NOHFELDEN-BOSEN, Germany – The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Clinical Pastoral Division sponsored a three-day Building Strong and Ready Teams retreat for military couples June 19-21 at Victor’s Seehotel Weingärtner on Lake Bostalsee.
According to Chap. (Maj.) Randy Croel, chief of the Clinical Pastoral Division at LRMC, nine couples participated in the retreat, which utilized the OXYGEN Seminar curriculum to help participants better understand personality types, strengthen communication skills, and navigate conflict resolution.
TheOXYGEN Seminar, developed by the nonprofit organizationStronger Families, is a relationship-enrichment program designed to help couples thrive in high-stress environments by providing tools for communication, resilience, and emotional connection. While restorative in nature, the program is intended as apreventative educational resource that strengthens relationships before significant challenges arise.
For a few days, rank, titles, and daily responsibilities were left behind. Service members and staff came together simply as couples, focusing on what the Chaplain Corps refers to as spiritual fitness – the foundation of purpose, resilience, and strength that supports individuals and families through life’s challenges.
Throughout the three-day retreat, participants engaged in hands-on training, role-playing exercises and group discussions designed to strengthen existing relationships while fostering new friendships.
“This retreat taught us to look inward first,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jun Mendoza, an allergist and immunologist at LRMC. “Instead of trying to change one another, we are focusing on how our actions impact the team and practicing deeper empathy for each other."
Mendoza said the retreat offered valuable lessons regardless of a couples current relationship status.
Sgt. Rudel Kouadio, a supply noncommission officer assigned to Nutritional Medicine at LRMC, said the retreat really provided practical strategies for navigating disagreements and improving communication with his wife.
“As newlyweds in the Catholic faith, we wanted to invest in our marriage early,” Kouadio said. “This retreat helped us deepen our communication and ground our relationship in a shared spiritual purpose. Learning how to navigate those early friction points is exactly why we signed up in the first place.”
Kouadio said one of the most valuable lessons was learning to respond thoughtfully during conflicts.
“Instead of just reacting in anger, I've learned how we can actually work through conflicts and resolve issues together,” Kouadio said. “They also provided us with books and resources we can reference during difficult times.”
During breakout sessions, participants had the opportunity to learn from couples with decades of marriage experience.
“We met a couple who had been married for 25 years and shared valuable insights on communication,” Kouadio said. "We thought we were the only one’s going through some of these struggles, but we learned that even couples who have been married a long time still face communication challenges."
Staff Sgt. Malik Anderson, noncommission officer in charge of the Clinical Pastoral Division at LRMC, coordinated the retreat and worked closely with the Chaplain Corps contractor to ensure the event’s success.
The eight-chapter curriculum structure included personality assessments, communication styles, conflict resolution, love languages, emotional intimacy, forgiveness and restoration, managing life transitions and developing a relationship action plan.
“The kids commented that the retreat was really fun and they looked forward to activities each day,” Anderson said. “Families also spent time together at the lake and nearby water parks.”
He said it was rewarding to see children enjoying themselves and families creating lasting memories together.
To support participants throughout the retreat, organizers provided childcare services during workshop sessions and in the evenings.
“We provided childcare so couples could fully participate in the workshops and also have time to reconnect and absorb what they learned throughout the day,” Croel said.
For Kouadio and his wife, the breakout sessions proved especially meaningful.
“Stepping into this retreat was a completely new experience for us,” he said. “The highlight for us was having uninterrupted time away from our two children to have honest conversations about forgiveness, healing and our future together.”
Mendoza said the retreat reinforced the importance of continuously investing in a marriage.
“We wanted to attend this spiritual retreat because we believe marriage is an ever-evolving relationship thar requires ongoing investment,” Mendoza said. “We learned so much about each other this weekend, and those lessons will continue to strengthen our bond.”
He emphasized that couples do not need to be experiencing serious marital difficulties to benefit from attending.
Kouadio agreed.
“I feel that attending this retreat provided me with valuable tools and information that we can use to strengthen our marriage,” he said. “I highly encourage my fellow service members to take advantage of this opportunity to invest in their relationships."
For Sgt. Kouadio’s wife, Jessica Barber Kouadio, the retreat served as her first real introduction to the Army community, offering a vital lifeline during a challenging season of postpartum depression.
"This was my first real experience with the Army, and it was incredibly reassuring to hear other couples talk about how vital communication is in a marriage,” said Jessica. “I’ve been struggling with postpartum depression, and this retreat was such a positive turning point.”
She shared that having the space to hold deep, meaningful conversations with her husband has truly helped her heal.