ABSTRACT
This entry forwards a novel approach regarding the U.S. military's growing focus on building cross-cultural competence. This entry explains that a link exists between the armed forces’ need for internal integration and external adaptation. Cross-cultural competence helps the armed forces build internal cohesion given rising cultural diversity in the ranks, and it also increases the military's ability to work effectively with foreign people in unique cultures. Cross-cultural competence means the knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral repertoire and skill sets that military members require to accomplish all given tasks and missions marked by significant cultural diversity. Despite the military's noteworthy historic progress in building a diverse, cohesive, and effective force, it possesses some ongoing internal cultural diversity problems. The entry examines two concerns within the ranks of the U.S. military: signs of religious intolerance, and some ongoing resistance toward women service members. This entry explores these problems and explains how ameliorating internal cultural diversity issues will contribute to building cross-cultural competence in the military, which in turn improves the organization's ability to adapt to its external environment.
