1st TSC single Soldiers strengthen relationship skills during Strong Bonds Retreat

By Staff Sgt. Josephine PrideMay 5, 2015

1st TSC Single Soldiers strengthen relationship skills during Strong Bonds Retreat
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Pfc. Emmanuel Rodriguez (left), a human resource specialist with the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater), talks about the strengths and weaknesses his group came up with for their personality along with Capt. Cliffton Williams (right), battalion adjuta... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
1st TSC Single Soldiers strengthen relationship skills during Strong Bonds Retreat
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Capt. Nick Stavlund, battalion chaplain, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Special Troops Battalion, teaches a class about communication skills and how to effectively avoid escalation during a Strong Bonds retreat in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The retreat wa... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - The life of a single Soldier in the Army can be strenuous from personal to professional relationships.

As a way to combat these relationship challenges, single Soldiers with the 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) attended a Strong Bonds retreat April 24-26 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The three-day retreat was an opportunity for Soldiers to learn more about who they are and how their upbringing, family, and their past has shaped them up to this point, said Scottsdale, Arizona, native Chaplain (Capt.) Nick Stavlund, battalion chaplain, 1st TSC Special Troops Battalion.

During the day Soldiers attended sessions doing hands-on activities through a curriculum called "Got Your Back", a program that is sanctioned through the Chief of Chaplain's Office.

According to the website, "Got Your Back" is a fun, interactive, and relevant curriculum that focuses on helping individuals to improve understanding and decision-making in their relationships.

"The sessions were awesome and dealt with things that people are dealing with on a daily basis," said Killeen, Texas, native, Spc. Tiffany Rutherford, enlisted strength specialist, 1st TSC.

The retreat gave Soldiers an opportunity to learn something new about relationships also got them out of the barracks.

After the sessions each day, Soldiers were given down-time to reflect on what they learned and explore what Myrtle Beach had to offer.

"There were a lot of people that I didn't know. I didn't really talk to them but now we are pretty cool," said Bronx, New York native Pfc. Emmanuel Rodriguez, a human resource specialist, 1st TSC. "We got to hang out at the beach, have fun and relax."

The Special Troops Battalion Unit Ministry Team hosts the Strong Bonds retreats for single Soldiers and married couples.

For more information on Strong Bonds, contact your unit chaplain or go to www.StrongBonds.org.

(The 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) provides Theater Sustainment Mission Command to Army, Joint, and Multinational Forces in support of U.S. Central Command Unified Land Operations in order to enable the combatant commander's ability to prevent, shape, and win our nation's wars. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/1stTheaterSustainmentCommand)

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Strong Bonds