vet Center at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way Suite 207, phone 425-252-9701, provides bereavement counseling for surviving family members of veterans killed in service. This is a Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center, run on a community-based model with staff who are largely combat-experienced veterans themselves.

Surviving spouses and family members don’t need to be enrolled in VA care to access Vet Center services. The Vet Center is designed to be a low-barrier door for families who may have hesitated to engage with the broader VA system.

Emergency Financial Help

The Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, phone 425-388-7255, provides emergency financial assistance, rental help, utility help, and case management for veterans and their families. The program is funded through the county and operates on a need-based model.

For a Navy family in immediate financial distress — about to lose housing, facing utility shutoff, unable to cover an essential expense, or whose service member’s pay has been disrupted by a payroll issue — Snohomish County Veterans Assistance is the local emergency-help door for families, not just for the veteran.

The “Hidden” Spouse Stressors That FFSC and MFLCs Are Built For

A few common patterns spouses bring to FFSC and MFLC counseling that don’t always get spoken out loud:
- Career frustration from the every-two-to-four-year PCS cycle disrupting professional licenses, employer relationships, and income trajectory
- Loneliness and isolation, particularly for spouses who relocated to NAVSTA Everett without a pre-existing local network
- Relationship strain during deployment workup periods when the service member is physically present but emotionally pre-deployed
- Decision fatigue from managing every household decision during long absences
- Anxiety about the future driven by program-level uncertainty (the FF(X) timeline is a current example) that the household can’t influence
None of those are “small” issues that don’t deserve professional support. They are the documented stress patterns of military spouse life, and the FFSC + MFLC system was built to address them specifically.

Cross-References to Related NAVSTA Family Coverage

For more depth on NAVSTA Everett family resources covered recently: see our Everett Gospel Mission services for military families, our FF(X) frigate budget timeline guide for Navy families, and our PCS housing guide for Navy families.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my service member find out if I see an FFSC counselor?

No. Individual FFSC counseling is confidential. Your service member is not notified, is not asked for consent, and is not given access to the conversation. FFSC also does not generate a medical record that affects your service member’s security clearance review.

Can I use 988 + 1 if I’m not the service member?

Yes. The Military and Veterans Crisis Line is open to family members, retirees, veterans, Reservists, and active-duty members. You don’t need to be enrolled in VA care or have any documentation.

What if my child needs counseling?

FFSC provides family counseling that includes children. MFLCs include some who specialize in children and adolescents. Some Everett-area schools have school-based MFLCs serving military-connected students. Call FFSC at 425-304-3735 to route the request to the right resource.

Are MFLC sessions really off the record?

Yes, with standard mandatory-reporting exceptions for child abuse, elder abuse, and imminent danger. Routine counseling conversations stay off the medical record, off the chain of command, and off the security clearance process. That structure is by design, specifically to lower the barrier for service members and families to seek help.

What if I want to see a civilian therapist instead?

That’s a valid option. TRICARE covers mental health services through a network of civilian providers. The TRICARE West Region Provider Directory has the current list. For spouses with civilian employer-sponsored health coverage, your insurance network is also an option.

How do I find the deployment ombudsman for my service member’s command?

Each Navy command has a designated ombudsman whose role is to support family members. Contact information for the current ombudsman should be available through your service member’s command, or through the FFSC Ombudsman Coordinator at 425-304-3735.

Where do I start if I’ve never used any of these resources before?

Call FFSC at 425-304-3735 and say you’d like to talk to a counselor. The intake will route you to the right resource — FFSC counseling, an MFLC referral, or another service depending on what you need. You don’t need to know which resource fits before you call.
May 10, 2026
Mental Health Awareness Month at NAVSTA Everett 2026: The Complete Resource Guide for Sailors, Veterans, and Navy Families

Quick answer: Five no-cost mental health resources cover almost every situation for NAVSTA Everett Sailors and Navy families during Mental Health Awareness Month 2026 (and every month after). Dial 988 then press 1 for the Military and Veterans Crisis Line (24/7). Call the Naval Station Everett Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735 for short-term counseling that does not generate a medical record. Walk into the Everett Vet Center at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way Suite 207 (425-252-9701) for combat-trauma support. Schedule mental health care at the Everett VA Clinic, 220 Olympic Boulevard. Reach the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at 425-388-7255 for emergency help. None of them require a referral to start.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and for the more than 6,000 Sailors and Navy family members who call Naval Station Everett home, the month lands at the end of a difficult run. PCS season is heating up. Five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers cycle through deployment workups. The shipyard delays around the FF(X) frigate program have introduced fresh uncertainty about who is moving where and when. Department of Defense research, summarized by Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, shows that 11.7% of active-duty service members carry at least one mental health diagnosis — a roughly 40% rise between 2019 and 2023.

The good news for NAVSTA Everett families: the local resource network is denser than most people realize, and almost all of it is free. Here is what is open, who it is for, and how to reach it during May 2026 and beyond. This is the comprehensive Everett-specific resource map, organized by what’s most useful in different situations.

If You or Someone You Love Is in Crisis Right Now

Dial 988, then press 1. That’s the Military and Veterans Crisis Line, staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by responders trained in military culture. Active-duty Sailors, Reservists, retirees, veterans, and family members can all use it. You can also text 838255 for the same service, or chat online at veteranscrisisline.net.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense built the line specifically because too many service members and families hesitated to call a civilian crisis line. You don’t need to be enrolled in VA care to use it. You don’t need to be retired or separated. You don’t need a diagnosis. The line exists for the moment when reaching out is the right move.

If the situation is medical and immediate, the closest emergency department to the gate is Providence Regional Medical Center Everett on Pacific Avenue, with a 24/7 emergency department and behavioral health response capability.

