WASHINGTON – As one spouse tried to navigate the other across a room and through a minefield of foam toys, the games had begun at the Army’s “Strong Bonds” marriage retreat near Baltimore.
“What these workshops do is it helps us to understand that communication is an ongoing process,” Army Cpl. Paul Garzon, a retreat participant, said. “It never ends.”
And that’s precisely what the game at last month’s retreat was about — spouses learning to communicate with and listen to each other despite outside distractions. In this case, the distraction was an immense hoopla created by the other retreat participants.
Founded in 1997 as the “Building Strong and Ready Families,” the Armywide program was renamed Strong Bonds in 2005 and expanded to include programs for families and single soldiers. The unit-based, chaplain-led program helps soldiers and their families build strong relationships.
