ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to report on applied research used for marking and embedding cultural cues within a promising prototype training solution and to describe the impact of cross-cultural training on small unit performance of mission essential tasks based on this training. Evidence is mounting for an operational cross-cultural competence capability that is demonstrated by highly effective small units. The requirement is expressed by operational commanders who report that it is not possible to emerge victorious in counterinsurgency struggles if the forces in contact do not engage with non-combatant civil populations and win their support. One approach that has been adopted to produce high quality small unit training is under development as part of a USJFCOM funded initiative, a Joint Concept Technology Demonstration called the Future lmmersive Training Environment (FITE). Most recently, the requirements for cross-cultural training were expressed by the Commander, International Security Assistance Force (COMISAF) in his counter insurgency (COIN) Guidance and as part of his Tactical Directive. In these directives, COMISAF recognizes that strategic goals will be accomplished not by

killing the enemy, but by influencing the population-his overriding operational imperative. The goal of immersive training systems was to provide the learner with a realistic, cognitively authentic experience that can be transferred to an operational setting. This required a shift in perspective as well as adaptations to individual and group mental models of tactical problem contexts like COIN or Stability Operations. An independent assessor determined that decision skills and cultural training took place. These conclusions were based on survey data as well as posttraining critical incident interviews for verifying changes in individual and group mental models as a result of training.