Guest Comment: Fighting terror in the classroom

If confirmed as the new commander of our military’s Central Command, Gen. David Petraeus will finally have the opportunity to apply his counterinsurgency strategy to the war against global terrorism. One of his greatest challenges will be finding a way to better prepare our troops for the non-conventional demands of this strategy while also maintaining the overall readiness of U.S. Armed Forces.

Our military, especially our Army, is being stretched to the breaking point by repeated and extended deployments. Equipment and soldiers are worn down. Only one full brigade is currently ready to respond immediately to unexpected threats.

Adding to these readiness concerns is the fact that in this post - 9/11 world our military faces new and unconventional enemies. This different kind of warfare requires skills not normally taught in basic training: cultural awareness and language proficiency.

In the 21st Century, our troops will continue to be engaged in areas of the world quite different from our own. Most of our operations in the future are likely to involve enemies that do not have national borders or standing armies.

General Petraeus is well aware of this reality. In the Army’s counterinsurgency manual, which he co-authored, it stresses that all successful military operations depend on a thorough understanding of the societal and cultural context of the insurgency. On March 5th, 2008, the most recent CENTCOM Commander, Admiral William Fallon, affirmed the need for more soldiers to acquire these skills. At a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee on which I serve, he stated that, “Language expertise is crucial in counterinsurgency, counterterrorist and counterintelligence operations and will continue to be in high demand… We need service members and career civilians with the requisite language and cultural skills.”

Better preparing our troops for the challenges of global terrorism - giving them the unique capabilities they need -- starts right here in Southern Arizona.

The U.S. Army Intelligence Center at Fort Huachuca is the Army’s only chartered cultural training center for non-special operations personnel. The center is geared towards training regular Army soldiers to develop cultural expertise and “cross-cultural competence,” not just awareness. It conducts intensive language training for soldiers to learn critical languages such as Arabic and Farsi.

Unfortunately, only about 3,500 regular Army soldiers, among over a half million active duty personnel, are able to participate in Ft. Huachuca’s cultural training program each year. As of December 2007, less than one percent of all active duty soldiers, including Guard and reserve personnel, were graduates of this course. Only 400 are able to participate in Ft. Huachuca’s intensive language program.

This is why I am drafting legislation to increase the number of service men and women with these critical skills. My bill would provide financial incentives for cadets in officer training programs, and reservists taking advantage of GI Bill benefits, to study foreign languages and culture as a part of their academic programs. Additionally, it would require the President to appoint a new undersecretary at the Department of Defense to coordinate cultural training efforts across the services. This senior official would be charged with ensuring the military provide this critical social science research and the training for their personnel.

Success in the conflicts of the 21st Century requires well-educated, well-trained and adaptable warriors — men and women who are as comfortable speaking foreign languages and understanding diverse societies as they are in tracking down terrorists. Such warriors may even help end a war.

Democrat Gabrielle Giffords is in her first term representing the 8th Congressional District.

The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily this newspaper’s.