US Marines Receive Cross-Cultural Communication
April 28, 2009 – 6:45 pmMissionaries aren’t the only ones who get prepped with cross-cultural training classes. While businessmen and international aid workers have participated in cultural adaptation programs for years, the military has started to learn the value of learning to not only learn how people fight, but how they act and talk, what motivates them, angers them, etc. FOX News reports on the cultural simulation classes that Camp Lejune-based Marines are receiving in preparation for an upcoming tour in Afghanistan:
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Afghan guards armed with AK-47s keep watch just outside as a village elder sits in a room with no electricity and tells a U.S. Marine:
“The Taliban are recruiting young unemployed men to plant IEDs and fight the American military.”
Cpl. Adam King sits down, sips some tea and listens attentively. What he says and what he hears could save the lives of his Marines.
This is the scene in Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, where the 2nd Battalion 8th Marines — known as the 2/8 — have built a simulated Afghan village to prepare American troops for what they will face half a world away.
The 2/8 Marines will be traveling this summer, but they’ll be going to a decidedly non-vacation spot: Afghanistan, where Taliban violence is high and the presence of any authority is low.
Despite nearly eight years of American military presence, Al Qaeda and the Taliban are increasingly exerting their influence in Afghanistan — especially along the nation’s border with Pakistan. There is a demand for more American troops, and they, in turn, see a demand for a change in strategy and training.
The article goes on to list some specific cultural cues that the Marines are learning:
“It’s a different type of training,” DTS representative Read Omohundro said as Afghan experts gave Marines a list of cultural Do’s and Don’ts:
— Do Shake hands firmly.
— Do adapt to Afghan customs of personal space.
— Do Not use the left hand when communicating.
— Do Not show the soles of boots.
— Do Not speak to friendly Afghans while wearing sunglasses.
— Do Not force an Afghan’s head to the ground
And most importantly …
— Do Not point, smile, gesture or speak to female Afghans.
“We want the Marines to be culturally prepared,” Omohundro said, “but if the training requires a riot, firefight or explosions, I can give them that too.”
Relevant MM post: The U.S. Army and Cross-Cultural Training
