Photo By Sgt. Jean-Baptiste Kanangwe | Soldiers of the 311th ESC participated in a Building Strong and Ready Teams (BSRT)...... read more read more
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Aug. 10, 2025) — Soldiers of the 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command gathered during Battle Assembly for a Building Strong and Ready Teams (BSRT) session led by Chaplain (Maj.) Jay Yoon, focusing on spiritual readiness as part of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program.
The event opened with remarks from Col. Diana Elizabeth Zschaschel, the command surgeon for the 79th Theater Sustainment Command, who introduced herself and invited soldiers to share their challenges related to medical and dental readiness.
“I’m here to identify any challenges you may face and help address them,” Zschaschel said. “Part of being deployable is being medically and dentally ready, and I’m here to assist in whatever ways I can.”
She advised leaders to ensure soldiers initiate medical requirements no later than the Thursday preceding a weekend drill, enabling them to secure appointments or advance to subsequent steps during the Battle Assembly.
Zschaschel vowed to address provider-access gaps with QTC Medical Services to enhance soldiers’ readiness. She will be touring all ESCs in the coming months to identify command-wide challenges across the 79th TSC.
Yoon then led an in-depth discussion on the role of spirituality in overall readiness, introducing research by Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University on the concept of human flourishing.
According to Koenig, flourishing encompasses six domains: happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, social relationships, and financial and material stability.
Under the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program, spiritual readiness is defined as the ability to endure and overcome times of stress, hardship, and tragedy by making meaning of life experiences.
“People who practice more spirituality tend to be in less debt, make fewer impulsive decisions, and manage their resources better,” Yoon said. “It’s all connected — financial struggles, mental health, relationships — and spirituality can help strengthen every area.”
He previewed next month’s BSRT session on “Financial Peace,” a program by Dave Ramsey designed to help individuals take control of their budgets and reduce debt, noting that financial stability is often linked to deeper personal well-being.
At one point, Yoon compared the benefits of spiritual engagement to a powerful medicine: “Imagine if your doctor offered you a pill that could reduce substance abuse by 80%, potential depression by 60%, risk-taking activities by 70%, and suicidal ideation by 50–80% — would you take it?”
A soldier called out, “What are the side effects?” prompting laughter before Yoon revealed the “pill” was simply spiritual practice.
Yoon also addressed the difference between spirituality and religiousness. “Spirituality is understanding your connection to something divine, something beyond yourself,” he explained. “Religiousness, on the other hand, is doing something about it: subscribing to a set of beliefs, rites, and traditions shared within a community.”
In addition to the discussion, soldiers enjoyed breakfast and lunch together, continuing conversations beyond the classroom. “The best way to a soldier’s heart is through their stomach,” Yoon joked, adding that the meals seemed as appreciated as the session itself.
The BSRT program, which replaced Strong Bonds in 2022, expands the focus from relationships to broader spiritual readiness and holistic health, underscoring the Army’s commitment to preparing soldiers for both the mission and life.
(U.S. Army Reserve News Story by Staff Sgt. Kanangwe, Jean-Baptiste)
| Date Taken: | 08.10.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2025 21:39 |
| Story ID: | 545683 |
| Location: | LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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