FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Single mothers came together with their children to break bread and to share their triumphs and challenges of being both a single parent and a Soldier serving in the Army at the first XVIII Airborne Corps Single Mother Banquet at the Fort Bragg Club, Saturday.
"There's definitely a need to support single moms out there," said Spc. Jennifer Williams, XVIII Airborne Corps chaplain's assistant. There are more than 35,000 single parents in the Army, according to Department of Defense 2008 statistics.
This event is part of the Strong Bonds program, a chaplain-led program to build relationship resiliency, said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Charlie Reynolds, XVIII Abn. Corps world religion chaplain. The corps Chaplain Office also held a Father/Daughter Banquet and plans to host a Father/Son weekend event April 28 through 29.
After dinner, participants listened to Wanda Kidd, a college ministry coordinator for Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina, speak about ways for single parents to cope with the challenges of serving in the military and raising children by themselves. Through stories and anecdotes, she touched on themes such as, fear of judgment; don't be afraid to ask for help; and be okay with who you are.
"I was very interested in this population of single moms in the military. I found that very courageous and stressful," said Kidd.
Other activities included an ice-breaker and filling out a military op order for activities between parent and child.
"They're committing to do one activity per month and one big activity per year with their kid," said Reynolds. "Soldiers understand op orders. I always tell them a military mission might cause you to change the date, but you don't take it off the calendar."
Reynolds has used this activity with other Soldiers who want to reach out to their sons or daughters.
"That's how I made the connection point with my daughter. Once a month we go out for breakfast or coffee. Our big events were ski trips. Once we ran a marathon together. This provides the tools for parents to connect with their kids," he said.
Master Sgt. Shelley Watson, XVIII Airborne Corps, enjoyed the evening with her daughter, Deja, 14.
"Having a teenager for any time, it's not cool to hang out with your parents. To get to spend some time (with my daughter), it was great.
Maj. Larynilsa Medina, Company B, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corps, said she looked forward to the banquet.
"It was a great opportunity to bring more attention to single moms in the military. I came here with the expectation of meeting more people. I was looking forward to that piece. I think it's a great start,"
Medina, who brought her daughter, Arielle, 6, to the event, hopes more single parents will participate in the future.
"I would definitely encourage them to attend even though they might not know what it is and what is involved. These things can build and we learn so much, not what we intended but what we share with each other and camaraderie," she said.
Kidd is offering her help for single parents currently on active-duty and those who will soon separate from the military. She is available for counseling either by phone at 828-507-5723 or by email at wkidd@cbfnc.org.
For more information about Strong Bond events, call 396-1121.
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