Respect: applying it across cultures essential to success

David Axe writes yesterday that the many "tactical" incidents of disrespect shown to our Afghan partners by US Forces is resulting in a major strategic problem. I think that's somewhat obvious based on recent reporting coming out of the region.

The issue may even result in the ultimate failure of our efforts in Afghanistan. From the article:

Mark Jacobson, the former NATO deputy senior civilian representative in Kabul, said he sees the writing on the wall. “If the trust, ability and willingness to partner falls apart, you are looking at the endgame here.”

Axe's reporting leads me to two observations. One, we don't seem to understand what is meant by "respect" as it applies to the Army Values. Two, the way we interact with the Afghans seems flawed.

Ask any Soldier about the Army Values, and "Respect", and I would venture to guess you'll get a response that goes something like this: "Oh, yeah, respect is important. I mean, we should respect each other despite our differences; black, white, Hispanic, even gay...whatever you are."

You see, I think we've too narrowly focused the issue of repsect towards an inward acceptance for diversity when in fact it is an issue that reaches well outside the Army and into the people we come in contact with wherever we are...CONUS or deployed. Everyone, even our enemies to some degreee, deserve respect.

I may be out on a limb, but to me it's a basic human rights issue. People deserve to be treated with respect, for their culture, personalities, capabilities...just for being human.

This does not negate our mission to close with and destroy the enemies of our nation, in accordance with our Constitutional responsibilities. But, Soldiers need to know that while it's great they show respect for other Soldiers, the Army Values require them to show that same respect for those outside the Army as well.

Then there's the issue of strategy. Maybe it's time to admit we are not trained swell enough to have so much interaction with foreign partners who are so culturally different from us. SF troops and Civil Affairs types go through years of training in order to understand and work with foreign nation armies and peoples. To expect a 19-year old from Philly to be able to successfully negotiate the intricacies of Afghan culture after a 2-hour block of instruction and a tri-fold pamphlet is probably too much to ask.

I think it may be time to separate Soldiers from the Afghans, let the pros do the interaction, and allow our regular Joes to do what they do best--kill the enemy.

New American Socialism--it's a Red and Blue issue

Friends,

If you listen to what we now call "news" in America, with the various pundits and talking heads all espousing their opinions as "news", chances are you will hear about why we are in the economic state we are in.

The Occupy folks, the no more taxes folks, the tax the rich folks, the outrageous government spending folks, the unfair economic policy folks, the Socialists, Marxists, Capitalists, etc. It makes it difficult for a regular citizen to figure out who really is at fault when it comes to the state of our economy.

So, who is to blame? Yes...they all are.

At least according to the authors of this essay.


You may have opinions about the source of the essay, but I found it to be pretty compelling on all sides. It's pretty direct in poking a finger in the chest of Socialists and Capitalists, Republicans and Democrats. From the essay:

We have lost our sense of honor, humility, and the dedication to personal responsibility that, for more than 200 years, made our country the greatest hope for mankind. I want to detail some of the factors that gave rise to the current entitlement society. We have become a country of people who believe their well-being is someone else's responsibility.

Folks, we have got to get our house in order. Yes, this does have to do with individual Values...and National Character. We've lost it. Plain and simple we've allowed our own desires and self interests to separate ourselves from the greatness that is the United States.

All I can say is, God bless the 2nd Amendment and those who exercise that right. Read the essay...you'll understand.

Values free-for-all in the Armed Forces

Apparently there is a move afoot to have atheist "chaplains" commissioned into the Armed Forces. According to Jason Torpy, Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. According to Torpy, atheists in uniform are under-supported by the current force of serving chaplains (those who ascribe to a set of religious beliefs), thus the need for a crew of secular humanist chaplains to enter the ranks.

Wow.

How did we get here? It would seem to me that a secular humanist can gain access to the counseling Torpy claims is lacking in the military for aetheist Soldiers through the myriad behavioral health facilities and providers, all who conduct their counseling in a non-religious fashion.

This smells of a red herring argument, and I suspect there are other motives at play. The interviewer from Mother Jones reveals his cards when he says:

A lot of Mother Jones readers could be forgiven for wondering why a government department has its own clergy corps in the first place, much less why atheists are interested in working with those clerics.

It appears the Mother Jones crowd is less concerned about filling the perceived gap in support to atheist Soldiers, and more concerned about the elimination of the chaplaincy in the Armed Forces all together.

If you've been reading recently, you know that maintaining the values base in our military leaders is of prime importance to me. People will get their values from somewhere, the question becomes, as Americans, where do we want our military leaders to be getting their value system?

Do Americans want their sons and daughters to be led into very dangerous places by men and women who derive their value system from a "whatever feels good, do it" worldview? Or, would you rather trust your most precious commodity--your children-- to people who view them as valuable gifts, created in the image of God, worthy and precious as individuals?

As I've mentioned before, the Army Values are deeply rooted in a Judeo-Christian way of thinking. The example of Christ can be seen in each and every one of them.

I appreciate the service of all Americans--religious or humanist--but let's not undercut the time-proven systems that support the moral, ethical and spiritual needs of the majority of the force just to satisfy the personal convictions of an admitted few.

Current attiutudes about Afghan/Iraq wars, and faith

http://news.yahoo.com/poll-1-3-vets-sees-iraq-afghan-wars-040253311.html

The big takeaway from this Robert Burns article is that after 10 years of conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq, a majority of serving military members have doubts about what we're doing in those conflicts. They appear demoralized--tired of the tedious and constant rotations in and out of these countries, being separated from family and friends. The wars have sewn seeds of doubt and distrust in our national leadership, and service members are feeling a growing chasm of understanding between those who have served, and the public for whom they are serving.

It's a bit disheartening to see.

I'm sure the POTUS isn't happy about these poll results, either. But what did he really expect? I mean, he campaigned three years ago on quickly ending the involvement in Iraq (within a year of being elected), and quickly resolving the "good war" in Afghanistan. Instead, we're lobbying to stay in Iraq for an even longer time period, and the news out of Afghanistan is rarely painted in a good light. Now, the ones POTUS has to lean on to do these difficult taske are expressing their disapproval in greater numbers.

But even more disconcerting for me is the truth that is revealed in this paragraph, neatly tucked away in the middle of the article:

The survey also showed that post-9/11 veterans are more likely than Americans as a whole to call themselves Republicans and to disapprove of President Barack Obama's performance as commander in chief. They also are more likely than earlier generations of veterans to have no religious affiliation.

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Maries are not only losing faith in their government and in their duties, but also in God.

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, military leadership relies on those who are morally upright. In Western culture, for the past 2000 or so years, our moral foundations have been rooted in a Judeo-Christian ethic. It is the basis (or has been, anyway) for what we acknowledge as "moral."

Consider the Army's Values:
Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity
Personal Courage

Every single aspect of our Values can be seen in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The Army didn't look to the Bible to determine our value system, but it shouldn't seem unusual that a Western culture would see those same attributes as noble and valuable, and borrow from the Judeo-Christian ethic heavily.

So what happens when a culture is no longer rooted in a system that understands the value of such attributes--that their sons and daughters are not raised with the foundational understanding that having such values are good and desireable? The Army will have to spend a great deal of time inculcating these values into the force. For some, the training will take hold. For others, the importance of the lessons will escape them, and the situational ethics that rule the day in modern society will overtake military life.

I see the military's slide in values far too clearly now, and with current polls showing the military is abandoning religious faith, I am concerned for those who will lead our Armed Forces in the future.