TUCSON, Ariz. – The U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command’s Religious Affairs team held a Building Strong & Ready Teams event Nov. 3-5. Incorporating Greely Hall tenants; Headquarters and Headquarters NETCOM, Regional Cyber Center Continental United States, U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command and the Communications Security Logistics Activity (CSLA), the event was designed for married couples and families for a weekend of enrichment and Family-focused workshops featuring lessons centered around the “5 Love Languages.”
For military families, it's easy to lose sight of the simple joys and the importance of spending quality time with Family and friends. With the constant demands of work, school and various commitments, finding opportunities to slow down and connect with loved ones can be challenging, and that’s why these events are important to the Chaplain Corps and the command.
“We wanted to get some of the Soldiers, spouses and their children out away from the flag pole to a wonderful location,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Stephen Taylor, NETCOM Deputy Command Chaplain.
These unique opportunities afford families the time to reflect, connect and grow relationships, both within their own families, and beyond.
“[It’s about] enjoying time getting to know new people, learning a few skills and sharing experiences about our marriages and our families,” Taylor said.
In October 2021, the BSRT program was modernized from the previous Strong Bonds program. BSRT is not a rebranding of the Strong Bonds program, but a way to enhance its 20 years of success to better fit the needs of today’s Soldiers and families.
“The latest change is really putting the priority on readiness and doing what we can for Soldiers and their families,” Taylor explained. “So, they are ready for ongoing training, missions and the potential for future deployments.”
For this BSRT event, the Religious Affairs team explained the purpose was to foster deeper connections and enhanced mindfulness within families.
Sgt. Dedrick Anderson, NETCOM Headquarters and Headquarters Company embraced the opportunity to connect with his spouse, Gray Anderson.
“It’s an opportunity for you and your spouse to really focus on each other and learn something new,” Dedrick said. “It takes work.”
The uniqueness of this event was families were encouraged to bring their children along, and that is a welcome addition to the BSRT modernization.
“In this setting, we talked about it being for the children as well,” explained NETCOM Inspector General Sergeant Major, Sgt. Maj. Aaron Wilson. “The children usually want that quality time [too]. We appreciate they brought that aspect into the marriage retreat.”
The heart of the weekend was a series of workshops designed to help families explore mindfulness and encourage meaningful conversations.
“I wanted to get to know my husband better, get to know his love language and ultimately grow our relationship and marriage,” said Gray.
These activities encouraged participants to reflect on the positive aspects of their Family and relationships, promoting gratitude and emotional connection, with the realization things won’t be perfect, but they can always get better.
“There’s going to be friction in marriage,” Taylor said. “There are going to be challenges in marriage and it’s normal.”
The weekend offered a unique opportunity for families to step out of their busy lives and focus on what truly matters, their relationships inside the Family, and the connections they can make with others outside the Family.
“To seek out wisdom from some folks who have been through some of what you. Might go through now is what we really [try] to encourage people to do,” Taylor said.
As families left the retreat center, the shared experiences and insights gained over the weekend will undoubtedly continue to resonate in their daily lives, which is always a goal for these events.
“I think we absolutely accomplished what we set out to do,” Taylor. “We tore down some walls and some barriers between some folks who maybe didn’t know each other very well, equipped people with some good skillsets…and made new friendships. That’s a wonderful thing.”
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