Fleet & Family Support Center: Short-Term Counseling, No Medical Record

The Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) at NAVSTA Everett is staffed with licensed counselors who hold master’s or doctoral degrees in social work, marriage and family therapy, or psychology. The Center provides individual, marriage, and family counseling on a short-term basis to active-duty service members, spouses, dependents, and retirees.

Phone: 425-304-3735. Email: ffsp.cnrnw@navy.mil.

The detail that matters most to many Sailors: FFSC counseling does not generate a medical record and does not feed into a security clearance review. Many Sailors who hesitate to seek help on the medical side because of clearance worries find FFSC’s non-medical model is the bridge that gets them talking to someone licensed.

The Center also runs deployment readiness counseling, financial counseling, and relocation support. It operates a satellite office at NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound Smokey Point, which can be a more convenient option for families living north of the base.

Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs): Embedded, Free, Confidential

MFLCs are Department of Defense contracted licensed clinical counselors who rotate through installations and provide non-medical counseling to service members and families. Naval Station Everett has MFLC coverage. The Centers for Deployment Psychology notes that DoD requires MFLCs to be licensed clinical providers with a master’s degree or higher in a behavioral health field.

The conversations stay off the medical record, off the chain of command, and off the security clearance process. Sessions can happen at the Fleet & Family Support Center, on board the ship if the MFLC is doing rotations there, or at off-base locations the MFLC arranges.

The way to reach an MFLC at NAVSTA Everett is through the Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735, which can route the request to the current MFLC contact rotation.

Everett Vet Center: Combat-Trauma Specialty

The Everett Vet Center at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 207, phone 425-252-9701, is a Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center that provides combat-trauma counseling, military sexual trauma counseling, bereavement counseling for surviving family members, and readjustment services for veterans of all eras.

Vet Centers are run on a different model from VA medical clinics: they’re community-based, the staff is largely combat-experienced veterans themselves, and the conversations don’t go into the broader VA medical record by default. For combat veterans who haven’t engaged with VA at all, the Everett Vet Center is often the first door they walk through.

The Vet Center is open to combat veterans, MST survivors, family members of veterans killed in service, and active-duty members who served in a combat zone. You don’t need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to receive Vet Center services.

Everett VA Clinic: Routine Mental Health Care Inside the VA System

The Everett VA Clinic at 220 Olympic Boulevard is part of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and provides routine mental health care, medication management, group therapy, and care coordination for veterans enrolled in VA care. Initial enrollment in VA healthcare is required for most ongoing mental health services through the clinic.

For active-duty Sailors transitioning out of service, the 180-day pre-separation BDD (Benefits Delivery at Discharge) window is the optimal time to start the VA enrollment process. Initiating BDD before separation gets your VA claims into the queue earlier and shortens the gap between leaving active service and beginning VA care.

Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program: Emergency Help

The Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, phone 425-388-7255, provides emergency financial assistance, rental and utility help, and case management for Snohomish County veterans and their families. The program is funded through the county’s Veterans Assistance Fund and operates on a need-based model.

For a veteran or active-duty family in immediate financial distress — about to lose housing, facing utility shutoff, or unable to cover an essential expense — Snohomish County Veterans Assistance is the local emergency-help door.

Chaplain Services and Spiritual Support

NAVSTA Everett chaplains provide pastoral counseling protected by absolute confidentiality (the chaplain-confessor privilege). For Sailors and family members who want to talk to someone in a faith context, or who specifically need the absolute-confidentiality model that only chaplains can offer, the chaplain corps at the base is reachable through the quarterdeck or through the FFSC referral process.

Why the May 2026 Window Matters

Mental Health Awareness Month coincides this year with several stress-elevating realities at NAVSTA Everett. PCS orders are landing in waves through the spring as the rotation cycle ramps. Deployment workups on the destroyer squadron are entering their crunch phase. The FF(X) frigate program timeline has introduced uncertainty about which families will move and when, which is itself a stressor for Navy households planning their next 18 months.

Department of Defense research showing 11.7% of active-duty members with at least one mental health diagnosis (a 40% rise from 2019 to 2023) is the broader context. The five resources above exist precisely because the demand is real and the structural barriers to seeking help — particularly clearance concerns and medical-record fears — keep many Sailors from reaching out until the situation is more acute than it needed to be.

Cross-References to Related Coverage

For other NAVSTA Everett family resources covered recently: see our Everett Gospel Mission services for military families, our FF(X) frigate budget timeline guide for Navy families, and our VA claims help guide after the Vet Center change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will using FFSC counseling affect my security clearance?

FFSC counseling does not generate a medical record and does not feed into the standard security clearance review process. Many Sailors who hesitate to seek help on the medical side because of clearance worries find FFSC’s non-medical model is the bridge to getting help without the documentation concerns.

Do I need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to use the Everett Vet Center?

No. Vet Centers operate on a different model from VA medical clinics. You don’t need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to receive Vet Center services. The Everett Vet Center is open to combat veterans, MST survivors, family members of veterans killed in service, and active-duty members who served in a combat zone.

What’s the difference between calling 988 and pressing 1 vs. just calling 988?

Pressing 1 routes you to the Military and Veterans Crisis Line, staffed by responders trained in military culture. Just calling 988 routes you to a civilian Suicide and Crisis Lifeline responder. Both are available 24/7. For service members and veterans, the +1 routing is generally preferable because the responders understand the specific stressors of military life.

Can spouses use FFSC counseling?

Yes. FFSC counseling is open to active-duty service members, spouses, dependents, and retirees. The Center runs individual, marriage, and family counseling.

How fast can I get an appointment?

