AGENDA Religion as an Aspect of Culture Impact of Religion on Operational Environment

1. RELIGION AND THE CONTEMPORARY STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTCH (COL) BONNIE KOPPELL807th Medical Command (Deployment Support)COMMAND CHAPLAIN “Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy.” Dr. GeertHofstede (Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations - DPMSO) 1

2. AGENDA • Religion as an Aspect of Culture • Impact of Religion on Operational Environment • Role of the Chaplain • Soldier Leader Engagement /Religious Leader Engagement • Freedom of Religion as US National Interest

3. What is Religion? • “Religion - the relatively modest dogma that God is not mad.” • — Salvador de Madariaga 3

4. NOTE: Religion≠Spirituality Religion = An institutional structure with defined beliefs and practices providing a methodology and community context for spiritual development. Spirituality = Fostering the development of the spirit, seeking purpose and meaning in life.

5. SO WHAT? WHY DOES RELIGION MATTER? WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO YOU? 5

6. Why Study Religion? “A fundamental requirement for military success is a sound understanding of the operational environment. This requires a careful study of the geography, population, and culture (emphasis added).” Joint Publication 3-0,”Joint Operations”, V-18

7. RELIGIONIS A FUNDAMENTAL ASPECT OF CULTURE 7

8. Religion influences the thoughts/behavior of individuals, groups, and states.Knowing the religious factors helps us understand the culture.

9. “Religion (as) the preeminent factor defining civilization will play a central role in any effective national security policy.” Jonathan Shaw quoting Samuel P. Huntington, ”The Role of Religion in National Security Policy Since September 11, 2001,” p. 8 9

10. Why is This So Hard? "Because of the degree to which we as Americans separate our spiritual lives from our private lives, we face a certain difficulty in comprehending the depths to which religions and political considerations interact in shaping the perceptions and motivations of individuals from other societies.” From D. Johnston - Religion, The Missing Dimension in Statecraft, p. 5

11. Why Is This So Important? “If there is any one lesson the last decade should have taught us, we cannot ensure our security through unilateral action or by trying to impose our values on other states and peoples. If we cannot make (Muslims) – as well as Buddhist, Hindus, and other faiths – our lasting partners, we will not only lose the struggles against counterterrorism, we will lose the world.”Anthony Cordesman 11

12. A Few Examples “From Russia, where fascists wrap themselves in the flag of Orthodox Christianity, to India, where Hindu pogroms are carried out against Muslims, to the Middle East, where Iran promotes terror in the name of Islam, the world looks with wonderment at the multiplying millions who seem eager to hurl themselves back into the twelfth century.” Alan and Heidi Toffler, War and Anti-War, p. 218

13. Combat Multiplier In the past - “Few American military personnel could be said to have demonstrated much cultural awareness, much less an interest in acquiring it.” What we have learned - “The more these (front-line) troops know about the local culture, the greater the chance that they will develop relationships that will prove useful to mission accomplishment.” Lawrence Yates, The U.S. Military’s Experience in Stability Operations, 1789-2005, 32 13

14. Religious perspectives impact: • Values • Centers of Gravity • Objectives • Understanding the religious factors in the operational environment enables us to see the world through their eyes, not ours. 14

15. Be Aware Of: • Worship, rituals, customs, and practices of JIIM Force and religious accommodation requirements. • Worship, rituals, customs, leaders, history, religious sites, beliefs, and practices of the indigenous populations. • Relationships among indigenous groups as impacted by religious factors. • The role of religious minorities in the operational environment.

16. Impact of Religion • Can be POSITIVE or NEGATIVE • Can HELP or HINDER mission • Can STABILIZE or DESTABILIZE legitimate government ATP 1-05.03 (1-6)

17. Joint Publication 1-05 Religious Support • Two major Chaplain responsibilities - religious advisement and religious support • Religious advisement – focus on the impact of religion on joint operations • Chaplains provide religious advisement consistent with their noncombatant status 17

18. Chaplain Products Chaplains may prepare: • RIA- Religious Impact Assessment • RAA- Religious Area Analysis • Running Estimate as the Situation Evolves

19. 19

20. PMESII-PT Chaplain will have input to the PMESII-PT operational analysis. P - Political M - Military E - Economic S - Social I - Information I - Infrastructure P - Physical Environment T - Time (see ATP 1-05.03, A-1ff for religious considerations within PMESII-PT analysis)

