2 Peer Reviews
Posts of your classmates, with a substantive response (I agree with your post is not an acceptable response), tell us why you agree and do you have an opposing point of view) at least 1 cited source each and a minimum of 200 words per response, APA Format for full participation credit.
Richard A.
In a multi-national environment, specifically at the headquarters level, the criticality of the operations sergeant major understanding the cultural considerations between our partners in combat is of the utmost importance in developing an effective operational strategy. Lacking such prescience in the operational spectrum will render the mission as poorly conceived, inefficient, and without direction.
The operations sergeant major must have, at the onset, the cultural relativity of the multiple nations involved at its foundation in order for the operational structure to be sound. Cultural differences must be acknowledged so it can serve as the cornerstone to an effective operation. Culture influences human behavior in the form of biases and stereotypes, at its worst. At its best, it can reflect an understanding of customs and behaviors such that it is placed in its proper context, helping form actions in consideration of it. In this way, a greater understanding will be realized, moving the operation forward with greater cohesion among multi-national partners.
Culturally influenced behavior affects military operations profoundly. A simple example would be the magnitude of Soldiers in a particular AO abstaining from drinking water in public as a means of respecting a host nation’s religious observances during Ramadan, where the practicing Muslim must fast from sunup to sundown. The necessary and directed hydration of U.S. Soldiers is therefore prohibited in certain cases so as not to offend Mideast religious customs and traditions. It is profound in its importance simply because of the dichotomy of preaching to all Soldiers the need to hydrate, while at the same time punishing such an “offense” under certain circumstances, as the act would be deemed insulting to our host nation partners if witnessed during the prescribed hours of the day. It is the need to have an effective interoperability between cultures, personality, and human nature in order to effectively influence others. The key to all of this is understanding the act, the custom, or the common law in its cultural construct to give it meaning and perspective to our Soldiers in the field. This will open the pathway to success in operations in the multi-national environment. Without this synthesis, the operation may falter before it even begins. Understanding our cultural partners is key as it helps to forge a viable working relationship. It is the bedrock of any multi-national endeavor for the operations sergeant major to thrive. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve commitment from others in a cross-cultural environment rather than simple compliance, because Soldiers and civilians alike have the ability to see past the stereotypes. They can understand a custom or practice for what it is in relation to the specific culture practicing it. If simple compliance were the most that could be expected, then there would be far more incidents where Soldiers offended a host nation with his or her actions, and in so doing the rates of offense would suggest commitment vice compliance after almost two decades in the Middle East. It is quite likely that an offense was the result of simple ignorance rather than malice.
ADP 6-22 succinctly states that “influence is the essential activity of leadership and refers to how people affect the intentions, attitudes, and actions of another person or group of people” (5-9). The operations sergeant major who has demonstrated over the years the facility to understand the needs of the cultures is often the one with the greatest grasp of institutional knowledge within that organization. This ability demonstrates both strength and wisdom and can lead the operations section to success in a given AO. This is the essence of vision. As Department of the Army’s Army Leadership (ADRP 6-22) states, cohesive leadership has a greater impact than an individual leader has alone”. More importantly, as ADRP 6-22 continues, it stresses that leaders should also consider commitment-encouraging influence as it “emphasizes empowerment and long-lasting trust”.
In closing, the operations sergeant major, based on factors such as the breadth and scope of his or her knowledge and experience, is perhaps the most capable individual in the battalion. He or she is able to impart their wisdom, with significant impact, on the direction the operation will take. In its most basic form, he or she will assist the operations section in orders production that must reflect a sophisticated understanding of the varied cultures in play. Even the simplest of operations such as Soldiers practicing discretion in hydration in a host nation during Ramadan can have substantial effect and sustain or disrupt an already fragile alliance with a Mideast ally. An operations section imbued with the nuances of the various cultures in any multi-national operational force, often courtesy of the sergeant major, must use that comprehension as the foundation upon which operations move forward.
References
Department of the Army. (2012). Army Leadership (ADRP 6-22). Retrieved from
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adrp6_22
L201, (2010) [PDF document], Organizational Power and Influence, Reading A: The Application of Power and Influence in Organizational Leadership. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website:
https://usasma.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/execute/tabs/tabAction?tab_tab_group_id=_1_1#
Department of the Army, (2016), Mission Command (FM 6-0), from:
https://capl.army.mil/fm6-0
Richard A.