For acute crisis situations, 988+1 is the right immediate door. For non-crisis FFSC counseling, appointments are typically available within days to two weeks. The Vet Center and Everett VA Clinic have variable wait times depending on demand and provider availability.

What if I’m an MST survivor?

The Everett Vet Center provides specific Military Sexual Trauma counseling. You don’t need to have filed a report or have any documentation to receive MST services. The Vet Center is structured to be low-barrier for survivors who may have hesitated to engage with the broader VA system.

What about my kids?

FFSC has family counseling that includes children. School-based MFLCs serve military-connected students at certain Everett-area schools. The Family Advocacy Program at NAVSTA also provides services for families with children. The FFSC referral line at 425-304-3735 can route family-specific requests appropriately.

I’m not active duty anymore. Which resource applies to me?

If you’re separated or retired: 988+1 for crisis, Everett Vet Center for combat-trauma or MST counseling, Everett VA Clinic for routine mental health care (requires VA enrollment), and Snohomish County Veterans Assistance for emergency financial help. FFSC is generally for active-duty members and their families, with some retiree services.

May 10, 2026
Star Wars Night at Funko Field: Yoda Jerseys, Fireworks, and a Sunday Funday Finale to Close the Homestand

What is happening at AquaSox Star Wars Night on May 9, 2026? The Everett AquaSox host the Hillsboro Hops at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Funko Field for Star Wars Night. The promotion includes limited-edition Yoda-themed jerseys auctioned for charity, character meet-and-greets on the main concourse, and a postgame Fireworks Extravaganza. The series concludes Sunday, May 10, with the homestand finale at 1:05 p.m.

The Force at Funko Field: AquaSox Star Wars Night and the homestand finale

If you are reading this on Saturday night and the AquaSox-Hops game is still in progress, here is the deal: the Frogs were rolling into the night at the better end of this homestand, the prospect group has been hot, and Star Wars Night at Funko Field is one of the four or five best fan-experience nights of the entire AquaSox season. We are not going to fabricate a final score before the box is signed off — the rest of this run is about what is verifiable right now and what to look for tomorrow.

What is verifiable: The promo. The pitching matchup framing. The series state. The Sunday finale. The prospect-watch story, which has been the most fun part of the AquaSox’s first month-plus.

The night, the jerseys, the fireworks

The AquaSox lean into theme nights harder than almost any club in the Northwest League, and Star Wars Night sits in the same tier as Bigfoot Night and Funko Pop Night for spectacle. The team is wearing limited-edition Yoda-themed jerseys for tonight’s game — those jerseys go to a postgame charity auction, with proceeds typically supporting the AquaSox Foundation and partner youth-baseball programs around Snohomish County. If you are a Star Wars fan and a Frogs fan, you have been waiting for this night since the schedule released.

The character meet-and-greet runs on the main concourse during the early portion of the game. Storm troopers, Jedi, and the usual rotating cast of fan-club volunteers run the costume booths. Kids who come in costume get the full deal. The postgame Fireworks Extravaganza is the standard Funko Field treatment — about 12 minutes of choreographed fireworks set to music, watched from the seats or the right-field lawn. It is the kind of postgame that turns a casual night out into a kid’s core memory.

The series and the homestand

The AquaSox came into Saturday night having won the Friday matinée 8-1 behind Colton Shaw’s gem (seven strikeouts) and home runs from Freicer Caron and Jorge Jimenez. That pushed the homestand into a strong position with games still to play Saturday and Sunday at Funko Field.

The bigger context for this homestand is the prospect run. Felnin Celesten — the Mariners’ international-signing infielder — is on a tear, having been named the Northwest League Player of the Week back-to-back. Luke Stevenson, Seattle’s No. 8 prospect on most ranking systems, won the Mariners’ Hitter of the Month award for April. Brock Moore won the Mariners’ April Bullpen Award with eight-plus innings, 20 strikeouts, four saves, and an ERA south of 3. The whole pipeline has been pushing real signal up to High-A, and a lot of the players who get a Mariners callup over the next 18 months are in this dugout right now.

Sunday: The homestand finale at 1:05 p.m.

Sunday, May 10, the AquaSox close out the Hillsboro homestand at 1:05 p.m. — Sunday Funday at Funko Field, with kids running the bases postgame. After Sunday, the Frogs travel to a road series and Funko Field is dark for a stretch before the next homestand opens.

The pitching matchup for Sunday will fall to whichever back-end starter the AquaSox are running through the rotation by then. Bryce Miller, the Seattle Mariners starter who made his rehab outing at Funko Field on Wednesday May 6 (5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K, 47 pitches), has finished his AquaSox rehab assignment and rejoined the Mariners’ rotation plan. So Sunday is back to the regular rotation — which has been good news because the back end of the staff has been a real strength all spring.

What to watch for if you are at the park

Felnin Celesten in the box. The 19-year-old has been the most exciting hitter in the Northwest League over the last two weeks. Watch his patience at the plate — the strike-zone discipline is the part of his profile that scouts have been waiting on, and it is showing up.

Luke Stevenson behind the plate. Seattle’s No. 8 prospect is doing things at the plate that catchers his age usually do not do, and his game-calling at High-A has been one of the quiet stories of the season. Worth a look every at-bat.

Brandon Eike’s home run pace. Eike has six home runs already through the early part of the AquaSox schedule. Eike, Stevenson, and Curtis Washington Jr. — who has four — are the bat trio that will define this lineup all summer.

The bullpen back end. Brock Moore in particular. The Mariners-Award-winning April was not an accident — Moore has been one of the most reliable late-inning arms at this level all year.

The fireworks. Always the fireworks. Funko Field’s set-up still holds up next to anything Snohomish County throws on the calendar.

