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Marriage is a new beginning and life-long commitment for many people. It is just as important when it comes to service members and their spouses.
Newly married service members and their spouses, attended the 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, Division Artillery, 1st Armored Division third annual Recognition of Newlywed Couples at the Family Resiliency Center here April 5, 2018.
The event started with a complimentary breakfast for the Soldiers and their spouses, following with an introduction to the regiment’s chain of command and chaplain. The spouses were able to then participate in an icebreaker challenge to get them more involved with the unit.
The Soldiers of 4-1 FA have an upcoming rotation at the National Training Center in the summer following a deployment to Korea. It is a significant time to host such an event to prepare the Soldiers and their spouses with the resources that the military can provide.
These type of events are very important because as couples get married and are brand new to the Army can become more informed with their spouses unit, said Lidia Gallegos, Bravo Battery Family Readiness Group leader for 4-1 FA.
“This event is where they can ask questions and learn from the senior enlisted and officers who have dealt with challenges as a married couple in the military,” Gallegos said.
Gallegos’ job for the event was assisting the chaplain with the organization and helping event participants with the set up as well as food catering.
Events like this can help newly married couples prepare for challenges and adversities by showing them there is always somewhere to go for help when needed.
“I enjoy seeing newly married Soldiers attend these events,” said Gallegos. “I was once in their shoes and it shows me they want to keep a healthy relationship and remain aware of the resources the Army has to offer to ensure that happens.”
One of the newly married service member couples that participated in the event was Sgt. Ben Michael Lomosco with 4-1 FA and Cpl. Stacey Merida-Lomocso from 4th Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, Division Artillery, 1st Armored Division.
Ben said that he wants to do everything in his power to maintain communication and a healthy relationship with his wife, and this is a start.
“We are truly best friends,” said Ben. “We’ve both been in the military for some time now, but being married is totally new for us. We need more events like this because on behalf of me and Stacey, we had no clue it was this much help for us if we needed it.”
Lt. Col. Thomas Caldwell, the commander of 4-1 FA, held the event knowing the challenges of marriage while being in the military and wanted to show his Soldiers that they are not alone.
“We needed to do something to equip these Soldiers before we deploy,” said Caldwell. “This is a perfect way to indoctrinate the spouses into our organization and make them feel a part of the military community.”
Caldwell also took the time to help his Soldiers’ spouses get familiar with the unit chain of command.
“Military families are unique and great families,” said Caldwell. “The resources that our country and nation provide for these couples are amazing. This [event] is one thing that can acknowledge how special it really is to be married to a service member.”
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.11.2018 18:57 |
| Story ID: | 272722 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS , TX, US |
| Web Views: | 63 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Married in the Army: newlywed Soldiers receive recognition and resources, by SGT Dontavian Harrison, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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