November 2025

A Buddhist Perspective on Spiritual Fitness in the Civil Air Patrol
Lt. Col. Uei Lei, Rocky Mountain Region Character Development Instructor

Spirituality was established as one of the four pillars of the US Air Force’s Comprehensive Airman Fitness in the 2010’s and was described by the 325^th Fighter Wing Public Affairs as part of their publication in January of 2015 as the following:

“Spiritual fitness is about having a sense of purpose and meaning in your life.  It is essential to building one’s individual resiliency and strengthening a set of beliefs, principles or values that sustain his or her sense of well-being and purpose.”

In my practice of Buddhism, spiritual fitness is the cultivation of mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom, qualities that sustain balance and clarity in service to others.  Within the Civil Air Patrol, these same qualities naturally align with our Core Values of Respect, Integrity, Volunteer Service, and Excellence.

Respect in Buddhism begins with seeing the inherent dignity in all beings.  Mindful awareness reminds us that every person, regardless of rank or background, deserves kindness and patience.  When we honor others’ perspectives with open-hearted listening, we create harmony within our teams and strengthen the spirit of mutual trust.

Integrity is the practice of right speech, right action, and right livelihood, three steps of the Noble Eightfold Path.  It means acting with honesty and consistency irrespective of acknowledgement or monitoring by others.  For the mindful practitioner, integrity is not a rule but a reflection of inner alignment with truth and compassion.

Volunteer Service embodies the Buddhist ideal of dāna, or generous giving.  Service without expectation of reward transforms ordinary tasks into acts of compassion.  Whether offering a helping hand, mentoring cadets, or supporting missions, each selfless action becomes an expression of our shared humanity and interdependence.

Excellence arises through mindfulness and the pursuit of continuous improvement.  Just as meditation refines awareness over time, excellence in service grows through self-discipline and humility.  By striving to bring our best effort to each moment, we honor both our own potential and the trust others place in us.

Through mindfulness, compassion, and right intention, Buddhist practice supports the Civil Air Patrol’s mission not only through skill, but through spirit. Spiritual fitness, in this light, is not a matter of belief, it is the daily work of cultivating a mind and heart ready to serve others with wisdom and care.

References:

https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/662026/lift-your-spirit-up/

Spiritual Fitness & Resilience
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Michael Morison

While an individual’s bio-psycho-social and spiritual makeup is unique, he or she can improve their resilience with practice. Spiritual Fitness and resilience are entwined and require conscious daily attention. U.S. Air Force now recognizes that total warrior fitness requires spiritual fitness, and this is the realm of the Chaplain Corps. Victor Frankl, a psychiatrist who survived the Nazi concentration camps, observed: that if one has a reason why, one can bear almost anything. Resilience has its roots in the spiritual dimension of the individual. We need to be spiritually fit, resilient, and ready. The daily practice of spiritual fitness and resilience prepares one for encountering the greater challenges of acute or traumatic stress. There are two existential realities associated with acute and traumatic stress response. To paraphrase a statement from traumatic experience of a disaster, you do not have to be damaged by a disaster [trauma], but you will be changed by it. 

Studies have shown that those who have an organized religious-based, organized spiritual belief system, or deeply held personal values are more resilient than those who do not. Everyone is called to be spiritually fit. Chaplains and CDIs are called to an additional level of spiritual fitness for service.

Spiritual Fitness for All

Spiritual fitness is closely aligned with resilience. Since 2012 the U.S. Air Force has defined spiritual fitness as:  

• Belief Systems (Faith, Philosophy, ethos or creeds)

• World Views (“the most significant inner resource that you have is your worldview—your attitudes about life. If your worldview is resilient, you can respond to a crisis constructively”)

• Sense of Purpose (What keeps me going? What motivates me in good times and bad?)

• Sense of Connectedness (to inner self, other people, nature, higher power/God?)

• Values (from parents, faith, Air Force, CAP Core Values)

• Ethics and Morals (when/why do I take a stand) 

Spiritual Caregivers - Spiritual Fitness

Chaplains and CDIs who provide emotional and spiritual care are expected to be the calm in the eye of the storm during chaotic events. As a result, chaplains and CDIs need an additional level of fitness in preparation for and in support of their ministry of presence in crisis and critical incidents. What is needed are chaplains and CDIs who do not have unhealed traumatic wounds (i.e. moral injury).

“We do need the healed healer. Whereas the healed healer has developed the capacity to suffer, the wounded healer may well have not.  A healed healer has identified past trauma, understands how he or she coped, and has integrated the experience into his or her own life. “The problem of pain in the world requires not so much the wounded healers, but the healed healer.” Consequently, the healed healer can bring a more powerful presence into the ministry because he or she does not have to concurrently deal with his or her personal wounds. The healed healer can make their healed wound available to the other; he or she knows healing and, as a result, is freed to be a witness to hope and healing for others.1

From all this we see the healed healer as one who has (1) learned how to deal with a wound; (2) experienced healing; and (3) in moving back and forth between being wounded and being healed, has become able to heal.

Spiritual Fitness for the Caregiver requires more focused and intense preparation. In addition to being spiritually fit as defined above, caregivers need to maintain a high level of pastoral spiritual fitness and readiness to provide emotional and spiritual care daily and in crisis situations. 

• Fostering theological and/or philosophical soundness regularly (i.e. theodicy, pluralistic ministry, why bad things happen to good people, etc.)

• Engaging in ongoing pastoral and chaplain training (develop knowledge and skills in disaster ministry and applying these best practices to your daily ministry)

• Enhancing one’s spirituality – Spiritual Wingmanship (via spiritual direction and/or a trusted peer who will companion, support, and challenge one’s growth)

• Practicing prayer and meditation (for the purpose of hearing God/Higher Power); these practices can also include reading inspirational literature, artwork, or listening to inspirational music. 

• Enhancing resiliency by looking for new perspectives, seeking the positive daily, and recognizing what I have learned and how I have grown.

• Developing regular self-care practices for maintaining wellness (creating a personal daily routine for maintaining physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being). 

Being cognizant of one’s spiritual fitness and working toward enhancing resiliency on daily basis can greatly improve the chaplain’s work. Being spiritually fit not only prepares the chaplain to withstand and recover from a disaster but also helps him or her to gain a positive perspective and grow from the experience.

Spiritual Wingmanship: The Importance of Companionship

One of the under-appreciated aspects of personal spiritual fitness is the need for a spiritual wingman. A consistent spiritual wingman is essential for the caregiver’s journey. This individual is someone who truly knows the caregiver—not simply through casual acquaintance, but by actively accompanying them throughout their spiritual development. By providing ongoing companionship, the wingman supports, encourages, and challenges the caregiver in meaningful ways. This relationship fosters trust and understanding, allowing the caregiver to engage authentically in their spiritual practices while benefiting from the insight and perspective of a trusted companion. In turn, the presence of a spiritual wingman helps enhance resilience and spiritual fitness, ensuring that the caregiver remains grounded and supported as they navigate both daily routines and moments of crisis. One who is not intervening only in the moment, but one who is on my wingtip, knows me, and has my back every day.

“Everybody needs a wingman,” said Col. “Laz” Gordon, USAF (ret). Spiritual fitness involves a two-fold understanding of the practice of spirituality. First, it involves my personal commitment to what I should be and do. Second, it is the recognition of one’s need for a wingman to assist in strengthening my spiritual fitness and resilience. God is found in the intersection of my up-reach to the divine or eternal and my outreach to others. 

Only when the spiritual caregiver is spiritually fit and a healed healer, can the spiritual caregiver provide the full spectrum empathy, interventions skills, emotional and spiritual support, and, most importantly, hope.