In a multi-national environment, specifically at the headquarters level, the criticality of the operations sergeant major understanding the cultural considerations between our partners in combat is of the utmost importance in developing an effective operational strategy. Lacking such prescience in the operational spectrum will render the mission as poorly conceived, inefficient, and without direction.
The operations sergeant major must have, at the onset, the cultural relativity of the multiple nations involved at its foundation in order for the operational structure to be sound. Cultural differences must be acknowledged so it can serve as the cornerstone to an effective operation. Culture influences human behavior in the form of biases and stereotypes, at its worst. At its best, it can reflect an understanding of customs and behaviors such that it is placed in its proper context, helping form actions in consideration of it. In this way, a greater understanding will be realized, moving the operation forward with greater cohesion among multi-national partners.
Culturally influenced behavior affects military operations profoundly. A simple example would be the magnitude of Soldiers in a particular AO abstaining from drinking water in public as a means of respecting a host nation’s religious observances during Ramadan, where the practicing Muslim must fast from sunup to sundown. The necessary and directed hydration of U.S. Soldiers is therefore prohibited in certain cases so as not to offend Mideast religious customs and traditions. It is profound in its importance simply because of the dichotomy of preaching to all Soldiers the need to hydrate, while at the same time punishing such an “offense” under certain circumstances, as the act would be deemed insulting to our host nation partners if witnessed during the prescribed hours of the day. It is the need to have an effective interoperability between cultures, personality, and human nature in order to effectively influence others. The key to all of this is understanding the act, the custom, or the common law in its cultural construct to give it meaning and perspective to our Soldiers in the field. This will open the pathway to success in operations in the multi-national environment. Without this synthesis, the operation may falter before it even begins. Understanding our cultural partners is key as it helps to forge a viable working relationship. It is the bedrock of any multi-national endeavor for the operations sergeant major to thrive. Furthermore, it is possible to achieve commitment from others in a cross-cultural environment rather than simple compliance, because Soldiers and civilians alike have the ability to see past the stereotypes. They can understand a custom or practice for what it is in relation to the specific culture practicing it. If simple compliance were the most that could be expected, then there would be far more incidents where Soldiers offended a host nation with his or her actions, and in so doing the rates of offense would suggest commitment vice compliance after almost two decades in the Middle East. It is quite likely that an offense was the result of simple ignorance rather than malice.
ADP 6-22 succinctly states that “influence is the essential activity of leadership and refers to how people affect the intentions, attitudes, and actions of another person or group of people” (5-9). The operations sergeant major who has demonstrated over the years the facility to understand the needs of the cultures is often the one with the greatest grasp of institutional knowledge within that organization. This ability demonstrates both strength and wisdom and can lead the operations section to success in a given AO. This is the essence of vision. As Department of the Army’s Army Leadership (ADRP 6-22) states, cohesive leadership has a greater impact than an individual leader has alone”. More importantly, as ADRP 6-22 continues, it stresses that leaders should also consider commitment-encouraging influence as it “emphasizes empowerment and long-lasting trust”.
In closing, the operations sergeant major, based on factors such as the breadth and scope of his or her knowledge and experience, is perhaps the most capable individual in the battalion. He or she is able to impart their wisdom, with significant impact, on the direction the operation will take. In its most basic form, he or she will assist the operations section in orders production that must reflect a sophisticated understanding of the varied cultures in play. Even the simplest of operations such as Soldiers practicing discretion in hydration in a host nation during Ramadan can have substantial effect and sustain or disrupt an already fragile alliance with a Mideast ally. An operations section imbued with the nuances of the various cultures in any multi-national operational force, often courtesy of the sergeant major, must use that comprehension as the foundation upon which operations move forward.
References
Department of the Army. (2012). Army Leadership (ADRP 6-22). Retrieved from
http://armypubs.army.mil/doctrine/DR_pubs/dr_a/pdf/adrp6_22
L201, (2010) [PDF document], Organizational Power and Influence, Reading A: The Application of Power and Influence in Organizational Leadership. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Website:
https://usasma.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/execute/tabs/tabAction?tab_tab_group_id=_1_1#
Department of the Army, (2016), Mission Command (FM 6-0), from:
https://capl.army.mil/fm6-0