Understanding Military Culture

Examines military culture from a theoretical and a practical point of view Considers conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq that have highlighted the importance of culture as a concept in analyzing the ability of military organizations to perform certain tasks Culture has been described as the bedrock of military effectiveness because it influences everything an armed service does. The recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have highlighted the importance of culture as a concept in analyzing the ability of military organizations to perform certain tasks. In fact, a military's culture may determine its preferred way of fighting and dealing with other challenges, like incorporating new technologies, more than its doctrine or organizational structure. of view. It focuses on the Canadian and American military cultures, and it provides the first detailed examination of the culture of the Canadian Forces. It also compares their culture to that of the US armed forces. The book concludes that while the culture of the Canadian Forces has been Americanized to a certain extent, the culture of the US armed forces, due to changes in their personnel and roles, has experienced a certain degree of Canadianization at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries.

Culture has been described as the "bedrock of military" effectiveness because it influences everything an armed service does. The recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have highlighted the importance of culture as a concept in analyzing the ability of military organizations to perform certain tasks. In fact, a military's culture may determine its preferred way of fighting and dealing with other challenges, like incorporating new technologies, more than its doctrine or organizational structure. This book examines military culture from a theoretical and a practical point of view. It focuses on the Canadian and American military cultures, and it provides the first detailed examination of the culture of the Canadian Forces. It also compares their culture to that of the US armed forces. The book concludes that while the culture of the Canadian Forces has been "Americanized" to a certain extent, the culture of the US armed forces, due to changes in their personnel and roles, has experienced a certain degree of "Canadianization" at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries.

The goal of the first part of this chapter is to understand the uniqueness of the military as a culture. Next the chapter provides an overview of sociocultural constructs associated with military culture. The second part of the chapter presents an overview of diversity elements (e.g., gender, sexual orientation) intersecting with military culture. Understanding the diversity within the US Armed Forces is clinically relevant for culturally responsive mental health service delivery to military service members. The third part of this chapter addresses military cultural issues with potential to affect the mental health of military service members. We describe mental health challenges that have been experienced by military personnel in light of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and the US involvement in the Global War on Terror, and highlight the resilience of this population under stress. We conclude with recommendations for culturally competent treatment approaches for working with military service members.

Examines how military culture forms and changes, as well as its impact on the effectiveness of military organizations.

Conducting the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and projecting United States (US) influence worldwide has meant an increasing number of US diplomats and military forces are assigned to locations around the world, some of which have not previously had a significant US presence. In the current security environment, understanding foreign cultures and societies has become a national priority. Cultural understanding is necessary both to defeat adversaries and to work successfully with allies.

While studies of American military culture have proliferated in recent years, and the culture of academic institutions has been a subject of perennial interest, comparatively little has been written on the multiple ways the military and academe intersect. Focusing on this subject offers an opportunity to explore how teachers and researchers straddle the two quite different cultures. The contributors to this volume both embody and articulate how the two cultures co-exist and cooperate, however unevenly at times. Chapters offer both ground-level perspectives of the classroom and campus as well as well-considered articulations of the tensions and opportunities involved in teaching and training civic-minded soldiers on issues especially important in the post-9/11 world.

"This thesis argues that an understanding of the culture and ethos of the military is critical to the correct use of the military instrument of power. Although warfare itself changes through time, the nature of war and those that fight it remain constant. It is why our military culture and ethos is designed for fighting and winning wars, and runs from the bottom to the very top of the military institution. Strategies that ask for anything else of the military court strategic failure; they ignore the military's raison d'etre. Sun Tsu says if you know yourself and your enemy you will not lose a hundred battles.'How well do we know ourselves?'."--Abstract

A guide to understanding and leading today's US military force. Significant shifts in military culture have created a complex set of challenges, impacting morale and motivation, recruitment and retention, and program participation. Military Culture Shift presents the story of US military service members, their families, and the institution itself, through the lens of multiple generations, and the major factors impacting modern-day recruitment, retention, leadership, and wellness. A licensed counselor and leadership consultant, author Corie Weathers draws from her own military spouse experience, her professional work with military families and leaders, and more than 15 years of research, to offer narrative history, insights, and perspectives on: Generational viewpoints, from World War I veterans to today’s recruits (Gen Z) Short- and long-term impact of Department of Defense budget decisions Emerging social trends within the military community, especially post-9/11 Cumulative effect of two decades of war on military family wellness Of special interest to military leaders, service members, military family members, as well as historians, politicians, educators, and counselors, Military Culture Shift helps readers understand and embrace: How past decisions have led to the current state Generational differences in motivation, trust in authority, and learning styles Why families aren't turning up for in-person and social events Communication shifts that impact cohesiveness Leadership strategies to influence positive changes going forward

The purpose of the study is to explore nurses’ knowledge of the military culture. Of 21 million veterans in the United States, only a fourth will access Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare since they have the choice to be seen by civilian providers. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, $65M was spent on veteran medical care alone, but some veterans state their health care providers do not understand the military culture. Veterans are a unique patient population: compared to their pre-service reports, some veterans have a poorer quality of life after their military service in comparison to their civilian counterparts; they battle with invisible wounds; and the hidden barriers of the military culture. Service members have been trained to embrace great core values that have equipped them to be tough in the face of adversities. These same values can cause hidden barriers when they seek medical care. Until date, there are limited studies focused on nurses’ knowledge in this area, hence this study was the first to be conducted among nurses. A non-experimental cross-sectional study was conducted using the Transcultural Nursing Theory as its conceptual framework. That is, this study approaches military culture with the same framework that is used in studying other cultures, including African American, Hmong, transgender, and Sikh, for example. Considering military culture from the aspect of multicultural health care and health professions education is unique in the literature. Nurses were recruited from a community hospital in Northern California. A convenience sample of 127 Registered Nurses completed the Military Cultural Competence Program (MCCP) survey and a demographic questionnaire. The MCCP tool comprised of two subscales. The total overall mean on the Knowledge and Awareness subscale was 4.38 out of 6 (range= 3.71 to 4.97), representing a high level of military knowledge and a high Confidence in Skills and Abilities Subscale level with an overall mean of 81.3 out of 100 (range 63.35 to 90.35). Overall, the nurses in this study demonstrated high knowledge levels of military culture and confidence skills, but there were very low scores in areas of veteran referral to the appropriate resources. The results of this study have benefited future research in enhancing nurses’ knowledge about the military culture in caring for veterans.