If I am a counselor or chaplain, how can I most effectively utilize your marriage tools?
We recommend that you order copies of Marriage and Military Life and place them in pamphlet racks that service members can take without an appointment (just like a woman today can obtain a pregnancy test without making a doctor’s appointment). Chaplains who perform weddings can give either The Survival Guide or the Marriage and Military Life inventory to engaged couples in order to help them assess how prepared they are to handle the challenges of marriage in the military. Either publication could also be used for marriage workshops and retreats, as well as made available at pre-deployment and reunion briefs. One chaplain developed a nine week course around the nine categories that he offered during a deployment that reduced the number of divorces and abuse cases that often occur during long deployments. Another chaplain assigned to a major recruit training command made sure that no recruit who was thinking of getting married during his first term of enlistment left basic training without a copy of Marriage and Military Life. One chaplain gave copies of the Marriage and Military inventory to senior enlisted who personally handed them to subordinates they knew were thinking of getting married, and to married personnel that were experiencing marital problems that were affecting their work performance. Finally, chaplains and counselors often stamp or enclose a note in each publication letting people know how they can be reached if a couple needs additional help in resolving issues in their relationship.