American troops learning cultures and languages

American Air Force troops are now learning foreign languages, history, philosophy and sociology of the cultures in the Middle East where they will be going. In 2005 a Defense Department report advised teaching troops the language in the area where they would be going. The Air Force decided to teach foreign cultures as well as foreign languages, which they began teaching last year. Officers can earn a pay raise if they are adept in a foreign language.

Learning foreign languages and cultures may help reduce the killings of innocent Iraqis. American troops will begin to understand why Iraqis dislike the Americans in their land and why the Sunnis and Shiites kill each other. They will know the history of Islam and suicide bombers also. American troops may then help stop the fighting in a better way than they are know.

In Korean War by Max Hastings, Hastings reveals that the American troops in South Korea did not understand Korean and instead took advice from Japan because many Japanese spoke English. This made American troops an enemy of South Korea because the Japanese had taken over the South Korean government and they were afraid the United States would do the same. Americans also ignored the practices and traditions of South Koreans. The American troops also choose a leader for the South Korean government, Syngman Rhee, because he had lived in America for many years and spoke English, even though the State Department had realized that he was mischievous and refused to grant him a passport. Rhee quickly began very dictator-like after his election. Had American troops learned about the cultures and languages of South Koreans before making decisions many things would have been changed.