Cultural understanding will win or lose any military operation. People within the area of operation are the most important element of cultural understanding. It is essential to learn from previous operations to assist in future operations. Even though no two cultures are the same, there are key interests in all cultures. Money, political control, and mutual respect are key interests within any culture. To identify and understand what the local people need and want will make allies instead of enemies. Cultural understanding is critical to the success of any military operation. To comprehend cultural understanding it is important to know the cultural dynamics, which are best depicted by Carl von Clausewitz. In the Clausewitz Trinity, the three elements must be balanced: people, military, and government (Howard & Paret, 1984, p. 89).

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