Perceived Needs for Military Soul Care Among Commanders and Military Personnel in the Swedish Armed Forces

Vollständiger Abstract

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Abstract This article examines Military Soul Care as practiced within the Swedish Armed Forces, where it constitutes a distinct and culturally embedded form of military chaplaincy structured through the ACCES framework. The aim is to describe how Swedish military chaplains (MCs) interpret the importance attributed to Military Soul Care by commanders and other military personnel, and how they perceive its use within military practice. The study is based on a qualitative survey conducted in March 2025 among 50 MCs. The material was analyzed using inductive and abductive thematic analysis. The results show that Military Soul Care is generally regarded as highly important, particularly in situations involving crisis, injury, and death. The most frequently requested aspect concerns soul care conversations, which enable military personnel to address moral, ethical, and existential questions outside the chain of command. Support related to death, grief, and crisis, as well as ceremonies and rituals, is also consistently requested. By contrast, advisory and educational functions are utilized less consistently. Overall, the findings indicate that although Military Soul Care is widely valued, its full professional potential is not always fully operationalized within military practice. Nevertheless, the study suggests that MCs primarily draw upon their priestly competencies in the tasks most frequently requested, especially in situations involving crisis, death, and memorial ceremonies. Through culturally rooted rituals and traditions, they care for the souls of military personnel and fulfill the overall purpose of Military Soul Care within the Swedish Armed Forces.