ROME – 10 Families assigned to NATO units in Italy met at the Hotel Eur La Lama here Feb. 8-10 to participate in an Army relationship enrichment retreat program called Building Strong and Ready Teams.
The program is a unit-based, chaplain-led program which assists commanders in building individual resiliency by strengthening the Army Family.
“The core mission of the BSRT program is to increase individual Soldier and family member readiness through relationship education and skills training,” said Chaplain (Capt.) Michael Coats, Allied Forces South Battalion based in Naples, Italy. “During the retreat, Soldiers and families participate in small group activities that foster effective communication, reveal common bonds, and nurture friendships.”
“Building Strong and Ready Teams is conducted in an offsite retreat format in order to maximize the training effect,” said Coats. “The retreat or get away provides a fun, safe, and secure environment in which to address the impact of relocations, deployments, and military lifestyle stressors.”
The 10 Soldiers participating in the event were assigned to NATO Joint Force Command Naples, Allied Ground Surveillance Forces headquartered in Sigonella, the 2nd NATO Signal Battalion in Grazzanise and AFSouth’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company based in Naples.
“This BSRT event included two nights of hotel stay and five meals at no cost to the service member and family,” said Coats. “During the eight sessions of training we discussed many helpful topics that can be applied to all relationships.
“Communication, expectations, identifying and managing danger signs, understanding and managing anger and stress, understanding personality, and exploring and reigniting fun and friendship were some of the topics that we discussed throughout the training,” he said.
Coats said he was thankful to the assistance he received from the Allied Forces North Battalion Religious Affairs NCO Sgt. Amber Whittsett who provided “vital support before, during, and after the event to ensure a safe and effective training environment.”
The ideal result from the Building Strong and Ready Teams training events is “Strong Army Families,” said Coats.
“Our goal is to develop families as a unit with practical skills and qualities that are needed to enrich and sustain relationships throughout times of celebration and joy as well as stress, hardship, and tragedy,” he said.
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