A New Angle on the U.S. Military’s Emphasis on Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: Connecting In-Ranks’ Cultural Diversity to Cross-Cultural Competence

Abstract

This article forwards a novel approach regarding the U.S. military’s growing focus on building cross-cultural competence. This piece argues that a link exists between the armed forces’ internal cultural diversity issues and the military’s objective to heighten its ability to work effectively in foreign 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 involving cultural diversity. Despite the military’s noteworthy historic progress in the area of building a diverse and cohesive force, it possesses some ongoing cultural diversity problems. The article examines three concerns within the ranks of the U.S. military: signs of religious intolerance, some ongoing resistance toward women service members, and antihomosexual attitudes and conduct. This piece explores these concerns and also argues that ameliorating these cultural diversity issues will contribute to building cross-cultural competence in the military.