Chaplain (Capt) R. Scott Savell recently highlighted an Air Force Chaplain Corps’ MarriageCare retreat, which Joint Base Elmendorf hosted at an Alyeska Resort.

Twenty-three couples gathered at the beautiful Alyeska Resort for a three-day MarriageCare retreat April 27 hosted by the JBER chaplain corps.

This retreat was an all-inclusive weekend provided at no cost.

The only thing we asked couples to commit to was attending four one-hour sessions and spending the rest of their time together as a couple focusing on their marriage – because after all, only God and the couple are the real experts in a marriage.
 
The format of the retreat, although spiritual, is not religious.

The Chaplain noted that the Air Force considers marriage to be a “readiness issue,” because the home life affects the ability of the servicemember to do his job.

While God “hates divorce,” and divorce is permissible in modern culture, the US military actively fights the destruction of marriages in the military.  This is in part because the military is sometimes to blame — “It is no secret military marriages can be stressful.” — but also because a strong marriage at home will ultimately promote the successful accomplishment of the mission.