The Army has 14 Soldier Recovery Units (SRUs) scattered around the United States which are similar to other Army units except that in this case, the soldiers assigned there have one mission: to heal.
There are six pillars to recovery that are taught to soldiers at the SRUs, and Army Chaplain Joseph Hatcher assigned to the Joint Base San Antonio SRU says that it is important not to ignore the spiritual pillar.
The six pillars focused on at the SRU are career, physical, social, family, emotional, and spiritual and resilience.
"We were not meant to be alone, we need each other," explained Hatcher in an Army press release. "We need to be connected with people and the environment. Healing and recovery happen in the community, not in isolation," he continued.
Master Sgt. Aaron Frederick suffered multiple broken bones during a parachute jump in Louisiana and moved with his wife and kids to the SRU in San Antonio to begin his recovery. "After I got home from the rehab center, I couldn't get out of bed on my own. I wasn't walking, and I had to get out of my bed and into my wheelchair to go to the bathroom," he said. It was the love of his wife that helped him make it through the ordeal Frederick explained. "She had to help me do everything."
Chaplain Hatcher says that this is why it is important to maintain your spiritual connections with those around you. "This is what life can be like, and this is what your recovery can be like, but it's entirely up to you. If you want help, help is here for you, but…if you want to struggle, that choice is yours. Just know that help is available whenever you want to change your mind. Let’s work on that spiritual fitness," he said.