FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- The 2nd Brigade Combat Team conducted a Company Commanders and Spouses Resiliency Daytreat on Feb. 7 at the Commons.
The event was designed to improve family resiliency, specifically for current and future company commanders and their spouses, as well as single commanders.
Maj. David Goldstrom, 2nd BCT's chaplain, developed the event with guidance from Col. Dennis Sullivan, brigade commander.
Goldstrom explained one of the objectives of the daytreat and how he thought the training would help commanders and their Families.
A key objective was "learning things that really work -- how to communicate better and how to have a stronger Family and build better relationships in their lives," Goldstrom said. "This type of event really builds a connection between senior leaders in the brigade and company commanders and their Families."
The training event featured panel discussions led by senior members of the brigade who shared their personal experiences.
Lt. Col. Eric Johnson, 2nd Brigade's executive officer, was a member of the panel that addressed the single commanders.
"This is another good venue in the brigade commander's approach in making sure Families and leaders are ready for deployment," Johnson said.
Participants learned that there are five "love languages" couples can use to communicate with each other. These "languages" include words of affirmation, quality time, gift giving, acts of service and physical touch. Commanders and their spouses, as well as the single commanders, took quizzes to assess their "love language."
Dawn Grant, who attended the event with her husband, Capt. Ricky Grant, commander of D Company, 210th Brigade Support Battalion, was surprised at the results.
"We identified that we are more similar than we thought in our love language," Grant said. "We've been given some tools to talk to each other and communicate better."
One of the single commanders, Capt. Braden Amigo, commander of B Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, said he was learning ways to better communicate with loved ones, friends, peers and his chain of command.
"I think the lessons we learned today will help us apply them to our personal lives and make us better commanders and leaders," Amigo said.
Sullivan said he hoped the event will help commanders and their spouses learn a little bit about each other and how best to communicate.
"It's important that they don't put their family life on hold while in company command and still be an active member of their Family," he said.
A similar event is being planned for first sergeants and their spouses for the next quarter.
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