Military families get some time away together

  • Published
  • By Mary Lou Gorny
  • Hilltop Times Editor
LIBERTY, Utah --  Military families took a break to experience some summer recreational opportunities, get to know one another a little better, and improve and build on resiliency at the Air Expeditionary Force Retreat at Wolf Creek June 28-30.

Approximately 34 families who had military members deploying or just returning from a deployment enjoyed a beach party, Hawaiian-themed dinner and participated in a series of short marriage enrichment classes, while their children participated in activities set up just for them.

Dominic Gonino, president of the Wolf Creek Foundation, the 501c(3) nonprofit which works to support the retreats, greeted the couples at the final session on Sunday. Gonino said the retreats were created to help provide a place for military families to have some down time, provide some tools and to help military marriages to thrive despite the separations that occur due to deployments.

"We would hate to win the war and have you lose your families," said Gonino. His grandfather fought in World War II in Northern Italy and returned home after two years of absence by walking to his home in Southern Italy. He would work for farmers long enough to get something to eat and then continue on his way home. His wife had not heard from him during the two year period and thought maybe he had died.

He walked the 100 miles home and arrived in the middle of the night to say, "Angelina wake up, I'm home," Gonino reported. With that in his heritage and other family members who have served, the descendant of immigrants said he knew how important those family ties were for military families.

The president of the foundation thanked the Airmen for their desire, their service and sacrifices and noted that their families also served and sacrificed.

The Sunday session, conducted by Chaplain (Capt.) Lukus Counterman, continued on how to strengthen their marriages. This session focused on "to love and to cherish," as couples concluded the series. Communication, love languages, languages of apology and the five magic hours that help keep a marriage happy and healthy were topics of discussion.

Counterman said that he remembered the best piece of advice he was given when he got married was that marriage consisted of two really good forgivers.

In marriage the possibility that there would never be hurts, slights or misunderstandings is not likely, so forgiveness and the ability to seek forgiveness were skills essential to the health and happiness of the relationship, he explained.

As he concluded his remarks with a brief recitation with the couples, smiles, kisses, hugs and reassurances were exchanged as the moment attained significance for each couple in their own way. Throughout the session, a couple could be seen with the wife's head on her husband's shoulder. Another couple sat with the husband holding his wife in a reassuring, enclosing hug as they listened to the presenter until it was time to participate in various small group activities or in one-on-one discussions.

"The marriage classes were amazing because not everybody wants to seek out (the information), because that's where we were at. We just wanted some additional tools," said Charity Fellmer, military spouse from the 388th Maintenance Operations Squadron, after the conclusion. "We appreciated that. The condo was amazing and the food was great." She added that the lake time had given their family some great bonding time.

Another couple paused long enough to say: "Oh, we enjoyed it. I think that it's going to help us cope better, with him being gone, it's only going to help strengthen our marriage," said Sol McClellan, 75th Security Forces Squadron. "I enjoyed the classes. We had so much fun figuring out how to communicate with each other. It was nice."

The volunteers who helped with the young children including their 2-year-old son were also a great support to the couple. Their son loved the magician and also loved the lake activities. He had so much fun that his mom reported he didn't want to leave. The volunteers were well prepared to assist with the children which eased any concerns for the McClellans as they participated in the various activities.