Among the many missions of the US military Chaplaincy, Chaplains attempt to support the mental and spiritual well-being of Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines.  This has become particularly important with the rate of suicides in the military.  One of the ways the Chaplaincy is fighting for their troops is support for relationships, including significant support for military marriages.

Chaplain (Maj) Michael Reeves of Fort Stewart apparently came up with a unique way to help strengthen military marriages: a unit Mizpah coin.

Chap. (Maj.) Michael Reeves, installation chaplain, is the one behind the Coin & Covenant ceremonies in which spouses participate by making pledges to each other while exchanging half of a coin that has a 3rd ID patch on one side and a scripture verse on the other: “The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent from one another,” Genesis 31:49. The pledge and coin exchange are made between the deploying spouse and his or her husband or wife before he or she leaves, he said. After re-deploying, another ceremony is held in which the two come together to put the two halves of their coin together.

The term Mizpah, a Hebrew term that may mean watchtower, comes from the beginning of Genesis 31:49.  The coin gives couples a tangible reminder of faithfulness and a foundation upon which to build when they are reunited after a military deployment.  It is certainly not a cure-all, but it is an excellent idea for mental and spiritual resiliency, focusing on relationships, that will aid the Chaplaincy in its fight to help the men and women they serve.