Strong Bonds: Building Ready Families

As military members, spouses and families, you make great sacrifices in defense of our nation. Frequent deployments and relocations put many intimate relationships in the National Guard community to the test. But you are not alone. Strong Bonds honors and supports service members and families in the Guard and reserve components by providing offsite family and marriage retreats to strengthen your relationships and help you and your family manage the pressures of deployments and reintegration — together.

More than a marriage retreat

Strong Bonds is a chaplain-based military program designed to assist commanders in supporting unit-led retreats for service members, their spouses and their families. At a Strong Bonds “getaway,” you and your loved ones will benefit from relationship education and skills training in a setting that inspires hope, fosters fellowship, and rekindles intimacy.

Research shows that a healthy marriage and strong family bonds help build resiliency and reduce the stressors that can endanger soldier and airman readiness. That’s why the Strong Bonds curriculum was designed with you in mind, integrating the respected work of successful faith-based and secular relationship-building programs. Whether you are single or married, Strong Bonds retreats can help you work towards a lasting, loving relationship.

There’s an event for everyone

For singles: The loneliness and uncertainty that often comes with deployment can inspire hasty decisions when you’re looking for that special someone. The Strong Bonds for Singles retreat can give you the tools to examine your priorities, identify your patterns in choosing a partner, and evaluate a relationship’s potential for success.

For couples: Long separations, frequent relocations, and the stress of deployments are unique to military couples and can place excess strain on any relationship. The Strong Bonds for Couples curriculum takes couples on a healing journey to shared understanding, improved communication, and renewed closeness.

For families: Child-rearing responsibilities are can present a challenge to many military families. To strengthen family relationships and include your children in your retreat experience, Strong Bonds for Families offers events to sustain healthy interactions and maintain closeness. Children eight years old and up can participate in most activities.

For pre- and post-deployment: The deployment cycle, especially if you are going in and out of combat, places burdens on all types of relationships. The Strong Bonds for Pre- and Post-Deployment weekend retreat offers strategies for you and your family to get through your transition from the battlefield to the home front, leaving time for relaxation, recreation and fun.

Contact Strong Bonds

For Army National Guard: (703) 607-7507