Opportunity to focus on family resiliency at AEF Retreat

  • Published
  • By Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Ken Crooks
  • 75th Air Base Wing Chaplain
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  "This is our third retreat, and we love it." "My spouse is leaving/coming back from their fourth deployment." These statements are becoming more common with every Air Expeditionary Retreat. Team Hill families are not only experiencing multiple retreats, they are experiencing multiple deployments as well.

When the AEF Retreat program was established five years ago, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom were in full swing. Many families were experiencing deployment for the first time and there was a need to help families adjust to those realities. As Operation Enduring Freedom grinds on and other contingency operations brew on the horizon, more families are experiencing multiple deployments. Families' needs have shifted.

Dr. Bridgette Cantrell cites research showing that "warriors on their third and fourth tours of duty have much greater rates of mental health challenges than those on their first or second deployments. Time, and the wear and tear, has become a daunting enemy. For the families -- the weight of these deployments is magnified when they are ill-prepared for the tremendous emotional change and upheaval that may develop from these circumstances."

With that in mind, the focus of the training sessions will shift. The Chapel has invited Dr. Cantrell, a subject matter expert on the topic of family reintegration, readjustment and resilience, to help participants find ways to support and tend to those living with the pressures of multiple deployments. Topics include "Couples Issues," "Local Support for Families," "Child Issues," "Self Care," "PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury Psycho-education," and "Coping Strategies." In order to get the most out of the sessions and build maximum resilience in the marriage, it is best that both members of the married couple be present at the sessions.

As for the rest of the retreat -- it will stay the same. Families will still enjoy the wonderful lodging, the beautiful scenery, the activities for children and families, the memory-making moments, and the great food. And attendees will recognize one other thing that hasn't changed: The goal is still to make Air Force families stronger and more resilient to the stresses imposed by deployments.

For more on Dr. Cantrell visit her website at www.heartstowardhome.com.