*** Note: The information below was published in 2010 and relates to content during that time. It was replaced in 2013 as a result of the many improvements to the various spiritual fitness programs. The below content does not necessarily reflect current DoD, Army, or MAAF policy. ***
I. Introduction
The Army’s new Global Assessment Test is part of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, a $50 million program focused on five dimensions – physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and family. Those who score low on the assessment are referred to counseling by the test results. The Ft Hood Spiritual Fitness Center is a cutting-edge facility that explains, “Physical (Body), Mental (Mind), and Spiritual (Soul),” with its focus being on “spiritual needs.” This term “Spirituality” calls immediately to mind supernatural “spirits” and religious piety. On the surface, there is concern that the military is officially endorsing and even requiring a supernatural or traditional religious viewpoint.
MAAF would hope that by “spirituality,” the military might mean something like character, resilience, or steadfastness. This hope is encouraged by much of the documentation and purposes of the same “spirituality” programs. It makes perfect sense that the military would want to encourage and develop a soldier’s ability to hold strongly to values in the face of the stresses of combat, and to build values that sustain soldiers. Knowing the right thing is not the same thing as doing the right thing. Service members benefit from a strong foundation of personal values upon which to build the values of the profession of arms. The stresses of combat take a greater toll if service members don’t have some internal peace and personal understanding to make sense of the world. A connection to a supportive community of like-minded individuals enhances the benefits above. These secular benefits do make sense, but they are different than prayer, energy, or other things generally associated with “spirituality.”
MAAF provides a conduit to help nontheistic service members to build character and values. Our partner organizations in atheism and secular humanism have real, positive values. Just as this new dimension of “spirituality” encourages Christians to go to church, it should encourage nontheists to participate in their communities. This cannot work if nontheist communities and ideas are excluded from the outset. Nontheists cannot be included if chaplains and other leaders are uneducated or hostile to nontheism. Through chaplain outreach, MAAF book list, and other areas, MAAF provides the thought leadership to ensure all of the military team has support. As you can see below, several issues have arisen with the “spirituality” training. MAAF has reached out in many cases, and hopes the military will reach out to us to ensure the nontheist perspective is represented prior to the publication of new doctrine and training. If the military does not respond to MAAF and other representatives of the nontheist community, these issues will continue to end up in EO and legal battles.
The sections below provide specific instances where spirituality is being funded and promoted by the military. With this strong focus, it is imperative that the military include nontheists to reform the program before more nontheist service members are excluded. Moreover, unconstitutional promotion of religion or Christianity specifically must be avoided. The current key focus is the Army’s broken Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program. Failure to include nontheists and avoid appearance of bias is a government mandate of religion that fractures the military team.
II. Additional Details
The Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program is intended to help service members to build “resilience” to help them break through and bounce back from life’s stresses. There are five dimensions, including spirituality. As Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen George Casey, implemented the program and put MG Rhonda Cornum, a career Flight Surgeon from Cornell and author of “She went to war” in charge. The program includes a training program, implementation of a new Master Resiliency Trainer designation, and the Global Assessment Test (GAT). The Master Resiliency Training seems to be founded on theory from the VIA Institute for Character, according to the leaders designated for the class. The Global Assessment Test trains on four dimensions (all but physical). The assessment is mandatory and suggests remedial training as a result (according to videos at the CSF website).
CSF defines “spiritual fitness as strengthening a set of beliefs, principles or values that sustain a person beyond family, institutional and societal sources of support. Also, spiritual fitness provides a person a sense of purpose, meaning, and the strength to persevere and prevail when faced with significant challenges and responsibilities. It promotes general well-being, enhances self-confidence, and increases personal effectiveness.” While this definition has some secular value, the questions themselves are out of bounds. Questions relate to whether a soldier is a “spiritual person” or whether a person sees “a purpose” for life. MAAF contacted the GAT subject-matter expert on spirituality to receive questions, but they were not immediately provided. MAAF has acquired full screenshots and text linked below. These are religious questions posed by the government and have a right or wrong answer, and the results suggest counseling and re-education if answered incorrectly. Significant mental gymnastics would be required for a person with a naturalistic world view, which is to say atheists, secular humanists, freethinkers, etc could answer these in the affirmative. This means that the assessment fails to give proper results unless the person has the “acceptable” religion.
MAAF Reached out to the CSF staff, meeting for two hours with the content director LTC Henderson, and corresponding with CSF Director Brig Gen Rhonda Cornum. Despite being presented with clear violations and positive suggestions for change, CSF staff and leadership flatly refused to make any changes or even to recognize the shortfalls of the CSF program. There is still an opportunity for reform in other areas of the military, but unfortunately, the Army seems to be entrenched in its unconstitutional and exclusive religious program.
In February 2011 – The Army published a 
new order clarifying that all spiritual portions of training are optional and can not be mandated. The Army has missed real opportunities and need for reform by pushing the program under the rug. This is a multi-million-dollar, command-sponsored program, “the one and only psychological resiliency program for the Army,” and that can not be overlooked by simply calling a religious indoctrination program optional.
MAAF supports the following actions to move toward reform:
MAAF encourages members and supporters to reviewing the following media and documents to understand the issue and reach out to media and Congress to resolve this problem. For those that are DA Civilians, active duty, or spouses, that are affected by this test, consider formal EO complaints to ensure your voice is heard.
Order to take the GAT shows that the test is mandatory and then making the spirituality portion optionalGAT/CSF Spirituality Remediation Training includes Spiritual Support [S], Rituals [R], Making Meaning [MM], Meditation [Med], and Hunt the Good Stuff [H] – (these are initial observations and may be clarified or expanded upon in the future):