The fan-voice take

Saturday night Star Wars Nights at Funko Field are the AquaSox at their best — full crowd, kids in costume, the prospect group on the field looking like the future of the Mariners’ lineup, and a crew of theme-night vendors that turn the whole thing into a carnival. This is the night you bring out-of-town family to. This is the night you take the kids to. This is the night you stay for the fireworks.

And the bigger picture is also worth holding onto. The AquaSox are halfway through a deeply competitive homestand, the prospect-pipeline development that this organization is supposed to be doing is happening in plain sight, and the team is one of the more fun reasons to live in Snohomish County right now. If you have not been to a game yet in 2026, fix that this week.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does AquaSox Star Wars Night start?
First pitch is 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Funko Field in Everett. Gates typically open about an hour and 15 minutes before first pitch.

What are the jerseys like?
Limited-edition Yoda-themed jerseys worn by the players during the game. The jerseys are auctioned for charity after the game.

Are there fireworks?
Yes — postgame Fireworks Extravaganza, the standard Funko Field treatment of about 12 choreographed minutes set to music.

When is the homestand finale?
Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 1:05 p.m. — the standard Sunday Funday afternoon game at Funko Field with kids running the bases postgame.

Who is the AquaSox prospect to watch right now?
Felnin Celesten has been on a tear, named back-to-back Northwest League Player of the Week. Luke Stevenson won the Mariners’ April Hitter of the Month award. Brock Moore won the Mariners’ April Bullpen Award.

Where is Funko Field?
3900 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201 — on the Everett Memorial Stadium grounds adjacent to Everett Community College.

How can I get tickets?
AquaSox.com or Ticketmaster. The team also runs walkup ticket windows on game days.

Where is Bryce Miller now?
Miller completed his second AquaSox rehab outing on Wednesday, May 6, throwing five scoreless innings at Funko Field. He has rejoined the Mariners’ rotation plan.

May 10, 2026
WHL Final Heads to Prince Albert: Where, When, and How to Watch the Silvertips on the Road

Where do the Silvertips play next in the WHL Championship Final? Game 3 of the 2026 WHL Championship Final is Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. MDT — that is 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time for fans watching from Everett. Game 4 follows Wednesday, May 13 at the same venue. Game 5, if needed, is Friday, May 15, also in Prince Albert. The series returns to Angel of the Winds Arena for Games 6 and 7 if necessary, on Sunday, May 17 and Monday, May 18.

Tied 1-1, the WHL Final goes to Saskatchewan: What it means for Everett’s run

The 2026 WHL Championship Final has its perfect setup. Two No. 1 seeds, splitting the home games at Angel of the Winds Arena, going to Prince Albert tied at a game apiece. Now the series gets harder.

For the next three games — Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday — the Silvertips do not get the building behind them. They get a 6,200-seat barn called the Art Hauser Centre, sitting in a hockey town of about 35,000 people that lives and dies on this team. Prince Albert was the Eastern Conference’s top regular-season team for a reason. The Raiders have lost just once at home in the 2026 playoffs.

The good news for Tips fans: Everett earned the right to go on the road tied. The 6-2 Game 2 win at Angel of the Winds Arena on Saturday — three first-period goals, a four-point night from Julius Miettinen, a power-play goal from Jesse Heslop with one second left — flipped the series from “Prince Albert is in control” back to “Everett is the team to beat.” That matters. Going 0-2 to Saskatchewan would have been a borderline emergency. Going 1-1 is the script everyone expected before the series opened.

The Art Hauser Centre, briefly explained for Tips fans who have never been

The Art Hauser Centre is the smallest venue still hosting a WHL playoff series in 2026. Capacity for hockey runs about 2,800 seated plus standing-room — and it is loud the way smaller buildings always are. The ice surface is the standard 200-by-85, but the rink sits closer to the crowd than at Angel of the Winds, and the Raiders’ building has a real hum to it on big nights. This will be a big nights kind of building.

For Everett’s group, this is not an unfamiliar environment. The Tips spent all spring grinding through Memorial Cup-quality road buildings — Kamloops, Kelowna, the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton — and they are 8-0 on the road in the 2026 playoffs entering Game 3. That stat has earned the team the benefit of the doubt about whether they can handle the noise.

What changes for Everett with the schedule shift

The biggest practical change is the time zone. Mountain Daylight Time runs an hour ahead of Pacific in May, so a 7:30 p.m. local puck drop in Prince Albert is 6:30 p.m. for fans in Everett. That is friendlier than it sounds. You can be home from work, eat dinner, watch the whole game, and still be in bed by 9:30 PT.

The second change is the format. In Games 3, 4, and 5, the Raiders get last line change. In a series that is already turning on matchups — DuPont and Bear against Pickering and Reschny, Miettinen-Cripps in the circle — that is a meaningful adjustment. Head coach Dennis Williams will need to lean on Carter Bear’s line to take the heaviest minutes against Prince Albert’s top defensemen and trust the Tips’ depth to win the lower-leverage shifts.

The third change is the goalie call. Everett went with AJ Reyelts in net for Game 2 and got rewarded for it. With Anders Miller’s regular-season .948 save percentage in his back pocket, the Tips have one of the best goaltending tandems in junior hockey. Reyelts earned the Game 2 start by playing well in the Western Conference Final’s two overtime games and winning the night. Whether he gets Game 3 or Miller comes back is the storyline to watch in the team’s first-night skate Tuesday morning at the Art Hauser Centre.

What changes for Prince Albert

The Raiders have to win at home. They came into this series as the WHL Eastern Conference’s top seed, beating Medicine Hat in seven games in the East Final, and they have not lost a home game in this entire run. If they protect the Hauser, the series gets very long for Everett very quickly.

