Know Before You Go: Improving Army Officer Sociocultural Knowledge

Abstract

Abstract : The U.S. entered Afghanistan and Iraq with poor language capabilities and knowledge of both nation's cultures, and this cultural knowledge and language capability are critical enablers in a counterinsurgency campaign. According to numerous defense experts and senior Defense officials, we are in an age of persistent conflict where our most likely wars, like those in Iraq and Afghanistan, will be fought among the people. Knowledge of the cultures and language capabilities are critical to success in these operations, where the indigenous population is a center of gravity. This paper illustrates lessons learned from Vietnam War as it examines the state of the Army officer corps in terms of language capabilities and relevant academic backgrounds. It then discusses programs that are underway to improve officer language capacity and cultural knowledge to develop full-spectrum leaders. As this research identified various cultural deficiencies, it offers recommendations to increase language capacity and cultural awareness by utilizing pre-commissioning education opportunities in universities, improve training in TRADOC courses, and offer incentives for officers to seek post-commissioning educational opportunities in these critical areas.