U.S. Army Making Cultural Training A Priority

Sgt. Grady Hyatt of the U.S. Army's Africa Command discusses an action plan with members of the Ghana Army.

'Smart Power': Army Making Cultural Training A Priority -- CNN

(CNN) -- Chemical weapons engulf soldiers carrying 60-pound rucksacks, their mud-filled boots trenching through a river dividing simulated enemy lines.

Troops run in the desert to acclimate to harsh conditions with winter temperatures as low as 8 degrees, summer as high as 120.

The training becomes increasingly realistic in the weeks before deployment, mirroring the topography they may endure, but not necessarily the human terrain -- the cultures they'll be dealing with. And in a foreign land, something as seemingly innocuous as a thumbs-up sign or shaking a woman's hand can land a soldier in trouble.

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My Comment: I am glad that some cultural education is being given .... but the U.S. is probably the only major power in the world that is implementing such a program.