Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Tony Spain | Third Army/ARCENT soldiers participate in a single soldiers retreat at the Gatlinburg...... read more read more
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SUMTER, S.C. - Ask anyone who has been married for any amount of time, and they will tell you that relationships take hard work to maintain. Falling in love with a jerk and marrying the wrong person can make it even harder.
In 1999, the Army introduced the Strong Bonds program, a volunteer participant program held at an offsite retreat format. The retreat provides and emotionally safe and secure training environment to increase soldier and family readiness through relationship education and skills training and help address the effect of military lifestyle stressors on relationships.
Several soldiers from Third Army/ARCENT took advantage of the program and traveled to the Smokey Mountains for a four-day singles retreat Jan. 26 through 29 and stayed at the Gatlinburg Falls Resort, Gatlinburg, Tenn.
“The retreat is part of the Army Strong Bonds program designed to build strong and resilient soldiers and families. The STB commander has the responsibility of caring for the soldiers of Third Army, and this is one avenue used to accomplish this goal,” said Sgt. Jeremy Levens, Third Army Special Troops Battalion chaplain assistant.
Levens, a Burnet, Texas native, explained the retreat would be a five-lesson course on “How to avoid falling for a Jerk (or Jerkette),” designed from the Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge Program. The PICK Program is an educational course designed from the book, “How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk” by John Van Epp, Ph. D.
“The goal of the retreat was to teach single soldiers important life skills with an emphasis on personal relational skills and how to avoid falling in love with a jerk,” Levens said. “The major goals include building a relationship along with components including knowledge of yourself and your partner, building trust, making commitments in a relationship, and relying on your partner.”
Soldiers attending the retreat were able to learn about their relationships and about themselves.
“I have been on a few and I always learn something new each time I go and listen," said Staff Sgt. William Miller, Third Army/ARCENT, Special Troops Battalion, training non-commissioned officer. “It was beneficial. You are able to hear other perspectives on how people see things and what the social norm is.”
One soldier explained the course exceeded her expectations.
“I wanted to know what I was doing wrong and why I always attract jerks. Also, how to improve myself and make sure I give 100 percent in my relationship,” said Kelli Akitra Lawson, Third Army/ARCENT, executive administrative assistant, Human Resources. “I didn’t expect to learn anything really, but I learned a lot. I am confident that I won’t marry a Jerk.
I learned how to communicate better, and I learned a lot about what I have been doing wrong for a long time and how to fix my faults.”
Third Army soldiers were also able to take advantage of everything Gatlinburg had to offer in their free time from classes. Many spent time with family or friends enjoying the scenic view of the Smokey Mountains; while others took their pick of visiting the more than 500 quaint shops, restaurants, museums, aquariums and other tourist attractions such as indoor skydiving and ziplining.
“As a single parent, it’s a chance for my daughters and me to get away together,” said Miller.
Levens says this kind of training is very important to the Army because it shows the soldier at the lowest level that the Army cares about them as a person and their families.
“The program, when executed properly, can be a major combat-multiplier in terms of making sure that the soldier is taken care of on the home front,” Levens said. “Deployments have major impact on families and when the Army genuinely cares about the soldier and his or her family, the soldier can perform more effectively. When soldiers performs at a higher level, the Army performs at a higher level.”
“I am always excited to have an opportunity to take care of the soldiers and families in my unit. When our commanders, such as Third Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks and STB Commander Lt. Col David S. Cannon, take an active role in taking care of soldiers, it makes the entire unit and Army a more productive Army. I am proud to serve commanders such as these who take as much, if not more, pride in taking care of soldiers as I do myself,” Levens said.
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 02.07.2012 15:41 |
| Story ID: | 83481 |
| Location: | SUMTER, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 179 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Third Army/ARCENT single soldiers learn to single out jerks in dating relationships, by SFC Tony Spain, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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