Culture - We Need Some of That. Cultural Knowledge and Army Officer Professional Development

摘要

The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review Report articulates a Shift in Emphasis from the 20th Century to the 21st Century in order to meet the new strategic environment. Multiple references within the document refer to the movement away from traditional industrial age American operational principles such as weapons systems mass and firepower to Information Age constructs of humans information and effects. Culture has gained quite a bit of currency in recent defense community debates concerning current and future capabilities of the American military so much so that it has become something of a DOD 'buzzword.' As is often the case with 'buzzwords' the term lacks a commonly accepted agreed upon definition. What then exactly is culture. Does it really matter to the success of current and future American military operations specifically land operations. If so how do we effectively instill an appreciation of cultural knowledge within the force. This Strategic Research Project will define culture and examine its role within the current and emerging contemporary operating environments determine the importance of culture to the accomplishment of military objectives and provide recommendations for inculcating the appropriate level of cultural competence within the Nation's primary land force, the Army.