TM is a Hindu practice.  If people adopt it, that is fine and it is their choice to make, but they should be informed of its origins and not be required to take up a practice that may violate their religious sensibilities.

My concern is what happens if a cadet does not want to participate?  What if s/he prefers to spend the time in Christian or Jewish prayer?  Will those practices be permitted?  Can you say the Rosary or Shema Yisrael instead? 

For those who dismiss TM as just another religious practice, read this article on the scientific research verifying the numerous mental and physical benefits of The Relaxation Response (a secular practice developed by Dr. Herbert Benson who, in the early 1970s, researched the various effects of Transendental Meditation - and which elicites the same beneficial effects as TM).

http://www.smblogsites.com/scrc/?p=1

I teach this relaxation response technique in my college sport psychology class because it does offer profound benefits for those who adopt and practice it on a regular basis - as a stress management tool and a prelude to effective visualization training for learning and performing physical actions - especially in all forms of sport and athletic activity.  Our minds are more receptive to auto-suggestion when in a relaxed state - which is the essence of hypnosis.

I know many people who practice the Transcendental Meditation program who are devoted Christians, Jews, Moslems, atheists and Hindus. When my stress became significantly reduced through TM, naturally I began to see reality more clearly, thereby appreciating my own religious beliefs more fully. TM is a universal technique. Gregor Mendel was a Catholic priest, but the laws of genetics he discovered apply equally to people of all faiths. Recently a doctor came to a TM teacher friend of mine for meditation instruction. He had learned a "relaxation response" technique in a class on integrative medicine during his training at Harvard. He was attracted to meditation by the promise of gaining deeper insight into consciousness -- access to the mind's hidden, transcendent potentialities. He enjoyed the relaxation technique but wanted deeper experience and understanding. Reviewing the science journals, the doctor told my friend that he arrived at the same conclusion as that reached by leading meditation researchers: the "relaxation" model was based on inconclusive evidence and had never been substantiated. Hundreds of published studies on meditation techniques show varying effects from different practices -- ranging from measures of rest much deeper than the "relaxation response" to physiological states no different from sliding back into your easy chair. I expect that the Norwich study will want to determine which of the meditation techniques is best for achieving the profoundly important objectives it seeks to achieve: preventing the scourge of PTSD.

Thanks for the fabulous article! Transcendental Meditation is a lifesaver. I've been practicing it for many years (so does my husband and 14-year-old son). It keeps getting better and better ("it" meaning both my life and the process of meditation itself). It's not just a great stressbuster, but also brings a continual deepening of perception and clarity of mind. I can see how TM would be a huge asset for military "preparedness" and a really good way to help soldiers recover from PTSD.

One thing I've noticed: there's a lot of misunderstanding about TM. Some people assume that it's just plain old relaxation or no different from any other kind of meditation (mindfuness, visualization, zen etc). But after trying quite a few different meditation practices, it became obvious to me that TM is a very different process. It's not the same as the "relaxation response" (which I also tried), because TM allows the mind to transcend — which, as I understand it, means to settle down beyond the busy or agitated mind, beyond mere thinking, to experience the deepest, most restful and alert state. Anybody can learn to do it but you have to learn the technique from a trained teacher. 

Note: It's not Hinduism or a religious thing, by any means. It's an effortless mental technique and involves no beliefs or dogma whatsoever.

Here's my favorite site about TM because it addresses so many of the misunderstandings and myths about meditation:  http://meditationasheville.blogspot.com/

I was blown away and inspired to hear the cadets (many of whom will become future military leaders)  and the generals in charge at Norwich, talk about the tremendous improvements they've gained from the Transcendental Meditation program. http://www.operationwarriorwellness.org/#video=oIH0913lQe0. You can extrapolate from this video how this TM program will benefit these cadets BIG TIME when they become active soldiers.