The Department of Defense will host an inaugural Relationship Wellness Summit Nov. 16-17, 2021. Designed to encourage military community members to strengthen existing relationships and build skills for new ones, this multiday virtual event will feature testimonials from military couples and experts on romantic and parent/child relationships.
The summit will provide participants with resources for strengthening the relationships they have with themselves, while fortifying connections and building interpersonal skills for the relationships they have with others. Participants will also be able to share their own experiences and stories.
The event is open to all members of the military community — whether single, dating, married or parenting. Topic areas will include:
- Reinvigorating romantic and intimate relationships
- Exploring tools and resources for strengthening parent/child relationships
- Finding support and building skills for single service members
"Everyone experiences relationship challenges, and military life can be extra tough on established couples and single service members looking to form connections," said Lee Kelley, director of military community support programs in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. "By attending this summit, service members and spouses can take the first step in achieving relationship wellness, which is a critical factor in day-to-day life, work, readiness and resilience."
Participants can register here for the summit.
The success of Military OneSource's "Re the We" campaign served as inspiration for the summit. The DoD developed the relationship campaign 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.