What worried Prince Albert in Game 2 was the absence of two-way pressure from their top forwards. Owen Pickering, the Raiders captain and Detroit Red Wings prospect, finished without a point. Cole Reschny, the Calgary Flames first-rounder, was held off the scoresheet. Aiden Oiring, who terrorized the Tips’ defensive zone in Game 1, was a much smaller factor in Game 2. If those three play to their pedigree, Prince Albert wins this series. If they continue what we saw in Game 2, Everett is going to take this in five or six.

What is at stake in each game

Game 3 is for who wants the series first. The team that wins Game 3 in a tied 1-1 best-of-seven goes on to win the series 78 percent of the time historically. That is the leverage point.

Game 4 is for survival or scoreboard pressure. The team that drops Game 3 cannot afford to drop Game 4 — that 3-1 series deficit ends roughly nine of every 10 series in the home team’s favor.

Game 5 is for the door. Friday May 15 — if needed — is Prince Albert’s last home game in the 2026 season if the Tips have done their job in Games 3 and 4. It is also where the Raiders end their season at home if Everett can grab one of the first two and hold serve.

Game 6 and Game 7 are scheduled for Angel of the Winds Arena Sunday, May 17 and Monday, May 18. Both are sold out as of Saturday night for the home opener segment of those tickets — anything left after the AOTW resale window closes goes to Ticketmaster’s verified resale.

How to watch from Everett

TSN carries the WHL Championship Final in Canada. Victory+ streams it in the United States — that is the official option for fans on the south side of the border who do not have a TSN subscription. Ticketmaster handles tickets for the home games at Angel of the Winds Arena.

If you are watching at home, set the DVR for 6:30 p.m. PT both Tuesday and Wednesday. If you are watching at a bar in Everett, start with The Anchor Pub & Restaurant, the Independent Beer Bar at the arena, or McMenamins on Hewitt — they are all reliably running WHL Final coverage on the big screens during this run.

The fan-voice take on the road trip

Here is the truth about this team going to Prince Albert tied: this is the run we earned. A 117-point regular season that was the best mark in the Western Conference in 12 years. Sweeping Kelowna in Round 2. Sweeping Penticton in the Western Conference Final. Twelve playoff wins on a 12-1 record. That entire body of work was about earning the right to play games like this — on the road, against another No. 1 seed, with a championship in front of you.

Most franchises never get a Tuesday like the one Everett is about to play. Cherish it. Pull up Victory+. Have a pint. Yell at the TV. The Silvertips have not won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 19 years, and the path to ending that drought runs straight through Prince Albert this week.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Game 3 of the 2026 WHL Championship Final?
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. MDT, which is 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

How many home games does Prince Albert get in this series?
Three. Games 3, 4, and 5 are all at the Art Hauser Centre. Games 6 and 7, if needed, return to Angel of the Winds Arena.

How can I watch the WHL Final from Everett?
Victory+ streams the games in the United States. TSN broadcasts in Canada. Both options are official.

What is the series record between Everett and Prince Albert?
Tied 1-1 after Game 2. Prince Albert won Game 1 4-2 at Angel of the Winds Arena. Everett won Game 2 6-2 at Angel of the Winds Arena.

Has Everett been good on the road in the 2026 playoffs?
Yes. The Silvertips entered Game 3 at 8-0 on the road in the 2026 WHL Playoffs.

When was the last time the Silvertips won the Ed Chynoweth Cup?
2007. Everett has not won the WHL Championship in 19 years entering the 2026 Final.

Where is the Art Hauser Centre?
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Capacity is approximately 2,800. The venue has been the Raiders’ home rink since 1996.

What time will Game 4 be played?
Wednesday, May 13 at the Art Hauser Centre. Game time is set at the same 7:30 p.m. MDT puck drop.

May 10, 2026
Tips Even the Series in Style: Silvertips Crush Raiders 6-2 to Tie WHL Final 1-1

What was the final score of WHL Final Game 2 on May 9, 2026? The Everett Silvertips beat the Prince Albert Raiders 6-2 at Angel of the Winds Arena on Saturday, May 9, 2026, tying the best-of-seven WHL Championship Series 1-1. Three first-period goals — from Carter Bear at 3:20, Kayd Ruedig at 5:31, and Rylan Gould later in the frame — staked Everett to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes, and the Tips never gave it back. The series now shifts to Prince Albert’s Art Hauser Centre for Games 3, 4, and 5.

Bounce-back Saturday: The Silvertips needed this one and they got it three different ways

Friday night Everett looked nervous. Saturday night Everett looked like Everett.

The Silvertips evened the 2026 WHL Championship Series with a 6-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders at Angel of the Winds Arena on May 9, and the way they did it should reset the tone of the entire series. They scored three goals before the first period was over. They put a power-play goal on the scoreboard with one second left to drive the dagger home. And they got production from the people you would have hoped to see step up — Carter Bear, Julius Miettinen, and a 2OT Game 2 hero from Round 3 in Rylan Gould — plus a Game 2 goal from Kayd Ruedig, the defenseman acquired in trade specifically for moments like this.

Series tied 1-1. Off to Saskatchewan. The Tips can breathe.

The first period that swung the series back

Carter Bear opened the scoring at 3:20 of the first by corralling a bouncing loose puck in the high slot and beating Prince Albert goaltender Michal Orsulak with a low shot. Two minutes and eleven seconds later, Nolan Chastko won an offensive-zone face-off, the puck slid to Kayd Ruedig in the left circle, and Ruedig’s shot beat a screened Orsulak to make it 2-0 at 5:31. By the time the first horn sounded, Everett had a 3-0 lead — Rylan Gould adding the third on a wide-open net after a play by 17-year-old phenom defenseman Landon DuPont.

