Fighting with one arm behind our back : cultural capability in the 21st century

"After a decade of counterinsurgency, the U.S. Army faces the challenge of preparing for an uncertain and hybrid 21st century threat across the full range of military operations. As it retools for Decisive Action in a fiscally austere environment, it must determine what lessons from the last ten years of conflict have value in shaping the force. The 21st century environment may be marked by uncertainty and volatility, but a surety is that landpower will continue to be employed in the human domain and that domain is comprised of a vast, diverse array of cultures. One lesson taken from Iraq and Afghanistan is that the manner in which the army educates, trains and organizes its Soldiers for operations within various cultures substantially contributes to the success or failure of landpower employment in pursuit of national security interests. A study of the U.S. Army s organizational, education and training approach reveals uneven application and understanding of the principles of cultural capability and its employment at the tactical level. However, the successes and failures of the last ten years yield valuable insights that offer potential alternatives to organizing, educating, and training the force for its 21st century mission."--Abstract.