The Significance of Religion as an Essential Component of the Military's Cultural Framework Strategy and Policy

For years, American diplomats have been trained to not discuss religion and have often excluded religious leaders from diplomacy. The United States military, to a lesser extent, has also tended to evade religion in conducting military operations and negotiations. Religious issues have been viewed as extremely volatile and therefore something to avoid. The tendency in Western culture to make religion private and individual is in sharp contrast with much of the world which views religion as communal and inseparable from all aspects of public life. In a conflict in which our enemies religious ideology is the center of gravity, the avoidance of religion has given the United States an ideological disadvantage in military operations and in winning the hearts and minds of the local populace. While religion can fuel conflict, within the religious text, rituals, and traditions of every major religion there exists a wealth of resources for resolving conflict and building peace. Utilizing these resources is as essential as any weapon in our military arsenal in the planning of our military s strategy and policy.