Free Military Conference to Help Service Members and Military Families Building Resilience in Today’s World 

Written By Heidi McDow

American military families face unique issues that require resilience, but they don’t have to overcome them alone, say organizers from Helping the Home Front, the military ministry of the Christian Broadcasting Network.


“Resilience in Today's World” is the theme at Helping the Home Front’s second annual conference September 27-28 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, said CBN’s Director of Military Outreach & Community Relations Mary Allsbrook. 


This year’s free conference features some of the nation’s most powerful speakers and military ministry experts leading breakout sessions, enrichment activities and practical workshops.


“According to the Department of Defense, there were 94 active-duty suicides in the first quarter of this year,” said Allsbrook. “One is too many!”  


“Military families are tough. Their courage, strength and perseverance are inspiring, but we must rally around them and help meet their unique struggles. That’s why we’re bringing this group together,” said Allsbrook.


“Resilience is the enduring ability to navigate and overcome difficulties, adapt to new challenges and find meaning and strength in adversity, all while relying on personal fortitude, faith and the encouragement of a supportive community,” said Dr. Damon Friedman, a retired Air Force special operations commander, founder of SOF Missions and a speaker and co-emcee at this year’s conference.


For Friedman, resilience is especially needed in the military community, where overcoming challenges often means enduring struggles of multiple deployments and family separation as well as reintegration into civilian life.


The conference schedule includes resilience-building activities, solo and group competitions, a series of workshops on healthy lifestyle, marriage, and finances, breakout sessions, and a banquet dinner with guest speaker Taya Kyle, bestselling author and wife of the late Navy SEAL sniper, Chris Kyle.


Kyle will share personal stories about perseverance and resilience following the tragic loss of her husband. 

“With a humble heart and a warrior mindset, we can build resilience over time, turning a life of fear into one of faith, a life of brokenness into one of indestructible strength,” said Kyle. "Building and strengthening resilience is our best chance at not only surviving but thriving."


Service members, veterans and their families encounter a myriad of issues.


Many military families struggle with the rising costs of housing, with nearly 80% of families reporting that they are paying more than they can comfortably afford. This financial stress is compounded by out-of-pocket expenses associated with frequent relocations, such as temporary housing and utility deposits.


A significant number of military families, particularly those in the enlisted ranks, face food insecurity. Despite efforts to provide assistance through programs like the Basic Needs Allowance, awareness and use of these programs remains low.


Also, military spouses face high unemployment rates and barriers to employment, including difficulties in transferring professional licenses between states and the high cost and limited availability of child care. These challenges often prevent military families from achieving dual-income households.


Loneliness and separation, along with deployment stress lead to mental health challenges for the service member and their families.


More than half of active-duty service members and about 44% of reservists are married. Together, that's nearly a million military spouses who stay behind during deployments and temporary duty assignments to maintain the homestead and care for about 1.6 million children.


Allsbrook said this conference is meant “to equip military community members to handle these challenges and emerge with greater strength.”


Session titles include:

  • Processing Trauma

  • Empowering Resilient Youth

  • Unity As A Family Through Transition

  • Roadmap to Resilience: Navigating Today’s Struggles

  • Addressing Deployment Dynamics

  • Strategies for Building Resilience

  • Staying Resilient, and

  • How Faith Strengthens Identity & Purpose


Evan Owens, executive director of REBOOT Recovery and conference speaker said, “When I think about the word ‘resilience,’ I think about the ability to get back up, the ability to find purpose even after pain. Resilience is the ability to ask–and then find the answer to–the question of ‘What comes next after what I’ve gone through?’” 


At the conference, Owens said he hopes those in attendance will walk away with “some practical things we can learn in today’s world where we will most certainly be knocked down.”


“There is hope. There is healing,” said Allsbrook. “People will leave this conference more knowledgeable, more capable, more connected and more equipped.”


“Resilience is so much more than psychological,” said Friedman. “It’s physical, it’s mental, it’s social and it’s spiritual. Come and grow at Helping the Home Front’s Resiliency Conference.”


Register online for all or portions of the event. Live-streaming will also be available for select sessions.


Location:

Founders Inn & Spa Conference Center

5641 Indian River Road, Virginia Beach, VA, 23464


Speakers:

  • John Arroyo - Army Capt. (Ret) and Ft. Hood shooting survivor

  • John Cordero - Director of Military Affairs at Regent University

  • Bryan Flanery- Programs Director at REBOOT Recovery

  • Dr. Damon Friedman - Founder of SOF Missions

  • Dr. Leroy Gilbert - Assistant Professor at Regent University and retired Navy Capt.

  • Mark Jumper- Associate Professor at Regent University and retired Navy chaplain

  • Pastors Joe & Tish McDaniel of The Bridge Church

  • Dr. Anna Ord - Dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Regent University

  • Luis Rivera - Operations Manager at Mighty Oaks Foundation and Navy SEAL, Sr. Chief (Ret)

  • Brenda Swartz - Chaplain and CEO of Warrior Family Ministries

  • Kevin Weaver - President/CEO & Co-Founder of The Warrior's Journey and Air Force veteran

  • Eddie White - Owner of JED White Educational Services

  • Dr. Danielle Winters - Assistant Professor, School of Psychology & Counseling at Regent University

Heidi McDow