Spiritual Fitness

The third element of HOOAH 4 HEALTH deals with spiritual fitness. This subject means many things to many people. The goal of this module is to explore another facet of health and wellness. Health surveys conducted by the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine and the Army Reserve Component indicate that spiritual matters rank within the top five health concerns of those surveyed. Some of the resources you will find here include hyperlinks to the Army Chaplain's office, a wide array of links to support systems, discussions relating to Family and friendship, and various suggestions for spirit enhancement. Visit us regularly and provide your perspective on matters of the spirit.

As stated by Gowri Anandarajah, M.D. and Ellen Hight, M.D., M.P.H.:

Spirituality is a complex and multidimensional part of the human experience. It has cognitive, experiential and behavior aspects. The cognitive or philosophic aspects include the search for meaning, purpose and truth in life and the beliefs and values by which an individual lives. The experiential and emotional aspects involve feelings of hope, love, connection, inner peace, comfort and support. These are reflected in the quality of an individual's inner resources, the ability to give and receive spiritual love, and the types of relationships and connections that exist with the self, the community, the environment, and the transcendent (e.g., power greater than self, a value system, God, cosmic consciousness). The behavior aspects of spirituality involve the way a person externally manifests individual spiritual beliefs and inner spiritual state.¹

Soldiers Get Help from the Deployment Cycle Support Program
As our Soldiers return from duty in the Middle East and Afghanistan, Army Chaplains are helping them transition back into their everyday lives. The Army uses the Deployment Cycle Support (DCS) program to help Soldiers meet the challenges of returning home from a mission. The program helps Soldiers reunite with their families, return to their communities, adjust their financial matters, and re-establish their jobs.

America Unites in Remembrance The White House Commission on Remembrance, established by Congress, honors America's fallen and recognizes our veterans and those who continue to serve our country. Its purpose is to promote the values of Memorial Day by acts of remembrance throughout the year and to encourage Americans to demonstrate their gratitude by giving back to our Nation.

The Army Goes Rolling Along Do you know all of the words to the official song of the US Army? If not, roll along to the US Army Band web site and learn more about the song, the band, and its rich history.

Soldiers Radio and Television's mission is to provide command information, news, and entertainment to Army installations in the United States and overseas. SRTV products broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service and on close to 800 military and civilian stations across the U.S.

Sportslink: The Official Department of Defense Sports Site. The purpose of this web site is to provide you information and results on our sports program and championships, provide for the direct exchange of information between the services sports professionals and our military athletes throughout DoD, and be a portal page for potential military personnel to explore the world of Armed Forces Sport.

Tools to Help You Measure Your Spiritual Health: Take the Spiritual Resiliency Quiz today.

Source:
¹ G. Anandarajah and E. Hight. (2001). Spirituality and the Practice of Medicine. American Family Physician, 63(1), 81-88.