America's military members are willing to bravely make the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield, and while some scars of war are plain to see, others need a closer look. That's where the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes steps in…
It's not uncommon for combat-wounded veterans to suffer symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after returning to civilian life. Veterans who have PTSD can experience aggression, depression or intimacy issues. Sadly, these symptoms often contribute to separation, divorce and other family issues.
Many veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars face a life of disability due to the physical and psychological injuries they sustain in war zones. When service members return home injured, their loved ones provide long-term care. For married veterans, day-to-day care almost exclusively falls on their spouse.
The strain is palpable. And over time, even the healthiest relationships buckle under stress.
It's a daunting problem, but the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is committed to doing something about it.
Did you know?
Compared to the civilian population, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans experience higher divorce rates, suicide rates, drug and alcohol dependence and homelessness due to a combination of repeated military deployments during their time in service and difficulties with reintegration.
According to LendingTree, the divorce rate among members of the U.S. military is almost twice the average national divorce rate. About 3.09% of military members who married and held military jobs in 2019 wound up divorcing that same year.
The annual divorce rate among women in the military is 4.54%. Meanwhile, the divorce rate among men in the military is 2.9%.
Through the Veteran Circle (VC) membership program, the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes has a dedicated call center, able to reach out to veteran members numerous times throughout the year to check on their well-being as well as offer support and resources in times of need.
Veteran Circle Program Manager Antoinette Batchelor says these calls revealed a distinct need for marital support.
“Through calls made through the VC program, it quickly became apparent that marital support was an imperative and urgent need for many of our wounded veterans.”
Never one to back down from a challenge, the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes is tackling the problem head-on. Since 2017, the organization has hosted an annual Marriage Enrichment Retreat for combat-wounded veterans and their spouses called the Heroes Freedom Weekend. This all-expenses-paid retreat gives couples the unique opportunity to reconnect with their spouse, learn communication skills to cope with PTSD symptoms, build camaraderie and tour some of America's most sacred and historic landmarks.
Over the past five years, the Coalition has hosted annual retreats in New York, Washington D.C. and Williamsburg, Virginia.
Read real testimonials from veterans below:
“The Coalition invited us to the couples retreat in Colonial Williamsburg, VA this last year. To be honest, I love history and that is the main reason I wanted to go. Once we arrived, we were greeted by a couple Coalition staff members with a welcome bag. We had several couple sessions to help build our relationship. I was not expecting these classes to really help with our marriage, but I was wrong. Since our return home, my wife and I have been doing great. We are a lot closer than we have been in years and much happier together. We are most definitely closer and happier as a couple. Just the amount of communication we have now is amazing. I work out of town and I hate not being with my wife or being able to talk to her. Without the Coalition giving us this weekend, I'm not sure where we would be right now in our relationship.”
“My husband and I attended the Heroes Freedom Weekend in Williamsburg 2022. It was a smaller retreat which made things so much easier for my husband to process. The sessions felt more engaging and the dinner conversations were more intimate. The tours had a sense of ease to them compared to other ones we've attended. We not only had time to relax, we feel like we connected with other couples on a deeper level and made lifelong friends.”
“Absolutely wonderful organization! My husband and I have benefitted from the couples retreats. Absolutely saved us. Finding help and a very great group of people that understand what you are going through is such a blessing! We are will be forever grateful!”
“We are so grateful for the generosity shown to the Coalition to support growth and togetherness in our marriage as well as the many other couples fortunate to share in this experience. We have seen many failed marriages in the veteran community that we feel could have been avoided were they afforded the same opportunity.”
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