Relationships and Intimacy: Resources for Military Couples

What are the keys to a long lasting and happy relationship? Everywhere you turn, websites, television, and magazines get readers and viewers by asking this question and then providing a top ten list of ways to make loving relationships last. Are there realistic ways and resources that can help couples come together that does not utilize buzzwords or checklists? In addition, are resources available that specifically military couples can use?

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we wanted to share resources we have provided over the years and articles we recommend when looking at the triumphs and challenges for military couples. This includes both dual military couples, in which both partners are active duty, and military couples in which one partner is active duty military and the other a military spouse.

Military.com shared this article [1], “How Long-Married Military Couples Stay Together,” which shares the results of a study on long-married military couples and the factors that contribute to marital duration. Career satisfaction, promotion, maintaining normality during deployment, and reintegration into the family after deployment were all seen as ways to measure success in military couples.

Dual-military couples, in which both partners are military service members, also have unique challenges. This article [2] from human Performance Resources by CHAMP (HPRC) shares insight into the issues that can come up like deployments, relocations, and personal risk. One of the biggest issues is how to navigate prioritizing career goals and family goals for both partners, especially when there are kids involved. Dual-military couples are strong but require negotiation and flexibility.

Below are various resources (a podcast episode, webinars, and blogs) that OneOp Family Development has provided that can benefit military couples.

• Podcast Episode 6| Private Parts: Common Intimacy Issues with Couples

Webinars

• Family Finances Series: Financial Planning for Life Events
• Picking up the Pieces: Helping Couples Overcome Infidelity

Blog Posts

• Military Marriages Matter: How Deployment Affects Marriages and Couples
• Resource Discovery| Quickies: A Handbook of Brief Sex Therapy
• In Sickness and Health? The Relationship Spectrum by NDVH
• Protecting our Vows: Unique Issues Military Marriages Face
• Split Decisions: Working with Couples When Divorce is a True Possibility
• More than Words: The Role Communication Plays in a Relationship