Foreign Internal Defense (Indigenous Forces)

[Tom Odom]

To All

I have said that I am building a MiTT/ETT reader as a parallel to a handbook. As part of that effort, I am putting together an article that deals with cultural awareness and immersion.

Here is what I am looking for from those of you with extensive experience in this realm:

A short vignette type account of where you were, what you were doing, and a specific incident of where cultural understanding led to success or failure. your vignette if used would be inserted as one of a series of illustrative examples in the larger essay I am writing.

Stan: hopefully you will not send me a vignette about the cultural difficulty in dealing with a irrascible colonel from Texas

PM me if you have something.

best

Tom

[Maphu]

Tom,

I'm new here and still trying to find my way around your website. I'm not sure how to PM you and not even sure what that means. I lived among the Vietnamese in a rural setting for about 12 months during the war. Our small unit worked with local militia troops. I also spent many months there after the war and lived among, and had many conversations with, former friend and foe alike. I have been "immersed" in a foreign setting for nearly 13 years, still in this part of the world, and with fairly extensive travel in Laos and in Cambodia.

I could probably work something up for you with some examples which might be helpful.

Please advise if you are interested.