Those are the three things that make it possible for a soldier to perform his or her duties and to ensure combat readiness.
Indeed, the need for total soldier readiness is always great, but it is greatest at the spiritual level, according to III Corps commander, Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch.
On Tuesday, the Fort Hood’s Spiritual Fitness Center was born on the site of the former 2nd Armored Division Chapel, where 28 years earlier Lynch and his wife, Sarah, were married.
And while the Lynch marriage may have weathered the storms that come with a military career, life for the young soldiers going off to war and for their families can often prove difficult.
“Life is not guaranteed and tomorrow is not guaranteed,” said Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, III Corps special assistant to the commanding general. “This is where they will come to get some spiritual P.T. (physical training).This is to be the place where you can take a journey with the spirit.”
As a soldier, Brooks said he has attended hundreds of memorial services for fallen soldiers.
While saying goodbye allowed him and his fellow soldiers to mourn at times, it also provided a spiritual respite at having been there.
“Each one of them I’ve witnessed has provided a different blessing and it touches my spirit because of the outpouring that I see,” he said.
There has not been a whole lot in the way of significant research conducted on the importance of spiritual fitness in regard to the soldier, but Col. Chester Egert, garrison chaplain for Fort Hood, said being spiritually fit is as important to a soldier as being physically fit.
“I think spiritual fitness ties in to personal readiness, and personal readiness very much influences family readiness,” Egert said. “It starts with the individual, it starts with the family, and soldiers are healthy when their families are healthy.”
Three months ago, Lynch announced his plan to improve the quality of life for Fort Hood soldiers and their families, and a big part of that plan included improving soldier and family spiritual fitness.
“This is basically going to be an area where soldiers can come in and meditate,” said Sgt. Maj. Carrie Glover, III Corps chaplains sergeant major. “This is a place where somebody can come in and visit with people who’ve experienced what they’ve experienced down range, who may be struggling with spiritual issues.”
There is still a lot of work to do both inside and out of the center.
On the outside, a small area of the church that faces Battalion Avenue will be enclosed as a meditative garden, referred to as a spiritual fitness exercise area.
On the inside, a small training room in the back of the church will be transformed into a classroom, in a coffee house-type setting, where soldiers and their families can participate in classes and seminars. Vacant offices will become the library where soldiers can meditate or derive strength from spiritual resources.
Wendy Lakso, who will manage the Spiritual Fitness Center, said there are a lot of things in the community that are happening in support of this effort.
“We just need to consolidate and integrate,” she said. “I personally think this is going to be fantastic.”
