Resources for relationships available to Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Timothy Boyer
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Marriage can be one of the greatest experiences in life while, at the same time, being one of the most difficult to manage. With divorce rates topping 50 percent in the United States, according to the 2009 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Vital Statistics Report, finding the recipe for a healthy marriage can be difficult. These statistics do not include stress on military families from lengthy deployments, temporary duties, exercise schedules and long work days.

Travis has a variety of resources available for married and soon-to-be married service members and their spouses who are facing challenges of almost any kind.

"Seeking counseling is always a great idea when your marriage is in trouble," said Chaplain (Maj.) Kent Schmidt, 60th Air Mobility Wing. "The worst thing that can happen is that you'll learn a lot of new information and skills about how to have a healthy marriage. The best thing is that you'll end up saving your marriage."

Resources are not only for couples who are struggling in their relationships. They also are for people who want to prevent their relationships from becoming stale.

The chaplains at Travis provide a broad range of services regardless of religious preference, including premarital counseling, marriage counseling, marriage seminars and retreats.

Marriage and premarital counseling is free and completely confidential, he said. The cost for seminars and retreats is minimal.

Premarital counseling is required before a Travis chaplain can conduct a wedding ceremony.

"You don't have to be a specific faith, or any faith, to take advantage of counseling," said Schmidt.

Another option for marriage counseling is the Military and Family Life Consultant, available at the Airman and Family Readiness Center. This option provides short-term counseling for any issues someone might be going through. But it also can provide counseling and mediation to help couples better communicate with each other.

Unique to the MFLC is that the counselor does not take notes, so there is no record of the content of the sessions, said Jaye Hurt, AFRC community readiness consultant. Counselors also are available to help Airmen and their spouses work through reintegration and other military lifestyle challenges. MFLCs are all licensed clinical counselors.

If the MFLCs are unavailable, the AFRC staff is available for crisis counseling. The AFRC also offers a couples communication course which can help strengthen marriages through better communication, said Hurt.

A third choice available is the Family Advocacy Program. This program offers short-term marriage counseling, similar to the MFLCs, for married couples who want to be proactive about getting help, said Latrise Muchison, 60th Medical Operations Squadron Family Advocacy outreach manager. Marriage counseling sessions at Family Advocacy do not negatively impact your career.

Mrs. Muchison also compiled a list of dating ideas for the local area and placed them into a booklet. She begins her booklet by reminding people that "you got married after you dated. It only stands to reason that a good way to stay married is to keep dating."

The booklets are available at the AFRC and the Family Advocacy office on the first floor of David Grant USAF Medical Center.

The chaplains, MFLCs and Family Advocacy professionals are available to help service members and their families when they are facing marital challenges. These programs do not negatively impact Air Force careers, said Hurt. In addition, service members and their families can call Military OneSource 24 hours every day at 1-800-342-9647 to find out about scheduling off-base marriage counseling free of charge and off the record.

For more information or to schedule premarital or marriage counseling with a chaplain, call 424-3217. To schedule an appointment with a MFLC, call 416-6416. For information on marriage counseling or programs at Family Advocacy, call 423-5168.