Three goals in the first period. After the way Game 1 went — losing the second period 3-0 and giving up the eventual game-winner from Justice Christensen on a play that felt unnecessary — that opening 20 minutes was the entire emotional reset the building needed. Game 2 stopped being about whether the Tips could match Prince Albert’s intensity and started being about whether the Raiders could climb back into a series where Everett was the one dictating terms.

Prince Albert pushed back, Prince Albert ran out of room

Brock Cripps got Prince Albert on the board with a power-play goal in the second period, and Justice Christensen — yes, the same Christensen who potted the Game 1 winner — added another with 9:46 to play in the third to make it 3-2 and briefly suggest a real comeback was on. It was the kind of stretch that, in Game 1, ended with the Raiders pulling away. Saturday night it ended with Everett locking it down.

Julius Miettinen banged in an empty-netter for his 12th playoff goal — and his fourth point of the night — to push the lead to 5-2, and Jesse Heslop closed the scoring with a power-play goal with one second left in regulation for the 6-2 final. That last goal does not change anything on the scoreboard, but in the WHL it absolutely changes things in the locker room. Insurance goals at the end of WHL playoff games are a message. Everett was sending one.

The fan-voice take

Look, after Friday night a lot of us were doing math we didn’t want to do. Two-on-the-road for a series that was supposed to belong to Everett. Anders Miller’s historic regular-season .948 save percentage suddenly looking less like a shield and more like a ceiling. The crowd quiet by the third period. That was a real worry.

What changed Saturday is exactly what should have changed Saturday. Carter Bear played like a Detroit Red Wings second-round pick should play. Landon DuPont made a defenseman-to-defenseman play to set up Gould that was the kind of thing that gets you drafted first overall. Julius Miettinen had four points and looked like the closer this team has been all season. And Kayd Ruedig — the trade-deadline addition from Kamloops — was on the scoresheet on a goal that was the kind of off-the-face-off play this team was supposed to win all spring.

The series is now 1-1 and it’s going to Prince Albert. That is not a panic situation. That is the situation everyone expected before puck drop on Friday. Everett got back to being Everett, and they did it on a night when they had to.

What to watch in Game 3

The Game 3 question is whether Everett’s defensive structure holds in a barn that isn’t theirs. Art Hauser Centre is a small, loud, traditional WHL building, and the Raiders win there with a forecheck that is built to grind teams into mistakes. If the Tips can defend their own zone the way they did in Game 2, they will win Game 3. If they revert to chasing the puck around their own end the way they did in the second period of Game 1, they won’t.

Where the series goes from here

Game 3 is Tuesday, May 12 at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. MDT (6:30 p.m. PT). Game 4 is Wednesday, May 13 at the same venue. Game 5, if needed, is Friday, May 15, also at Art Hauser. The series then returns to Angel of the Winds Arena for Games 6 and 7 if necessary — Sunday, May 17 and Monday, May 18.

The whole series is being broadcast on TSN in Canada and streamed on Victory+ in the United States. If you have any other plans Tuesday night, cancel them.

Final lines and what they mean

Carter Bear got the goal the entire arena needed. Julius Miettinen finished with four points, including the empty-net dagger. Rylan Gould scored on the wide-open net after the DuPont feed in the first. Landon DuPont continues to look like a 17-year-old who is going to play in the NHL very soon. Kayd Ruedig got on the board in his first WHL Championship Final appearance. Jesse Heslop’s late power-play goal felt like a closing argument.

For Prince Albert, the worry list is real. Brock Cripps and Justice Christensen put up the only goals — Christensen now has goals in both games of this series — but the Raiders did not get the same kind of two-way pressure from their top line that decided Game 1.

This is the kind of series these two No. 1 seeds were supposed to play. One game each, going home tied, with both teams now needing to prove they can win on the road. Everett goes back to Saskatchewan with a healthy Bear, a 17-year-old Norris-arc-in-the-making in DuPont, and a 12-1 playoff record that includes back-to-back sweeps of Kelowna and Penticton. The Raiders go back with home ice, a goaltender in Orsulak who has played to a series-leading clip in spurts, and a power play that has scored on both nights.

Tuesday night decides whether this is going to be a series or a fight. Bring it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of WHL Final Game 2?
Everett Silvertips 6, Prince Albert Raiders 2. The series is now tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven 2026 WHL Championship Final.

Who scored for the Silvertips in Game 2?
Carter Bear opened the scoring at 3:20 of the first period. Kayd Ruedig made it 2-0 at 5:31 of the first. Rylan Gould scored later in the first period to make it 3-0 after one. Julius Miettinen had four points including an empty-net goal. Jesse Heslop scored a power-play goal with one second left in regulation.

Who scored for Prince Albert?
Brock Cripps scored a second-period power-play goal. Justice Christensen scored with 9:46 left in the third — Christensen has goals in both games of the series.

When and where is Game 3?
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. MDT, which is 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

How can I watch the WHL Championship Final?
TSN carries the games in Canada. Victory+ streams the games in the United States.

What is the rest of the series schedule?
Game 4: Wednesday, May 13 at Art Hauser Centre. Game 5 (if needed): Friday, May 15 at Art Hauser Centre. Game 6 (if needed): Sunday, May 17 at Angel of the Winds Arena. Game 7 (if needed): Monday, May 18 at Angel of the Winds Arena.

What is Everett’s playoff record now?
12-1 in the 2026 WHL Playoffs after sweeping Kelowna in Round 2 and Penticton in the Western Conference Final.

