Role of Spirituality in the Air Force Unit

What role does spirituality play in the Air Force unit? To answer that question, we must first arrive at a common understanding of what spirituality actually is. Religion plays a vital role in spirituality. Even though adherence to a religious system does not equate to spirituality, in practice, they are so closely related as to make religiosity an acceptable measure of an individual's level of spirituality. The Air Force has placed spiritual well-being on the same plane as physical, social and emotion well-being. Spiritual well-being shares many commonalities with these other elements of humanity. A highly developed spirituality has the potential to provide benefits to both the individual member as well as to the Air Force as a whole. The commander is the indispensable element ensuring that spirituality becomes ingrained in the unit. He also ensures that unit members are taking appropriate steps to develop spirituality in their own lives. At first glance, it would appear that the First Amendment would prohibit the development of a spiritual Air Force, but historical, contextual and judicial evidence does not support that conclusion.