Language and Cultural Skills for Air Operations in Fourth-Generation Warfare

It is important for Airmen to understand the nature of 4GW: what it is, who uses it and some of the contributing factors. Because this is the kind of war where simply destroying physical targets is not likely to contribute to our success, understanding our adversaries and the local population of the countries in which we operate, is also necessary for victory. Greater familiarity with their languages and cultures will help us in this endeavor. The Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Staff are taking steps to determine the language requirements of the combatant commanders, assess the language and culture skills of all service personnel and DOD civilians, and develop a professional corps of competent language speakers. The Air Force is making progress toward meeting the OSD and CJCS language and culture goals, but Airmen also need to understand why these skills are important in the employment of airpower. Airpower can be used effectively against our 4GW opponents, and language and culture skills can assist in these efforts.