May 10, 2026
Mental Health Awareness Month at NAVSTA Everett: Where Navy Families Can Get Real Help in May 2026
Where can NAVSTA Everett Navy families get mental health help during Mental Health Awareness Month 2026? Five no-cost resources cover almost every situation: dial 988 then press 1 for the Military and Veterans Crisis Line (24/7), call the Naval Station Everett Fleet & Family Support Center at 425-304-3735 for short-term counseling, walk into the Everett Vet Center at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way Suite 207 (425-252-9701) for combat-trauma support, schedule mental health care at the Everett VA Clinic at 220 Olympic Boulevard, or contact the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at 425-388-7255 for emergency help. None of them require a referral to start.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and for the more than 6,000 Sailors and Navy families who call Naval Station Everett home, the month lands at the end of a difficult run. PCS season is heating up. Five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers cycle through deployment workups. The shipyard delays around the FF(X) frigate program have introduced fresh uncertainty about who is moving where and when. The Department of Defense’s most recent published research, summarized in Mental Health Awareness Month coverage from Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, shows that 11.7% of active-duty service members now carry at least one mental health diagnosis — a roughly 40% rise between 2019 and 2023.

The good news for NAVSTA Everett families: the local resource network is denser than most people realize, and almost all of it is free. Here is what is open, who it is for, and how to reach it during May 2026 and beyond.

If you or someone you love is in crisis right now

Dial 988, then press 1. That is the Military and Veterans Crisis Line, staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by responders trained in military culture. Active-duty Sailors, Reservists, retirees, veterans, and family members can all use it. You can also text 838255 for the same service in text form, or chat online through veteranscrisisline.net. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense built the line specifically because too many service members and families hesitated to call a civilian crisis line. You don’t need to be enrolled in VA care to use it. You don’t need to be retired or separated. You don’t need a diagnosis.

If the situation is medical and immediate, the closest emergency department to the gate is Providence Regional Medical Center Everett on Pacific Avenue, which has a 24/7 emergency department and behavioral health response capability.

Fleet & Family Support Center: short-term counseling, no medical record

The Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) at NAVSTA Everett is staffed with licensed counselors who hold master’s or doctoral degrees in social work, marriage and family therapy, or psychology. The Center provides individual, marriage, and family counseling on a short-term basis to active-duty service members, spouses, dependents, and retirees. The phone is 425-304-3735, and the email is ffsp.cnrnw@navy.mil.

FFSC counseling does not generate a medical record and does not feed into a security clearance review. Many Sailors who hesitate to seek help on the medical side because of clearance worries find FFSC’s non-medical model is the bridge that gets them talking to someone. The Center also runs deployment readiness counseling, financial counseling, and relocation support, and it operates a satellite office at NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound Smokey Point.

Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs): embedded, free, and confidential

MFLCs are Department of Defense contracted licensed clinical counselors who rotate through installations and provide non-medical counseling to service members and families. Naval Station Everett has MFLC coverage, and the Centers for Deployment Psychology notes that DoD requires MFLCs to be licensed clinical providers. The conversations stay off the medical record, off the chain of command, and off the security clearance process. Sessions can happen at the FFSC, at child development centers, on base in private spaces, or off-base by mutual agreement. Ask FFSC at 425-304-3735 about current MFLC availability when you call.

Everett Vet Center: combat trauma, MST, and family bereavement

The Everett Vet Center is a different VA program than the medical clinic. Vet Centers are community-based, walk-in friendly, and exist primarily for combat veterans, military sexual trauma survivors, and bereaved family members of service members who died in service. Counseling is free, confidential, and not part of the standard VA medical record. The center is at 1010 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 207, Everett, WA 98208, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone is 425-252-9701.

For Sailors and family members who served in any combat zone, who deployed in support of contingency operations, or who experienced sexual trauma during military service, the Vet Center model is often the gentlest entry point into help. There is no enrollment process. You can call to make an appointment or, in many cases, walk in.

Everett VA Clinic: mental health inside the medical system

For VA-enrolled veterans who want mental health care integrated with primary care, the Everett VA Clinic at 220 Olympic Boulevard offers outpatient mental health services. The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Existing primary-care patients can reach mental health scheduling at 800-329-8387 ext. 74241. The full VA Puget Sound mental health line at Building 101 in Seattle is 206-277-4709, available Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

If you are a Sailor preparing to separate, ask about the VA’s transition mental health services before you leave active duty. The earlier you get into the system, the easier the handoff.

Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program: emergency support that ladders into care

Sometimes mental health and money sit on the same shelf. The Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program at the Drewel Building, 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, Everett, provides emergency financial assistance, housing vouchers, and care coordination — and connects callers to mental health and substance-use assessment at a VA medical center when those needs come up alongside the financial crunch. The phone is 425-388-7255, and walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. Honorably discharged veterans, their widows, and qualified dependents are eligible.

Free mental health care from outside the federal system

Two national programs supplement what NAVSTA Everett families can get on base or through the VA. Military OneSource (1-800-342-9647) provides up to 12 free non-medical counseling sessions per issue per year for active-duty members, Reservists, Guard, and family. Give an Hour connects service members, veterans, and family members to a national network of licensed volunteer mental health providers who offer pro-bono care. Neither requires a VA enrollment.

For spouses and parents specifically, USO Northwest runs family programming throughout May and connects families to peer support that is unique to military life — the kind of context a civilian therapist may not have.

What Mental Health Awareness Month looks like at NAVSTA Everett in 2026

The NAVSTA Everett Fleet and Family Readiness calendar typically clusters mental-health programming throughout May, including resilience workshops, parenting classes, and information tables in the Navy Exchange and Galley. The Region Northwest Suicide Prevention team folds Mental Health Awareness Month into its broader prevention rhythm. If you are stationed at NAVSTA Everett and want to know what is on the schedule this week, check the FFR calendar or call FFSC.

