Marine Corps Family Team Building held a Read Your Way Through Deployment class at the MCFTB house on Laurel Bay, May 16. This class is made to bring spouses together to help each other deal with the stress of their Marine being deployed.
"This class serves as way to help pass the time and stay busy through the deployment by reading," said Nicole Shea, the readiness and deployment support program trainer. "We choose books that are related to deployment or to the military. Right now we are reading a book about marriage which is called "The four seasons of marriage."
The class is held every other week, that way the attendees can sit down and discuss the section of the book that they were told to read.
"We do it this way because it's easier than getting together once a month and discussing the entire book all at once," said Shea. "Usually, the first session for a new book I will give them their reading assignments for each session and then at the end I will remind them what they have to read."
The first book the group read was called "Chicken soup for a military spouse's soul." The reasoning behind the title is that it has multiple different stories in one book which increase the chances of the spouses finding something they can relate to, said Shea.
"The main reason I chose the book that we are reading now is because many of the attendees have voiced their feelings on the deployment schedule and how it affects their marriage," said Shea. "With this book I'm hoping they will be able to focus on something positive and help them find solutions to whatever is happening within their marriage."
According to Teresa Neuer, spouse of Staff Sgt. Joseph Neuer, the books allow other military spouses to connect.
"The book that we are reading now is a really good topic," said Neuer. "It's great to gather with other spouses and discuss what they got out of the book and how they can relate to it."
Because of the amount of attendees that show up, it allows other spouses to hear about something they may have missed while reading the book.
"It is unique to be able to have those other opinions to give you insight on what you could do to fix a problem," said Neuer. "It opens up a whole new array of possibilities."
According to Neuer, this class is good way for spouses to network and help each other through the stresses of a Marine wife lifestyle.
In November 2012, a reading list was compiled by Bonnie Amos, the first lady of the Marine Corps and spouse of Gen. James Amos, the 35th commandant of the Marine Corps, was made public at the Air Station Library to spouses and children of the Air Station.
For a complete list of books that can be checked out from the First Lady of the Marine Corps' Reading List, go to www.beaufort.marines.mil and type "Reading List" in the keyword search bar.
For more information on classes offered by Marine Corps Community Services, call 228-7769.
