MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- With more than 15 free programs and retreats occurring monthly, Camp Pendleton’s Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operation continues to meet the emerging needs of service members and military families.
Available seminars and weekend retreats address a wide range of marital, deployment and family oriented topics to support the Marines and sailors of today.
“Our office provides service members with the unique ability to get away to work on key problems in their lives,” said Navy Lt. Edward Waldron, chaplain and deputy director, CREDO Marine Corps Installations West. “We are always exploring ways to meet the emerging needs of the Marine Corps.”
Initially activated by the Navy in 1971, the religious enrichment program became a symbol for the positive and spiritual affirmation of the whole person. After several meetings with senior Marine Corps leadership in the fall of 1996, the Marine Corps adopted the enrichment program and CREDO became a reality for Marines.
“Since 1971, CREDO has been known for its innovative ways of helping our Marines and sailors with the difficult demands of military life,” said Waldron. “We do this by providing the Marine Corps and unit chaplains with retreats and expertise, preparing warriors and their families mentally and spiritually for wartime deployments.”
Retreats offer individuals the unique ability to shed their stressful daily life and focus on personal problems, he added. Studies have shown that retreats often provide a weekend of support and counseling that would otherwise take a year of consistent appointments to address.
The acronym CREDO is Latin for “I believe” and summarizes the programs primary goal to facilitate personal and spiritual growth in individuals.
“Everyone is busy, but we need to make time for personal work and growth,” Waldron said. “There are studies out there that show that people who work on these issues rather than ignore them see significant results and even the divorce rate of those that attend marriage retreats are nearly cut in half.”
The religious enrichment services provided by CREDO offer premier, preventative, transformational program beyond boot camp for the sea services. The CREDO program provides military personnel and family members an opportunity to gain self-esteem and self-understanding, learn to respect themselves and others, accept responsibility for their lives, and develop a healthy spirituality.
“Everyone deserves this experience,” said Reyna M. Reyna, 18-year military spouse and Family Readiness Officer for 1st Reconnaissance Battalion. “CREDO offers a very much needed military insight for families. Parents, as well as children learn so much from these absolutely priceless retreats.”
The CREDO ministry is individual-centered and aims to provide appropriate forms of ministry for military persons and their family members to focus more on responsible living. Influenced by the momentum of the weekend workshop, CREDO’s direction is a movement toward inward change in themselves.
“I honestly feel families that don’t attend are missing out,” said Reyna, an active CREDO participant. “We would have longer marriages and more satisfied Marines if we promoted the program more. We truly need to find a way to promote the CREDO program more within all units.”
For additional information on the programs offered by CREDO, contact their office directly at (760) 725-4954 or log onto their official Web site at www.pendleton.usmc.mil/chaplain/credo.asp.