Registration Now Open
The Spiritual Domain of Total Force Fitness (TFF SPIFIT) and the Religious and Moral Assistance Services (SARM/DRMB)of the Directorate General Health & Wellbeing invite you to a half-day symposium exploring the spiritual dimension of military medicine, with reflections drawn from the experience of the war in Ukraine.
📅 27 April 2026
⏰ 09:00 – 13:00 | Coffee reception from 08:30
📍 RMA – Salle Frank De Winne
🗣️ Working language: English, with Ukrainian–English interpretation
About the Symposium
The war in Ukraine has highlighted the challenges faced by armed forces in responding to mass-casualty situations (MASCAL) and mortuary affairs, as well as the broader human and ethical dimensions of military operations.
One important but often less visible aspect concerns the role of military chaplains in supporting personnel confronted with death, trauma, and moral injury.
Ukrainian chaplains and their service coordinator will share firsthand experiences of how spiritual support is organized and implemented in a wartime medico-spiritual context.
Ukrainian military chaplains will address the following topics:
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Chaplains in the Ukrainian Medical Forces Command
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Spiritual Care in Mass-Casualty Situations
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Religious Support in the Conditions of Modern Warfare
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Mortuary Affairs: Legal, Spiritual, and Practical Approaches in Ukraine
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Organization of Military Chaplaincy in Ukraine
Additional presentations will provide the Belgian perspective on those topics and highlight scientific gaps related to spiritual and medical fitness in Belgium, followed by a round-table discussion.
The final programme will be released in April 2026.
Who Should Attend?
This event is open to Belgian Defence personnel, academics, and researchers with an interest in:
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military medicine
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spiritual care
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military ethics
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operational resilience
Attendance is free. Places are limited — register early to confirm your participation.
