TACK-F (Taya and Chris Kyle Foundation)– Service Family Strong
Happy New Year!
TACK-F is excited to start 2022 building on the successes of 2021!
Our Mission
TACK- F exists to save lives by providing unique tools service couples need to save their marriage, their family, and each other.
2021 Showed our adaptations to Covid – online gatherings vs. in person – provided continued life saving tools. The feedback from participants renewed our spirit and stoked our fire for next year!
Our Vision
We see a world where the uncommon challenges facing service families are understood and supported. Through our work, and theirs, we will change the world for future generations who will see, with the right tools, there is a world where families can not only survive a life of service, they can thrive.
2021 Showed the benefits we are striving for, are happening with each program. Every program we have done has shown the need and success of providing groups of service couples and individuals who are not in the same work group or community. This provides opportunities for complete vulnerability and transparency without risk to job or friendships. These groups are forming life-long friendships and are staying together to continue encouraging each other through digital groups they are creating on their own – private Facebook groups, Marco Polo app chats and more. We have also noticed a great hunger these couples have to teach others what they have learned. This puts more wind in our sails and keeps us excited for 2022!
- We have the great honor to give our best to those who serve and to do our best to you who donate. We cannot do this work without you.
- To honor your commitment to us, we have slimmed down our staff and increased our partnership with Baylor University in order to continue researching and looking for any possible improvement. Lives are at risk, and we aim to continue leading the charge to help those who risk their lives for all of us.
- We continue to push forward with you in serving couples who want the best for themselves and the future generations who will benefit from their investment in their marriage. These couples are not only surviving their service, they are thriving! There is no greater gift to their children or themselves than to keep their safe place at home not only safe, but happy.
Service Family Program
Our five-step program has some exciting new changes. We start with Strength Training, which is a critical first step in the program. Taya Kyle, founder of the Taya and Chris Kyle Foundation says, “Gallup’s Clifton Strengths tools creates mind blowing and efficient change in a couples dynamic.” The program uses the Strengths Training with coaching calls for our service couples so that they not only know their strengths, but are empowered to apply the information to their day to day relationship situations. Taya notes, “You can know a strength, but having a coach show you that you can use it is what we do best at TACK-F.”
The following four steps include Empowered Spouse Hybrid to encourage self-care and resilience, Empowered Service Member Men (ESMsq) with member focused dialogue, Mastering Your Service Marriage for respite and reintegration, and Date Night Out Box to foster time together. In 2022 all programs have been adjusted to support online participation and fun, which the foundation implements through deploying family and couples boxes to service families. The total program commitment is 19 – 24 months. Learn more about each step in our program HERE.
Equipping Others To Meet The Need
TACK-F is highlighting two exciting paths to help equip others in our mission to save the lives of service families.
Baylor University and TACK-F have continued our partnership to create a community of counselors specially trained to help meet military and first responder needs. The Service Marriage Counselor Certification Program offers clinicians training that will promote cultural sensitivity and more effective marital counseling with active military service, veterans and first-responder couples. In December of 2021 the program had 477 counselors go through the program, bringing us closer to our goal of certified counselors in all 50 states. The foundation hope to launch our Asset Map this year to help you better find these amazing service providers.
Here at TACK-F we are getting excited about our launch of the Mastering Your Service Marriage (MYSM) book! We have seen the change in our service couples through this curriculum and now are able to share it with others, who are looking for a proven resource to do the same. The out in February as we roll out this exciting new offering to provide the right tools our service families need to change the lives for future generations.