22. A Few Examples 22

23. You are newly assigned to Afghanistan as part of a Combat Operational Stress Control team and are arranging a meeting with the local Imam. He • should be seated: • A - Next to the highest ranking chaplain, who is • female. • B - Next to the highest ranking male leader. • C - Next to the prettiest young woman. • D - In closest proximity to the food. 23

24. As part of the peacekeeping force in the Sinai, you are meeting with an Israeli counterpart who is an Orthodox Jew. You should: A - Plan the meeting for a Saturday when he is off work. B - Serve bacon cheeseburgers. C - Dress modestly. D - Suggest the female Chaplain greet him with a warm hug.

25. You are deployed to India as • part of a peacekeeping force. You should: • A - Instruct your driver to honk and accelerate • aggressively toward cattle to clear the road. • B - Instruct your soldiers to avoid disturbing wildlife • when possible, especially cows. • C - Allow your soldiers to shoot at cattle for target • practice. • D - Invite village leaders to a steak barbeque at your • compound. 25

26. You are stationed in Japan as a liaison officer. You should: A - Leave some rice in your bowl when finishing a meal and place your chopsticks vertically as a salute to your host’s generosity. B - Stomp your boots twice before entering a shrine to give warning to evil spirits. C - Help a colleague struggling with chopsticks by using your chopsticks to help them grasp a slippery vegetable. D - Wash your face and mouth in the purification fountain and spit out the water before entering a Shinto shrine.

27. You are training military doctors • in Algeria during Ramadan. You should: • A - Invite your Muslim colleagues to a lunch • meeting to discuss treatment strategies. • B - Make sure tea and coffee are available in • meeting rooms during the day. • C - Graciously accept an invitation to dinner after • sundown. • D - Greet your Algerian counterparts in the • morning with a gift of American chocolates and insist • they try some. 27

28. There are a myriad of ways we can offend!

29. Communication Synchronization EVERYTHING we say or do sends a message! What you MEAN to say may not be what is HEARD! 29

30. The Tactical Meets the Strategic • Where - Afghanistan • When - Spring 2012 • What - US personnel take action to remove Qurans that had been cut up and written in by detainees in order to communicate messages • IMPACT - US Forces’ actions perceived as religious persecution rather than counter-insurgency effort

31. Communication - Culturally Specific “Acting without understanding our audiences can lead to critical misunderstandings with serious consequences. Understanding subjective impacts of culture, language, history, religion, environment, and other factors is critical when crafting communication strategy for a relevant population.” USAWC, Information Operations Primer, AY13 Edition, 52 31

32. What are your experiences?

33. Religious Leader Engagement Chaplains will often be involved in liaison activities with both: Indigenous Faith Group Leaders Faith-based NGO’s Cultural sensitivity is critical. Lack of favoritism is critical. MUST BE ORDED BY THE COMMANDER! FM 1-05, Religious Support, 2-2 33

34. Why? Soldier and Leader Engagement support the goals of both: • INFORMING and • INFLUENCING key players in the OE. (for further information, see FM 3-13: Inform and Influence Activities)

35. Liaison Activity • Build mutual trust • Promote human rights • Develop appropriate command relationships within OA • (FM 1-05, 1-5) 35

36. How? Premium on Listening Be aware of own assumptions/biases Understand cultural differences re: • Communication styles • Attitudes toward conflict • Approaches to completing tasks • Decision making styles • Attitudes toward personal disclosure • Approaches to knowing (from Maxie McFarland, “Military Cultural Education,” 67ff)

37. Religious Freedom: A National Security Priority “The United States will continue to make the promotion of international religious freedom a key national security and foreign policy priority for the United States, to advocate forcefully for these issues publically and privately, in both multilateral and bilateral settings.” Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor, 30 July 2012 37

38. From Secretary of State Clinton • Religious freedom is an essential element of secure and thriving societies • There’s a big difference between democracy and the tyranny of the majority • Religious freedom . . .is a bedrock priority of our foreign policy • Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion are enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

39. President Obama’s Vision: • Religion as a force for unity - cf the Golden Rule, common commitment to love humanity, spread peace, and reject violence • Religious diversity as the foundation of strong and vibrant societies - reward societies which evidence religious moderation • as summarized by Shaw, op. cit., 31-32 39

