The Infusion of Language, Regional, and Cultural Content into Military Education: Status Report

Abstract : This report documents IDA's examination of the infusion of language, regional and cultural (LRC) content across the Services, from officer and enlisted accession programs through General and Flag Officer Professional Military Education (PME). This task involved a thorough literature review and examination of on-line resources, as well as an extensive series of site visits and interviews. In our examination of PME, we focused on three primary goals: (1) to develop a robust understanding of the PME landscape as it relates to LRC content, (2) to identify best practices, as well as ascertain content gaps and hurdles faced by PME Institutions (PMEI) in terms of the infusion of LRC content, and (3) to determine the extent to which LRC-related educational needs are met by PMEI. Throughout DoD, tremendous effort is being expended in regards to the inclusion of LRC content in PME and accession programs. While each Service is moving down the path of infusing LRC in PME, they are moving at divergent speeds, are at different stages, and have different views on the desired destination. In this report, we highlight best practices, identify trends, and also raise potential areas of concern.