Strong Bonds program strengthens families

Service members and their spouses are flocking to a broad array of programs to help them strengthen their family relationships as the services step up efforts to curb divorce rates.
Military divorce rates rose by .1 percent — to 3.4 percent — during fiscal 2008, with 492 more divorces than the previous year, Army Lt. Col Les’ Melnyk, a Pentagon spokesman, reported. Military-wide, 25,750 marriages ended in divorce last year.
The Marine Corps, with 3,077 divorces last year, experienced the biggest increase, from 3.3 percent in fiscal 2007 to 3.7 percent.
The Army rate also increased — to 3.5 percent — with 10,200 divorces last year. The Army reported a 3.3 percent rate in fiscal 2007, with 9,134 divorces.
Meanwhile, divorce rates dropped .2 percent last year in the Navy and remained stable in the Air Force. The Navy reported a 3 percent rate in fiscal 2008, with 5,441 divorces representing a 618 decrease from the previous year’s number.
The Air Force reported a 3.5 percent divorce rate in both fiscal 2007 and 2008, but the actual number of divorces dropped by 618 — to 7,032.
Recognizing the hardships and challenges military life often imposes on family relationships, the military services are working to buck this trend through a full range of outreach programs which focus on communication, intimacy and conflict management.
The centerpiece of the Army program is “Strong Bonds,” a program initiated by commanders and led by chaplains that helps soldiers and their families build strong relationships.
“The Army family is strong and resilient, but faces challenges unheard of in the civilian world,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) James P. King, Belvoir’s garrison chaplain. “Strong Bonds helps develop the core strength of our Army — our soldiers and families.
“It is exciting to have resources to equip our great soldiers and families with personal and relationship skills that can help them adjust to the demands of our OPTEMPO and deployments,” he said.
Strong Bonds has four parts: a general couples program, programs tailored for couples preparing for or returning from deployments and programs for families and single soldiers.
King said Strong Bonds originated as a program to help soldiers and families in tactical units. As leaders saw how much it helps strengthen soldiers and families, Strong Bonds became a popular tool across the Army. Now, participation is open to those serving in all kinds of units, including garrisons.
According to Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Carleton Birch, from the Army’s Chief of Chaplains Office, participation in the program has doubled every year since the program started five years ago, with more than 60,000 couples having participated in the training.
Birch said the National Institutes of Health found “encouraging early results” after completing the first year of a five-year study evaluating the program’s effectiveness in building family resiliency.
“During the coming year, Fort Belvoir chaplains will be exploring ways to take advantage of this great program to support soldiers assigned to Fort Belvoir, as well as units and organizations here,” King said.
“The soldier and family are part of our larger Army family. They give their best in service to our nation, and we want to give them our best in support of their sacrifices.
“Strong Bonds gives them valuable tools to enhance their relationships and sustain themselves through the most difficult of challenges,” he said.
Meanwhile, an attendee at a recent Strong Bonds session at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, gave a full-fledged endorse-ment of the program’s value.
“This is the first time since getting back from Iraq in April where I have felt that I am capable as well as confident enough to lead my family in a loving and caring environment,” he said.
This story includes information from an American Forces Press Service release.