TC 1-05
Leadership
"Spiritual strength for many soldiers is supported by their
religious convictions; for others who may not be religious,
it may be an expression of their loyalty to the nation, to the
unit, and to their fellow soldiers. Spiritual strength is an
inspirational character trait which can motivate a unit even
when circumstances seem bleak.
"General George Patton recognized the power of spiritual
strength when he circulated 250,000 copies of a weather
prayer, one for every soldier in the Third Army, during the
Battle of the Bulge. In the final analysis, spiritual strength
may be measured by the determination of the soldiers in a
unit to support one another with fidelity and to accomplish
their mission with honor no matter what the cost. It is part
of the foundation of the Army Ranger Creed, `I will not fail
those with whom I serve.'
"Many of the nation's senior leaders have recognized the
power and necessity of spiritual fitness in the past. General
George Marshall commented at the end of World War II on
the desirability not only of a moral Army but of a righteous
Army:
`I look upon the spiritual life of the soldier as even more
important than his physical equipment. Its morale--and I mean
spiritual morale--which wins the victory in the ultimate, and that
type of morale can only come out of the religious nature of the
soldier who knows God and who had the spirit of religious
fervor in his soul. I count heavily on that type of man and that
kind of Army.'
The Best and Worst of Times: The United States Army
Chaplaincy
B-3
10 May 2005
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