Golden Dragon couples renew vows to remain committed

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hi. – When Capt. Nathan McLean, the battalion chaplain for 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, was requested for a vow renewal ceremony, he was happy to oblige the couple’s request. Unbeknownst to him, McLean would be conducting a ceremony unlike any he has done before.

A vow renewal ceremony that began with a single couple grew to include about 60 people with the same idea. Approximately 30 couples renewed their wedding vows in two separate groups, with the first ceremony held May 25 on a beach in Haleiwa, and the second ceremony May 26 at the post chapel.

McLean said initially there were over 50 couples that expressed interest in renewing their vows, which he said would have taken over 55 hours had he done them individually. Though the number shrank, McLean’s enthusiasm remained.

“I was so excited that this idea did not come from my office,” McLean said. “The motivation came from our couples, people that had a deep desire to express their commitment to their relationship.”

Though McLean conducted the ceremonies, he does not take credit for the idea.

Cheryl Wells, the 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment Family Readiness Group (FRG) representative, said she and her husband First Sgt. Jamie Wells, the first sergeant for B Co, 1-14, renew their vows before every deployment. This was their fourth vow renewal.

“So many people nowadays are not focused on the right parts of their relationship,” Cheryl said. “It is important to my husband and I to focus on the commitment we made to each other.”

After Wells discussed details of her ideas for her renewal ceremony with McLean, the idea was passed along by word of mouth and shared at FRG meetings. Other couples soon expressed interest in renewing their vows as well, so Wells decided to open the ceremony to all other couples that shared her desire.

Each couple participated in an hour-long class prior to the ceremony that allowed them to think about their relationships and the deployment, how to handle the separation, where they envisioned their relationships after the deployment and how to get there.

“Our Soldiers’ relationships with their families drive them to complete the mission successfully, so something like this has a huge positive impact on our young men and women in uniform,” McLean said.

For many military families, there is a great appreciation for happy, healthy relationships because they understand the importance of communication and dedication. Soldiers and spouses from 1-14 IN displayed their commitment to their relationships in a memorable way, making that much more special.