Chaplain (COL) David C. Moran Office of the Chief of Chaplains Director, Soldier and Family Ministry

The Army Family Covenant: The Strength of our Soldiers Comes from the Strength of their Families Healthy and Resilient Relationships and Marriages Provide Long Term Benefits Challenge: Strengthen the Family Bond in Persistent Conflict The Army Family Covenant We recognize the commitment and increasing sacrifices that our families are making every day. We recognize the strength of our Soldiers comes from the strength of their Families. General Refs: Stanley, Case for Premarriage Educ. (2001) Waynick, et al. (2005) Gallagher. Case for Marriage, (2001) Waite & Gallagher, (2000)

The persistent conflict is increasingly on the doorsteps and in the living rooms of every Army Family. So too, the deployed Soldier increasingly finds home persistently on his or her mind. The two are bound together throughout the ARFORGEN cycle

How the Military is Supporting Couples and Families Barriers and alternatives Nonmilitary circumstances Marital resources Enduring traits Military experiences Adaptive processes Emergent Marital satisfaction Does the marriage dissolve or endure? RAND MG599-2.1 The Rand Corporation provides a model of the complex challenge care givers and behavioral health providers have before them. Soldiers, Couples, and Families need to develop Adaptive processes— A Resiliency—that enables them to cope, grow, and thrive in an increasingly complex and demanding, Army Family. (Build) The Army Chaplain brings training resources to enhance couple skills in the context of Strong Bonds

Standardizing Strong Bonds Non-Negotiables Relationships strengthened by skills-training Training is conducted in a Retreat-Format to reach a broad population, leveraging Army, Soldier, and Family systems to extend learning and normalize common challenges. Minimum: 12 Hrs of Programmed Training Unit Chaplains conduct training, in partnership with other community providers: Builds connection to enduring resources Curriculum is evidence-based, validated, and respected Thorough leader training through various means – live, manual, video, website Specialized Modules to Support Unique Situations (Deployment, Wounded Warrior, Family of Deployed Soldier) Strong Bonds enhances Soldier and Family strength and resilience by strengthening Relationships through skills-based training. Strong Bonds Retreats are Command sponsored, chaplain-led events held off-site to enable the interaction between multiple systems—to extend shared learning. Systems already connected We are committed to improving Family readiness by: • Standardizing and funding existing Family programs and services • Increasing accessibility and quality of healthcare • Improving Soldier and Family housing • Ensuring excellence in schools, youth services, and child care • Expanding education and employment opportunities for Family members

Strong Bonds Funding Existing Family Programs and Services —A Family Covenant Success 1999 | Divarty, 25th ID 4 Events 90 Couples 2001 | 15 BDEs 60 Events 900 Couples 2003 | 39 BDEs 160 Events 3000+ Couples $1M 2004 | RC begins Marriage Weekends $5M 2005 | 500 Events 18,000 Couples $6M 2007 | 1007 Events 35,000 Couples $17M 2009 | 3000 Events 165K Participants $60M 2010 | Commander’s Program: Unit Based, Chaplain Led Supplemental Funding => Chief of Chaplains Grants Proven Effectiveness: Retreat-Based Training A couples “get-a-way” - relationship skills training Spans Soldier-Family Life Cycle Single Soldiers: “How Not To Marry A Jerk or Jerkette” Couples Family Skills / Solo Parenting Skills Pre-Post Deployment and Stay-behind Spouse and Children Linkage to Military-Community Family Support Programs (e.g. FRG, ACS, AFTB) Since its modest beginnings in 1999, starting with 4 events and 90 couples in Hawaii in the 25th ID, Strong Bonds has grown into a program that will this year provide nearly 65,000 couples with the skills to sustain a successful relationship in these hard times of multiple deployments. This slide illustrates such success of the program. The Army has recognized the value-added of this program and has put forth efforts to add supplemental funding for “Strong Bonds” training across all components ($60M requested Chief Of Chaplains Incentive Grant in FY’09). We have included a curriculum for single Soldiers called P.I.C.K. a Partner, which by one of the titles tells them “How Not To Marry A Jerk.” Additionally, the choice of curricula offered has expanded from 3 to 10 (Active Relationships, Couples Communication, Family Wellness Training, Laugh Your Way, Marriage LINKS, PICK, PREP, 5 Love Languages, 7 Habits – Families, 8 Habits – Marriages) FY 10 Commanders has requested OCCH Incentive Grant support for more than 4000 events with approximately 350K participants, in the amount of more than $100M Requests 4,000 Events 365K Participants $100M

What’s New for 2010 Significant increase in POM Funding to $32.3MIL (PBR1115LOCK) AC $19 MIL NG $7.3 MIL RC $6.0 MIL Command requested FY10 demand is about $101 MIL If demand is funded, validated Cost Model shows about 9% of the force receives Strong Bonds training Multiple Methods for Event Arrangements Local arrangements with funding from HQDA Chief of Chaplains MIPR or local command Appropriated Funds Partnership with FMWRC (Armed Forces Recreation Centers) Centralized HQDA Event Management Contract

Soldiers/Families Satisfaction Process Improvement Resource Management : Centralizing contracts Partnerships Building Demand Model to better Assess Event Programming: Web-based tracking Data collection capabilities Tools to improve assessment Important! Quality Mgt Soldiers/Families Satisfaction Process changes occurring to address issues

Road Ahead Validate Effects (Effects => Funding) Continue 5yr Longitudinal Study of PREP Study and Compare Remaining Protocols Continue to Improve Offerings Standardize and Fully Support Programs Expand Training Opportunities Improve Child Care Process Improve Contracting Processes Large Scale Logistics Contracts Hotel/Food/Child Care