The United States Army may be sued as early as next week over a controversial well-being assessment that includes questions designed to measure spiritual fitness. The assessment in question is a part of the Army’s Comprehensive Solider Fitness (CSF) program, which was announced in October 2009 with an estimated cost of $125 million. According to the Army:
The purpose of the CSF program is to enhance the performance and readiness of the force by giving Soldiers, their Families and Army civilians the skills to be resilient and thrive in the face of challenges. CSF arms members of the Army with skills to more fully live the Warrior Ethos-a creed inspiring Soldiers to never accept defeat and never quit, whether it be in combat or in their daily lives.
The Global Assessment Tool (GAT) is the first element of CSF. Within the next six months, all Soldiers will take this on-line confidential assessment that has been developed by some of the finest minds in the United States. The GAT will provide individual feedback in the five domains of fitness-physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and family. Based on the results of the GAT, the Soldier will be directed to the second element – tailored self-help training modules for individuals.
So What?
According to Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, director of CSF, the spiritual component is one of several included because of its correlation with resiliency: “Researchers have found that spiritual people have decreased odds of attempting suicide, and that spiritual fitness has a positive impact on quality of life, on coping and on mental health.”
Barbara Bradley Hagerty, religion correspondent for NPR, wrote an article in which she relates the story of Justin Griffith, a sergeant at Fort Bragg, N.C who considers himself a “foxhole atheist. ” Griffith was troubled by the spiritual questions and automated suggestion given after he submitted his answers:
Spiritual fitness may be an area of difficulty. . . You may lack a sense of meaning and purpose in your life. At times, it is hard for you to make sense of what is happening to you and to others around you. You may not feel connected to something larger than yourself. You may question your beliefs, principles and values. . . Improving your spiritual fitness should be an important goal.”
Additionally, the feedback suggested that Griffith, “take a long computerized training module to teach him about different forms of spirituality, including prayer, meditation and attending church.”
While the GAT is not sectarian in nature, it is unashamedly pro-spirituality. In effect, it argues that all spirituality is good for a soldier at least insofar as resiliency is concerned.
- Should such an assessment be deployed as a requirement for those who serve in the Army? Why or why not?
- As a Christian, what does your faith have to say about this topic?