Creating a Culturally Prepared Marine Corps
Abstract
A culturally diverse and prepared Marine Corps with a language capability of sufficient diversity and numbers to ensure success on any battlefield for any mission will require change. There is an increased interactivity between the United States and its foreign allies and foreign opponents, who often have languages and cultures that are distinctly different from U.S. language and culture. Present operations in the Middle East highlight these cultural and linguistic shortfalls. A new model for cultural training needs to be implemented that will train a diverse professional population with cultural specialists of all ranks and in all Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs). For the Marine Corps to develop cultural depth as a warfighting enabler, a model for cultural training is presented based on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' missionary program. By adopting a formal program for cultural training the Marine Corps will be able to develop Marines with the cultural and linguistic tools to become better warfighters. The Marine Corps will have a ready reserve of culturally diverse personnel for operations in any climate and place. A program with formal schooling and set standards is what will elevate cultural and language training to a professional level. The cultural immersion model demonstrated by the LDS missionary program has proven to be highly effective. If the Marine Corps intends to have a culturally prepared force that serves as a warfighting enabler, they are going to have to invest the time and the personnel necessary to create a professional-level program. An immersion program is the simplest and most effective model that can be implemented to bring about positive and sustained change.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA505949
Entities
People
- Monti Smith
Organizations
- Marine Corps University