Use of Culture in Operational Planning

Recent conflicts, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom, have challenged operational commanders to develop skills to manage indigenous population issues. These skills were developed out of necessity after the conflict is over. Dealing with the population, such as the Iraqi Shi’ites, inevitably leads to a crash course in the local culture. Cultural knowledge, though, is neither significantly used nor considered during planning and not referenced during execution until the primary conflict is over. Instead of being an afterthought, cultural knowledge should be one of the primary considerations of planning. Cultural knowledge and understanding can benefit a combatant commander’s mission when integrated into an operational level course of action especially when the desired outcome is to win and utilize the popular support of the indigenous population. A special staff position on a joint task force level staff could provide the commander and staff all the necessary information during the planning and execution phases of the operation. This special staff person, a cultural consultant, would have training in the study of culture, as well as military operational knowledge, and would not only be the resident expert but also would have access to other experts in the academic and professional arena.

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