Finding Faith before the Foxhole: Spiritual Readiness in the Profession of Arms

At the 2025 Mission Command Conference at West Point, General Christopher Cavoli, USEUCOM commander and Supreme Allied Commander of Europe at the time, spoke to soon to be commissioned officers. He spoke about the chaos and uncertainty of war and, given the ambiguity of world affairs, assessed that cadets would likely face conflict at some point during their careers. As the weight of his words settled over the room, General Cavoli outlined five traits essential for leading through the chaos and uncertainty of war: confidence, empathy, the ability to focus on the essential, energy, and optimism. In the Q&A that followed, a cadet asked how they could begin developing those traits now.  In his final point, Cavoli responded with the following:

“And then the last thing I’d say is cultivate your faith. I am not a religious zealot by a long shot. I do have a religion, but this is not about that. There’s a saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. There is nobody in a foxhole who doesn’t need something bigger than oneself. There is nobody in a foxhole who does not need something bigger than himself. You need to have faith in someone, something somewhere to serve as your source of strength to do all the things I said. Finding that entity, finding that faith at the moment of need, is a little late. I would encourage you to cultivate that on top of everything.”

He was describing the necessity of spiritual readiness for officers. So, what is it, and how do you cultivate it in yourself and your formations?

What is Spiritual Readiness?

FM 7-22: Holistic Health and Fitness, or H2F, describes spiritual readiness as the ability to persevere through times of stress, hardship, and tragedy by developing values systems that may stem from their religious, philosophical, and human values. FM 7-22 discusses spiritual readiness alongside domains like physical, nutritional, mental, and sleep readiness to emphasize a well-rounded view of health in the force. The document goes on to say that individuals find meaning through the practice of beliefs, ethics, and principles.[1] Psychologists describe spirituality similarly as a search for transcendence or connection a god, higher power, the sacred, or something greater than oneself, which may provide purpose, meaning, and value to life. [2] Officers must have a source of strength bigger and beyond themselves, because when they are leading in life-or-death situations, self-confidence simply will not be enough. After all, war is a contest of wills; thus, it is a test of humanity as much as it is a test of tactical and physical competencies.

Spiritual Readiness: What the Research Says

Spiritual readiness serves as a source of strength on the path to development in the profession of arms, which was why General Cavoli encouraged cadets to cultivate it before crisis. . Extensive research on the topic backs up these conclusions. A 2022 summary of research found that an extensive number of studies show that religious and spiritual beliefs and practices positively impact many facets of warrior readiness, including mental, physical, social, and behavioral outcomes.[3] Additional empirical work consolidating findings across a range of studies supports the connection between spirituality and an essential component of warrior readiness, resilience or the ability to bounce back from or manage adversity.[4]

Research with military samples, including a Marine junior officer population and an army soldier and civilian population, have also found connections between spirituality and resilience [5]. Related empirical work demonstrates the connection between spirituality and character traits that contribute to resilience.[6] For example, a 2023 study found that those who scored higher on measures of spirituality also scored higher across a range of character strengths such as courage, temperance, and transcendence.[7] A second study found that leaders who scored higher on measures of spirituality were rated higher by followers, peers, and supervisors on resilience related virtues such as temperance and fortitude.[8] This research supports the idea that the Army ought to focus on spiritual readiness as a critical component to developing resilient leaders of character.

How Do I Cultivate Spiritual Readiness in Myself and Soldiers?

General Cavoli concluded his remarks to West Point cadets with the warning not to wait until the foxhole to connect with something greater than oneself. Below, we provide related guidance about strategies for developing spiritual readiness in self, others, and units before it’s a little too late.

Practice and Consistency

Spiritual disciplines are practices used for millennia across a range of religious and spiritual traditions. These include any practice that enables individuals to pursue and connect with a transcendent god or higher power along with exploring meaning and purpose in life. Spiritual disciplines are meant to enable transcendent connection during practice, but over time and with deliberate effort, are meant to pervade the entirety of one’s life. In essence, what is practiced outside of the foxhole will be present and accessible when it matters most. Some examples of spiritual disciplines include solitude and silence, study of sacred texts or literature, meditation, prayer, reflection (including reflective conversations), and fasting. Spiritual disciplines are considered “disciplines” because they require effort and consistency, which in a high-tempo military environment can be difficult to sustain. When these practices become habits, they are more likely to continue during busy periods, along with the dispositions they foster.

Be an Authentic Role Model

To develop spiritual readiness in others, leadership by example is paramount. Modeling spirituality requires positive presence and genuine engagement.  As described in ADP 6-22, presence is more than just showing up and being seen.[9] Our spiritual presence encompasses character, intellect, actions, words, faith, connection (to a higher power, oneself, and others) and a confident demeanor. The way in which we carry ourselves and uphold a spiritual presence cannot be feigned or insincere– leaders must genuinely embody their purpose and integrate their values.

Thus, leaders must come to terms with their own spiritual readiness and be authentic! Beyond role modeling, leaders can actively encourage their soldiers’ spiritual exploration and provide dedicated space to do so, whether this is religiously oriented or not. Furthermore, leaders must not shy away from challenging others to pursue something greater than themselves. To effectively do so, leaders should consider the following suggestions:

• Create time and space where able for “spiritual readiness” development, such as:
  • Practicing spiritual disciplines (see above for examples)
  • Purpose exploration (reflecting on how they want to be remembered)
  • Structured goal-setting for character development
  • Confirming and reflecting on core values
  • Allow time for soldiers to make meaning after extreme salient events
  • Gratitude exercises
• Increase soldier awareness of existing “spiritual readiness” programs:
  • Religious support services available in field environments.
  • General Chaplain services
  • Chaplain-led training events (Building Strong and Ready Teams (BSRT) https://bsrt.army.mil/about-us/)
  • Army Wellness Centers and unit H2F Programs

Make it a Team Effort

Cultivating collective unit spirituality could involve organizing spiritual readiness gatherings or retreats, which can offer valuable opportunities for Soldiers to connect with a higher power and each other. Even something as simple as “breaking bread” together can cultivate a unit’s collective spirituality. Finding time to reflect as a team and strengthen identities may go a long way in developing the unit’s spiritual readiness. As we prepare for the crucible of ground combat and the tyranny of the foxhole, these efforts provide crucial opportunities to find and cultivate that spiritual entity to enhance warrior readiness and resilience. For instance, at the United States Military Academy chaplains use their “Spiritual Performance Guide” which includes 4 Ps of spiritual core development: “Purpose” (the aim or direction of one’s life), “Path” (evaluating current status, obstacles we may encounter, and destination), “Practices” (habits and practices that will enable us to live our purpose), and “People” (those that help along the journey).

In sum, we must all strive to be the type of officer Soldiers deserve, a person who feels a higher calling and, through this calling, can make meaning of their service and understand their own purpose in life. If one cannot make sense of the meaning or purpose and is not connected to something greater than themselves within a profession in which death and sacrifice are always right around the corner, then how will they inspire others? How will they inspire themselves? How will they demonstrate warrior readiness and prepare others to do the same? This is not a mandate of perfection, but a call for authentic leaders who know that they are living for something greater than themselves. If you are going to serve in a profession that demands sacrifice, then you owe it to yourself, and to your soldiers, to know why it is worth it…before it’s too late.

Authors:

Ryan G. Erbe, PhD is a character and spiritual integrator in the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at West Point.

Matthew S. Arbogast, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic and the lead character integrator for the Military Program at West Point.

Photo: DVIDS by Spc. Thomas Scaggs. 30 September 2017. 10th CAB, Italy.