Culture and language center to expand production of field guides
Posted 12/15/2010
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by Kathryn Gustafson
Language, Region and Culture Program Office
12/15/2010 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force Language, Region and Culture Program Office will increase field guide production to provide Airmen an understanding of the cultural concepts necessary to meet mission requirements in the region to which they are deployed, officials said here Dec. 15.
The framework of the field guides consists of a culture-general introduction, followed by 12 culture-specific categories meant to create awareness and understanding of different cultural domains, according to the Air Force Culture and Language Center officials.
From religious beliefs to common phrases and gestures, the quick reference and easily accessible field guides offer an in-depth overview that allows those deployed to relate, communicate and negotiate across borders, said Hank Finn, the AFCLC expeditionary skills training director.
"The field guides connect cross-cultural competence with the specific regional or country information and are communicated in a style that resonates with Airmen," Mr. Finn said. "All they need is a pocket to put them in."
The Iraq and Afghanistan Expeditionary Airman Field Guides aid in the development of cross-culturally competent Airmen who are vital in regions where U.S. involvement is most prominent.
With diverse educational backgrounds, cultural knowledge and language abilities, Airmen provide the Air Force with a distinct advantage in current and future expeditionary operations, Mr. Finn said.
"In countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, where U.S. forces are working to build partnerships, a diverse force of Airmen gives the Air Force a competitive edge and opens the door for creative solutions to complex problems," he said.
According to LRC experts at the AFCLC, Airmen are equipped with the knowledge to quickly comprehend and act appropriately to ensure mission success, without necessarily having prior exposure to a particular culture.
"Two years ago the AFCLC set out to meet the overwhelming challenge to provide Airmen with an effective and practical tool to prepare them for deployments to culturally-complex environments, such as Iraq and Afghanistan," Mr. Finn explained. "Since then, the curriculum developers at the AFCLC have produced 125,000 Iraq Expeditionary Airman Field Guides and another 125,000 field guides tailored toward Afghanistan."
Air Force officials initially took more of a "top-down" approach in preparing an Airman to understand a region or a nation's political system.
The field guides, in contrast, take an opposite approach by understanding the individual, customs and religion, as well as the differences and similarities between ethnic groups, said Lt. Col. Brian K. Chappell, the AFCLC EST deputy director.
Some Airmen who've received hard copies of the field guides said having them helped buffer the feelings of culture shock and uncertainty.
"All too often, we, as Americans, will go to another country and experience culture shock, because for us, it is the unknown," said Airman 1st Class Francheska Wilson. "I am grateful as a new Airman, especially on my first deployment, to have this wonderful culture program in place."
Mr. Finn said he agrees that the field guides thus far have proven very successful.
As a testament to their success, an additional 50,000 field guides were distributed to deployed Airmen, Marines and Soldiers, per the request of Army Gen. David Petraeus' staff.
"The field guides are the foundational documents that will generate additional tools in the future, and we knew they'd be successful," Mr. Finn said.
Recently, Air Forces Africa officials requested that the Culture and Language Center produce training products for Airmen deploying in support of contingency operations to Africa.
AFAFRICA officials will fund the production of 10 additional field guides, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Botswana, Nigeria, Sudan, Morocco, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal and Mali.
Currently, the AFCLC is in various stages of production for the next set of field guides, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011.
For additional information, visit the AFCLC link at http://www.culture.af.mil/trainingtool.html. |
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