Unless the soldier's soul sustains him, he cannot be relied upon and will fail himself, his commander and his country in the end. The soldier is the bottom line in the Army's warfighting capabilities and is, rightfully, our focus for religious support. As we develop new doctrine, training, leaders and materiel for the future Army, we must analyze the implications of each on the soldier and the religious support mission. In so doing we must keep soldiers and our mission utmost in our minds. Don't let the glitter of new gadgets or fascination with new tactics and training cloud our thinking.
Soldiers are the bottom line.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees every American the right to the free exercise of religion. Unit ministry teams exist as agents to assist commanders in carrying out their Title 10, USC responsibility to provide for the spiritual well-being of soldiers, families, and authorized DA civilians. Future combat operations will prove to be highly lethal and intense. This creates an environment where chaos, death and human tragedy exist, which significantly increases the demand for religious support. UMTs replace the shock, fatigue, isolation, fear and bloodshed that soldiers experience with encouragement, compassion, faith, and hope.