The harder lift for May 2026 is for families whose Sailor is in workups or already deployed. Deployment compresses everything — sleep, money, parenting, marriage, the unspoken weight of waiting. The 988 line, FFSC’s deployment counseling, and the MFLCs are all built for exactly this. None of them require a referral. None of them require you to wait for things to get worse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will going to FFSC counseling affect my Sailor’s security clearance?
FFSC short-term counseling is non-medical and does not generate a medical record. It is generally considered separate from the security clearance review process. The Department of Defense has publicly stated that seeking mental health support is not by itself a basis for clearance denial, and recent SF-86 questions narrowly target only certain conditions. Talk with FFSC if you have specific clearance concerns.

Do I have to be enrolled at the VA to use the Everett Vet Center?
No. Vet Centers are a separate, walk-in program. You do not need to be VA-enrolled to receive Vet Center counseling. Eligibility is built around combat or contingency-operation service, military sexual trauma, or bereavement of a service member who died in service.

Are MFLC sessions free?
Yes. Military and Family Life Counselors are paid by the Department of Defense. Sessions are free, non-medical, and confidential within Department of Defense guidelines.

How fast can I get into FFSC counseling?
Initial appointments at FFSC are generally available within days, not weeks, particularly for active-duty members and family members in distress. Call 425-304-3735 to schedule.

What if my Sailor is on deployment and I need help here in Everett?
FFSC supports family members of deployed Sailors. So do MFLCs, Military OneSource, USO Northwest, and the Navy Family Ombudsman program. The 988 + 1 line is always available.

Can I bring my kids to a counseling session?
FFSC and MFLCs both provide family counseling that includes children. Some programs run age-banded child and adolescent sessions. Ask when you book.

Is there help for Sailors who left the Navy years ago?
Yes. The Vet Center, the Everett VA Clinic, the Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program, Give an Hour, and the 988 + 1 line all serve veterans regardless of how long ago they served.

What if I need help outside business hours?
The 988 + 1 line is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Providence Regional Medical Center Everett has a 24-hour emergency department. The Crisis Connections Line for Snohomish County is 1-800-584-3578.
Related coverage from Exploring Everett:
- Mental Health Awareness Month at NAVSTA Everett 2026: Complete Resource Guide (Knowledge Hub)
- For Navy Spouses at NAVSTA Everett: Your 2026 Mental Health Resource Guide
May 10, 2026

Category: Everett News

Glacier Peak Locks the State Bid

Jackson and Lake Stevens Aren’t Done — and They’re Playing in Our Backyard

Kamiak’s Run Ended Early

And Then State Returns to Everett

What About the Wesco South 2A-3A Race?

Things to Watch This Week

Fan-Voice Take

Frequently Asked Questions

The Number That Makes the Rest of the WHL Stop Talking

What Game 2 Told Us — and What Game 1 Didn’t

Why Art Hauser Centre Changes Everything

What to Watch in Game 3

The 19-Year Drought Context

Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

How the Finale Got Away

The Homestand: Five-and-One

Players to Watch Heading Into Vancouver

Next Up: Six in Vancouver, Then Home Against Tri-City

What This Homestand Told Us About 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

A Holiday Built for Uniformed Service

The Puget Sound’s Flagship Event: The Bremerton Parade

Parade Specifics for 2026

The Festival, the BBQ, and the Resource Fair

How NAVSTA Everett Families Get There

What Civilian Everett Neighbors Can Do

Why the Day Still Matters for Everett

Frequently Asked Questions

When exactly is Armed Forces Day 2026?

Is Armed Forces Day a federal holiday?

What’s the difference between Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day?

Will NAVSTA Everett be open to the public on Armed Forces Day?

What’s free for military ID holders on May 16, 2026?

How long has the Bremerton parade been running?

Can civilians march in the Bremerton parade?

What’s the fastest way for an Everett family to get to the Bremerton parade?

Why a Spouse-Specific Read Matters

988 + 1 for Crisis — Yes, Family Members Can Use It

FFSC: Your Counseling Door, Not Just Your Service Member’s

MFLCs: Embedded, Free, and Designed for Family Members

For Spouses Whose Service Member Is Deployed

Resources for Surviving Family Members

Emergency Financial Help

The “Hidden” Spouse Stressors That FFSC and MFLCs Are Built For

Cross-References to Related NAVSTA Family Coverage

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my service member find out if I see an FFSC counselor?

Can I use 988 + 1 if I’m not the service member?

What if my child needs counseling?

Are MFLC sessions really off the record?

What if I want to see a civilian therapist instead?

How do I find the deployment ombudsman for my service member’s command?

Where do I start if I’ve never used any of these resources before?

If You or Someone You Love Is in Crisis Right Now

Fleet & Family Support Center: Short-Term Counseling, No Medical Record

Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs): Embedded, Free, Confidential

Everett Vet Center: Combat-Trauma Specialty

Everett VA Clinic: Routine Mental Health Care Inside the VA System

Snohomish County Veterans Assistance Program: Emergency Help

Chaplain Services and Spiritual Support

Why the May 2026 Window Matters

Cross-References to Related Coverage

Frequently Asked Questions

Will using FFSC counseling affect my security clearance?

Do I need to be enrolled in VA healthcare to use the Everett Vet Center?

What’s the difference between calling 988 and pressing 1 vs. just calling 988?

Can spouses use FFSC counseling?

How fast can I get an appointment?

What if I’m an MST survivor?

What about my kids?

I’m not active duty anymore. Which resource applies to me?

The Force at Funko Field: AquaSox Star Wars Night and the homestand finale

The night, the jerseys, the fireworks

The series and the homestand

Sunday: The homestand finale at 1:05 p.m.

What to watch for if you are at the park

The fan-voice take

Frequently Asked Questions