Supporting Military Couple Relationships

by Anita Harris Hering

In fall of 2020, the Department of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy launched the relationship campaign, Re the We, to help military couples rekindle, retool, and repair their relationships or reset in healthy ways when a relationship ends. Re the We connects military community members to expert help and a wealth of resources through Military OneSource and the Military and Family Life Counseling program.

The following resources support military couples and parent/child relationships

- Learn about deepening your relationship with one-on-one coaching, tools, skill-builders and more
- Listen to Military and Family Life Counselors discuss how they’ve helped couples reconnect using simple exercises
- Reach your relationship goals with tips and tools from experts at this DoD inaugural virtual event, Virtual Relationship Wellness Summit, Nov 16-17, 2021

data from Military OneSource infographic

Military couples and families experience unique challenges with frequent relocation, deployment, and reintegration. Strong military couple relationships require an investment of time and effort and are vital in maintaining mission and family readiness. Join OneOp Family Transitions for the 5-Part Series in 2021-22, A Close Look at Relationships: Supporting Military Couples. This webinar series shares research on the impact of military life on families, as well as tools and resources for service professionals to assist military couples and families in strengthening relationships.

Relationship series image

Nov 10, 2021, Destigmatizing Help-Seeking for Military Couples, Kelly Smith, Program Analyst, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy

Dec 8, 2021, The Relationship Checkup: Support for Military Couples, Dr. James Cordova, Professor of Psychology at Clark University and Director of the Relationship Checkup Program in Worcester, Massachusetts and Kelly Smith, Program Analyst, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy

Feb 1, 2022, Millennium Cohort Family Study: The Impact of Military Life, Valerie Stander, research psychologist at the Naval Health Research Center, and the PI of the Millennium Cohort Family Study, Hope McMaster, Ph.D. research psychologist with the Millennium Cohort Family Study, and Jacqueline Pflieger, Ph.D. Senior Research Psychologist at the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego, CA.

April 12, 2022, Military Children’s Family Relationships, Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University. Director of the Center for Families, and Director for the Military Family Research Institute, and Shawn Whiteman, Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Utah State University

May 12, 2022, The Relationship Changes of Military Couples During Reintegration, Lynne Knobloch-Fedders, assistant professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at Marquette University, and a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in couple and family therapy