Posted on 03/27/2007 5:44:28 PM PDT by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — Understanding the differences of Iraqi culture will be presented firsthand by that nation’s ambassador to the United States and the Kurdish representative to America at a culture summit that begins today in Sierra Vista.
Nearly 350 people are expected to attend the three-day event at The Palms, representing military, academia and industry, said Col. John Bird, the director of training, development and support at the fort’s Intelligence Center. The object of the Training and Doctrine Command Culture Training Summit is to improve cultural awareness instruction not only in the Army but other branches of the military, along with developing educational and industry support, the colonel said.
It is the first such national conference and representatives of the Navy, Marines and Air Force will not only be present but will talk about their programs, Bird said. The highlights will be Ambassador Samir Shakir Mahmood Sumaida’ie, former Iraqi permanent representative to the United Nations, and Qubad Talabany, the Kurdistan regional representative to the United States, he said.
Both men will talk about the many cultures that can be found in Iraq and provide information about the need to understand them, Bird said.
Also speaking at the conference will be Maj. Gen. William H. McCoy Jr., the former commander of the Gulf Region Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
He will discuss the reconstruction of Iraq and the 10 most important things people need to know regarding cultural awareness. McCoy is currently the commandant of the Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Retired Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, a land power expert and television consultant will also speak.
Additionally, Maj. Gen. Barbara Fast, commander of the Intelligence Center and friend of the Iraqi ambassador, will speak.
Fast served in Iraq as the senior intelligence officer for the coalition land forces.
She is a strong supporter of cultural awareness training and during her tenure at Fort Huachuca, the center has been designated as the TRADOC Cultural Awareness Center.
Bird said one goal of the conference, which is not open to the public, is to bring people together to find better ways to develop cultural awareness programs.
“We’re going to roll up our sleeves to make our training better,” he said.
And, knowing how the other services approach cultural awareness training will help because of the sharing that will be done during the three-day conference, the colonel added.
What is needed is a more synchronized approach for everyone, Bird said.
Currently, every branch of the military, as well as other agencies, take care of their own needs and that leads to many groups “reinventing the wheel” when it comes to cultural awareness training, he said.
With three tours to Iraqi and numerous other trips to that country, Afghanistan and other regions in the area, Bird said he understands the need for understanding the multitude of cultures.
As there is no one pure American culture, the same is true when it comes to Arabic and Muslim areas, the colonel noted.
The conference will feature some of the top experts as to what is facing the United States in appreciating the culture in Iraqi and other places where America is now engaged, the colonel remarked.
The network is available “it just needs to be strengthened,” Bird said.
Reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 515-4615.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.