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

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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 MG
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

5. 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

6. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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