“I always say that the loneliest place I’ve ever been in my life is not Afghanistan but in my own bed … with my wife’s back turned to me.”
That comment from veteran Chad Robichaux resonates with a lot of military couples, who sacrifice and endure demands on their marriages most civilians don’t understand.
After 9/11, Chad’s special ops unit did eight tours of duty in Afghanistan. Survival in the war-torn Middle East requires good training and high degrees of adrenaline and emotional intensity. In battle, rage was Chad’s friend. It fueled him to do a dangerous job day after day. But it took a major toll on him. Like a lot of his military brothers, Chad left the war, but the war didn’t fully leave him.
His wife, Kathy, understood the pressure he faced as well as a military wife could, but she also felt disillusioned. Chad was always gone – either on deployment or in training – and when he was home, he brought parts of the battlefield with him.
Chad had a hard time transitioning from battle-tested soldier to loving and attentive husband and father. Kathy and their three kids were afraid of Chad’s frequent – and unpredictable – angry outbursts.
A lot of veterans understand Chad’s struggles. They’ve served their country, but home life has proved to be almost as complicated to navigate as the battlefield.
A lot of military wives can relate to Kathy, who wondered, “How can he be as successful as he is in his military training, schools, multiple deployments, and firefights, but when it comes to his family, he can’t seem to find his way?”
And a lot of military marriages are like Chad and Kathy Robichaux’s – hurting and in need of God’s touch. On our program today and tomorrow, we’re airing Chad and Kathy’s incredible story. Their marriage was caught in the crosshairs of PTSD until God led them on a journey of healing, from rock bottom back to the top.
If your military marriage is struggling, I invite you to “lean in” to our program today. I think you’ll find the hope you need to believe that your relationship can not just survive, but thrive.
Chad and Kathy now work with other military families through their organization, Mighty Oaks Foundation, which helps soldiers find healing for the trauma they’ve suffered in combat.
Listen to “How God Restored a Military Marriage” on your local radio station, online, or on our free phone app available for download.
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