Couples Retreat Program
Each therapeutic retreat offers a unique experience, but our goal remains the same: Creating Bonds that Cure.
Operation Healing Forces offers week-long therapeutic retreats for Special Operations couples across the U.S., led by a Retired SOF member. Each retreat is hosted at donated home or resort locations with no more than 4-5 couples in attendance, ensuring a personal experience. Couples enjoy private bedrooms and bathrooms, and travel, meals, and activities are fully covered by generous donors supporting the SOF community.
These resilience-based retreats foster healing through connection, offering participants the opportunity to renew their spirit, reconnect with their spouse, and build bonds with others who understand the unique challenges of SOF service. They also address feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety that are commonly present within the SOF community.
Beyond the retreat experience, OHF provides ongoing support, resources, and a lifelong community through the OHF Alumni Network, ensuring that no SOF member or family faces their journey alone. Stronger together, we help our nation’s warriors and their loved ones heal, grow, and thrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Retreat Program Eligibility
While we continue to serve our SOF wounded, ill, and injured and their significant others, we also welcome any SOF couple that has experienced the stress of deployments, trainings, family illnesses, and the unique stressors of being family that serves our country.
We recognize that military life presents unique challenges to the spouses and significant others and we are always grateful for a chance to appreciate them through our retreat program.
If you are looking for the chance to reconnect with your spouse, we hope you won’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
What is the cost of the retreat?
There is no cost to attend the retreat. Retreat travel, meals, and activities are also covered by the generosity of donors hoping to give back to the SOF community.
How long does a retreat usually last?
Each retreat is 5 days with a travel day before and after the retreat for a total of 7 days.
What happens to participants after the retreat? Does OHF stay in contact?
Operation Healing Forces remain in contact with all retreat participants through our Alumni and Special Operations Additional Resources Programs to ensure the continued needs of our couples are met.
What does the retreat involve?
Each OHF retreat is unique in its activities and settings, but our goal is always the same: Creating Bonds that Cure. Retreat activities differ by location and season but may include horseback riding, ropes courses, parasailing, SCUBA diving, local tours, winery visits, surfing, skiing, and more! Each retreat is led by an OHF Retreat Lead who is also a retired member of the SOF community- no counselors here. Retreats are hosted at donated homes or resort locations where each couple is ensured a private bedroom and bathroom with no more than 4-5 couples in attendance.
How can I help OHF?
Since all fundraising and administrative costs are covered by founders, Gary and Tony Markel, your donation will focus all resources on OHF programs to support special operation families who serve in all branches of the military. Please join us and other patriots to take care of those who have given so much – sacrificed too much – to make their lives better and heal from the scars of war. Options to support OHF include cash donations, stock transfers, hosting an event benefiting OHF, designating OHF as your charity of choice through Amazon Smile, donating a 5-bedroom/5-bathroom home in a location perfect for hosting a retreat, or by making a legacy donation.