40. “More than at any point in human history- the interests of nations and peoples are shared. The religious convictions that we hold in our hearts can forge new bonds among people, or tear us apart.” President Barack Obama, United Nations General Assembly, September 22, 2009

41. Multinational Social Intelligence HISTORY AND CULTURE MATTER; SO DOES LEADERSHIP! “The burdens of governance require culturally astute leaders and joint forces capable of adapting to nuances of religion, ethnicity, and a number of other considerations essential to success. The military force should, consistent with security requirements, respect the religious celebrations and the legitimate activities of religious leaders.”- Joint Publication 3-07, “Stability Operations,” xxviii

42. The Way Ahead: • EXPAND AND INCENTIVIZE…CULTURAL TRAINING ACROSS THE FORCE (P. 12) • EXPAND CULTURAL EXPERTISE IN ALL SERVICES (P. 31) • Decade of War, Vol. 1 - Enduring Lessons from the Past Decade of Operations, Joint and Coalition Operational Analysis, 15 June 2012 42

43. This Means You! BE A CULTURALLY ASTUTE LEADER! UNDERSTAND THE RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES IN YOUR OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT!

44. References • Clinton, Hillary. “Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on International • Religious Freedom.” Remarks at the Carnegie Endowment to mark the • release of the State Department’s International Religious Freedom • Report for 2011, Washington, DC, July 30, 2012. • http://carnegieendowment.org/2012/07/30/secretary-of-state-hillary • clinton-on-international-religious-freedom/d2no (accessed July 6, 2013). • Cordesman, Anthony H. “The Lessons and Challenges of September • 2011- the New ‘9/11.’” Center for Strategic & International Studies. • http://csis.org/publication/lessons-and-challenges-september-2011-new • 911 (accessed July 6, 2013). • Johnston, D., Ed. Religion, The Missing Dimension in Statecraft. New • York: Oxford University Press, 1994. 44

45. References, Cont’d. Joint and Coalition Operational Analysis (JCOA). Decade of War, Volume I: Enduring Lessons from the Past Decade of Operations. Suffolk, VA: Joint and Coalition Operational Analysis, June 15, 2012. http://blogs.defensenews.com/saxotech-access/pdfs/decade-of-war-lessons-learned.pdf (accessed July 6, 2013). McFarland, Maxie. “Military Cultural Education.” Military Review 85, no. 2 (March-April 2005): 62-69. Shaw, Jonathan. The Role of Religion in National Security Policy Since September 11, 2001. Carlisle Papers. Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College, February 2011. 45

46. References, Cont’d. TRADOC Culture Center. https://ikn.army.mil/apps/tccv2/ (accessed July 6, 2013). Toffler, Alvin and Heidi. War and Anti-War: Survival at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1993. Yates, Lawrence A. The US Military's Experience in Stability Operations, 1789-2005. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2006.

47. Military Publications U.S. Department of the Army. Army Chaplain Corps Activities. Army Regulation 165-1. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, December 3, 2009. U.S. Department of the Army. Inform and Influence Activities. Field Manual 3-13. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, January 25, 2013. U.S. Army War College. Information Operations Primer: Fundamentals of Information Operations. Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College, Department of Military Strategy, Planning, and Operations & Center for Strategic Leadership, AY 2013 Edition. U.S. Department of Defense. Joint Operations. Joint Publication 3-0. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense, August 11, 2011.

48. Military Publications, Cont’d. U.S. Department of Defense. Religious Affairs in Joint Operations. Joint Publication 1-05. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense, November 13, 2009. U.S. Department of the Army. Religious Support. Field Manual 1-05. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, October 5, 2012. U.S. Department of the Army. Religious Support and External Advisement. Army Techniques Publication 1-05.03. Washington, DC: May 3, 2013. U.S. Department of Defense. Stability Operations. Joint Publication 3-07. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Defense, September 29, 2011. 48

49. Special Thanks To: MSG Steven Ferguson 2LT Marc DeLuca CH (LTC) Robert Brady CH (LTC) Ira Houck CH (COL) Mike Dugal CH (COL) Kenneth Sampson CH (COL) Jonathan Shaw

50. QUESTIONS? 50