Military members transition into life after deployment

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lana Mills
  • Air Force Print News
PILOT POINT, Texas (AFPN) --  Fourteen military couples from across the U.S. left their homes Aug. 24 for a different kind of mission at Lantana Lodge, a lakeside resort at Jordan State Park in northern Denton County, Texas.

The couples, who had been separated for months due to deployments in combat areas around the world, enjoyed an all-expenses-paid week of rest and relaxation through Aug. 31 as part of a program called Project Phoenix. 

Project Phoenix provides help to couples whose marriages are affected by combat deployments and their emotional aftermaths.

As soon as the couples got off the bus, the local community welcomed them, waving American flags as the local high school band played the national anthem and "Proud to Be an American." This was just the start of a week where the Project Phoenix staff catered to the couples.

From horseback riding to massage therapy, the couples spent time together in a setting free of the hassles of everyday life. There were no televisions, telephones, children to pick up at school or military briefings to distract them.

Senior Airman Jonathan Russel from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., spent the week with his wife, Tasha. He said he was happy to get away for a while and relax.

"Over there (in Southwest Asia) there are all kinds of worries. You know, little worries, big worries," he said. "Here you don't have to worry about anything. It's almost like going from hell to heaven -- it really it is. That's a pretty good comparison, I think."

Couples received counseling and group therapy sessions from fellow combat veterans who understand their situations. They are also surrounded by other combat veterans and their spouses -- all who have gone through similar experiences. 

"When a Soldier goes to war, the family goes to war," said retired Army Col. (Dr.) Michael Wagner, who heads up Project Phoenix and works at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The colonel said the main reason behind the project is to help couples reconnect after the time away in an intense war environment. The program acknowledges not only the servicemembers, but the family as a whole, he said.

Although paid for by private donations, Colonel Wagner said he is pursuing government grants, as well as soliciting additional private funding to sustain the project into the future. The first three "Soldiers and Veterans Transitional Retreats" were held earlier this year where 32 couples from Air Force Special Operations, Army Special Forces, the Navy, Army National Guard and Army Reserve spent time near Hunt, Texas. He has 16 more retreats planned at Lantana Lodge from November through August 2007.

"As the community gets to know and as businesses get to know about us, they're going to find value and support the project," he said.

The retreat is open to combat veterans of all ages and branches of the service.  Commanders or colleagues may recommend participants for the retreat. Participants can also sign up for the program themselves by filling out an application. For more details on Project Phoenix, visit www.mvfa.org.