Pastoral counselling to SANDF members to sustain their marriages in a multi–denomination and multi–cultural context

Abstract

The SANDF organization is divided into four arms of services i.e. SA Army (South African Army), SAAF (South African Air Force), SAMHS (South African Health Military Services), and the SA NAVY (South African Navy). SANDF soldiers have volunteered to work in these four arms of the services. SANDF soldiers are mandated to deploy (either internally or externally) as part of their professional duty and to attend military courses (short and long courses) for promotional purposes in training units. Since the duration of deployments are six months or longer, some of the soldiers are unable to cope with separation from their spouses and they decide to have extra-marital affairs. Some of those who attend long courses also end up having extra-marital affairs. Chaplains who are deployed and those who are working in training units always experience these illicit immoralities that are taking place amongst SANDF soldiers. These illicit immoralities are posing a great challenge and threat to many good marriages of SANDF soldiers. This practice of extra-marital affairs caused some of the soldiers to divorce their spouses. Some of the soldiers' spouses also divorced their husbands because they could not cope with long periods of separations. The main aim of this study is to equip and guide chaplains to empower SANDF soldiers and their spouses. Chaplains who are equipped will be able to be proficient in their areas of responsibilities to sustain the marriages of the SANDF members. A soldier who has been empowered spiritually by his chaplain will be able to be resilient to work in diverse conditions and to make a sound ethical moral decision. He/she will also display a high standard of discipline during deployments and courses. He/she will remain a loyal and faithful asset of the SANDF organization as well as his/her family.