ABC News: Army Teaches Troops How to Pick a Spouse

ABC News: Army Teaches Troops How to Pick a Spouse
Army's New 'Rules of Engagement' Teach Troops How to Pick the Right Spouse
By PAULINE JELINEK
The Associated Press

Quotes:
>>U.S. Army chaplains are trying to teach troops how to pick the right spouse, through a program called "How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk."

The matchmaking advice comes as military family life is being stressed by two tough wars. Defense Department records show more than 56,000 in the Army active, National Guard and Reserve have divorced since the campaign in Afghanistan started in 2001.

Officials partly blame long and repeated deployments which started after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and stretched the service thin.

Troops also are coming home with life-altering injuries.

Many come back better people, others worse-off but either way, very changed from who they were when they wed.<<

Marrying the right person is good for military strength! Yet another reason to choose a spouse wisely.

>>The "no jerks" program is also called "P.I.C.K. a Partner," for Premarital Interpersonal Choices and Knowledge.

It advises the marriage-bound to study a partner's F.A.C.E.S. family background, attitudes, compatibility, experiences in previous relationships and skills they'd bring to the union.<<

Hmmmm... have they talked to eHarmony.com? It worked well for us!

>>It teaches the lovestruck to pace themselves with a R.A.M. chart the Relationship Attachment Model which basically says don't let your sexual involvement exceed your level of commitment or level of knowledge about the other person.<<

I can see negative reactions now... "How dare we spend taxpayer money on pushing morality!" But this should be common sense.

>>Though the acronyms and salute make it sound like something the Pentagon would come up with, the program was created by former minister John Van Epp of Ohio, who has a doctorate in psychology and a private counseling practice. He teaches it to Army chaplains, who in turn teach it to troops.

It also is used by social service agencies, prisons, churches and other civilian groups.<<