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Scott Chapel offers marriage relationship seminars, retreats to military families

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Sabrina Foster
  • 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  There are many organizations on Joint Total Force Scott that help service members prepare for deployments and reintegration. Scott Chapel is involved in this effort to help Airmen and families better understand and cope with separation and reintegration issues by providing briefings, seminars, and retreats to spiritually enrich marriages.

"The high operations tempo increases the propensity for marriages and relationships to have issues," said Chaplain (Capt.) Valentino McNeal, 375th Airlift Wing Protestant chaplain.

"The key focus of the marriage relationship seminars and retreats is to ensure we have spiritually fit warriors and families as they face the challenges of deployment and reintegration," he said.

There are a number of weekly pre-deployment and reintegration briefings available to military members who are deploying and returning.

The unique quality of the Chapel marriage and family seminars is to bring the military member and the spouse together so they are able to grow in the same spiritual benefits.

"We try to minimize the impact of the stressors of separation and reintegration," said Chaplain McNeal. The stressors will be there, but people will be able to cope with them in a healthy way."

Chaplain McNeal offers four tips with Airmen and families that attend pre-deployment events: 1. Deal with current issues -take care of your concerns before you go because the separation could make them worse. 2. Stay close while separated - communicate as much as possible. 3. Keep your moral compass and 4. Seek help - do not allow your rank, position or status hinder you from getting help.

"Healthy relationships are directly related to mission readiness," he said. "An unhealthy household equals unhealthy Airmen who are not focused on the mission, and you can't fight and win the war on terror if you are not emotionally, physically, and spiritually healthy."

The Scott Chapel provides several services at JTF Scott. Among them is the hosting of a marriage and family retreat May 23 - 25 at East Bay Camp, near Bloomington, Ill. Lodging costs will be paid by the Scott Chapel. The sign-up deadline is May 19.

"All active duty military members and their families are welcome," said Chaplain McNeal. "As we face increasing deployments and reintegration, this setting will give us the opportunity to enlighten families in a spiritually refreshing and fun environment."

The Air Force Chief of Staff's first priority is to "win the fight." He defines the chapel's strength in his second priority, "caring for Airmen and their families."

The Scott Chapel together with all the helping agencies on JTF Scott offer many tools to help make the CSAF's vision a reality.

"We are only as strong of a military as we are in our families. It takes spiritually fit Airmen and their families to fight and win the war on terrorism," said Chaplain McNeal.

For more information on any of the Chapel's programs or to sign up for the upcoming retreat, call 256-7588 or 256-3303.