Military Offers Relationship Building Assistance

by: Leah Miller

In the spirit of being a part of the online military community, this blog will spread the word about other military family inspired programs and initiatives.

Back in January, Lauren and I participated in the DODLive Bloggers Roundtable interview with Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Carleton Birch. Lt. Col. Birch discussed the Army Strong Bonds program, a unit-based, chaplain-led program that helps Soldiers and their families build and maintain strong relationships. The mission of Strong Bonds is to build Soldier readiness by providing skills the Soldier can use to strengthen his or her marriage and other relationships. They offer specialized programs for single Soldiers, couples and families, as well as support for pre- and post- deployment. Strong Bonds is currently available on select bases to Active Army, Army National Guard, Army Reserve and Air National Guard.

The Marine Corps and Navy have similar programs also: Chaplain’s Religious Enrichment Development Operation (CREDO). "CREDO is a highly effective retreat program that supports the Marine Corps’ readiness, retention, recruiting and quality of life priorities. The retreats provide participants the opportunity to develop new perspectives about their relationships with family and friends, the Military, and spiritual traditions." CREDO is free for all active duty Military, Reservists, Retirees, and Family Members.