‘Providers’ strengthen beliefs, values and principles

Photo By Staff Sgt. Tanjie Daniels | Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, bow their heads in prayer before departing on a convoy, Jan. 24, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Praying for safe travel and a safe return is a routine practice for the “Providers” and helps strengthen comprehensive soldier fitness. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Tanjie Patterson, 3rd Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs)  

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN

02.04.2013

Story by Sgt. Tanjie Daniels 

3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — Soldiers may be faced with challenges and adversities at home station or while deployed. One way to persevere through those challenges is by strengthening values and principles. The 3rd Sustainment Brigade, currently deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, helps promote spiritual well being through religious activities and opportunities, and offers guidance and support to help bolster soldiers’ beliefs.

“I think it is important to have some type of spiritual grounding because then you will be grounded in every other way,” said Master Sgt. Michael Tribble, the 3rd Sustainment Brigade’s operations contracting support non-commissioned officer in charge, and native of Clarksdale, Miss. “I support the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program because it gives soldiers guidelines on specific areas to focus on in order to make them well rounded.”

Spirituality, as it pertains to Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness, covers a person’s core values, identity and beliefs. Those fundamentals help make a soldier who he or she is and contributes to soldiers’ ethical decision making and resiliency. Spirituality can also be attributed to religious or philosophical teachings that one follows.

At Kandahar Airfield, the opportunities for ‘Providers’ to satisfy their spiritual thirst exist through quarterly prayer breakfasts and lunches as well as a variety of religious services offered regularly.

Staff Sgt. Beverly Neal, a transportation management coordinator with the 3rd Sustainment Brigade, and native of Newberry, S.C, teaches a women’s bible study every Friday evening.

“It helps to have a spiritual side because it provides soldiers with something much greater to turn to in life,” said Neal.

Having those spiritual guidelines and principles is a benchmark that soldiers can always count on and go back to, she said.

Tribble shares similar sentiments.

“I think having the ability to draw on faith in a difficult situation and knowing you’re never alone will help to get you through,” said Tribble.

This article is part three of a five-part series related to Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness.

• Date Taken: 02.04.2013
• Date Posted: 02.04.2013 01:31
• Story ID: 101423
• Location: KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF
• Hometown: FORT STEWART, GA, US
• Hometown: HINESVILLE, GA, US
• Hometown: SAVANNAH, GA, US