1. Defense Culture Coordination Committee
26 July 2017

2. Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning
CAOCL serves as the central USMC agency for Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) training, education, and institutionalization in order to enable Marines to be more operationally effective across the range of military operations in complex joint expeditionary environments.
*PM3C (Professor of Military Cross-Cultural Competence)
CAOCL has five lines of operation.
CAOCL supports education and training to develop professionally competent individuals who think critically and solve complex problems creatively in a dynamic environment.
EDUCATION
RCLF PME Program &
Cross Cultural Competence & MCU Support
TRAINING
LREC Pre –Deployment Training to MEF & MFR Units
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
Support to the Operating Forces (Reachback & Cultural Advisors)
DOTMLPF
Institutionalize Joint and Service Standards & Doctrine
TRANSLATIONAL
RESEARCH
Field Social Science Research and Science Advising

3. RCLF Mission
The Regional, Culture, and Language Familiarization (RCLF) program is a career-long course of study designed to ensure Marines are globally prepared and regionally focused in order to effectively navigate the culturally complex 21st century operating environment.
RCLF provides a foundation in cross-cultural competence to support a globally deployable force while simultaneously enhancing regional understanding and functional language skills throughout the OPFOR for the GPF.
RCLF is a career-long education program that instills, develops, and sustains a foundational LREC capability in our career Marine force.

4. The LREC Approach Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture
Complementary method to capability development
Foundational Language Skill Development
Communication not expertise
Regional “Expertise”
Characteristics of a geographic area and population
Making informed observations about how different regional aspects form or influence a pattern of behavior
Foundational language skill = how to establish rapport, how to execute basic military-related tasks. The goal is NOT to create crypto-linguists, translators, or interpreters. We aim to enable Marines to have basic conversations with their international counterparts and the local population.
Memorization of key words and phrases is useful but Functional language alone is not enough.
Regional “Expertise” = misnomer; more accurate as “Exposure” -- the more you study about a region or country, the more you know, you don’t know
Regional/Culture specific knowledge to understand the unique characteristics of a geographic area and population.
Culture = USMC Operational Culture. RCLF does not try to teach Marines about their inner humanity (or how to weave baskets or sing folk songs). RCLF aims to teach Marines how to accomplish their mission despite the unexpected cultural events and surprises they will encounter when deployed somewhere they’ve never been before.
Operational culture concepts can be applied in many situations and missions.
Education, Training & Readiness based approach to capability development

6. The LREC Approach Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture
Complementary method to capability development
Foundational Language Skill Development
Communication not expertise
Regional “Expertise”
Characteristics of a geographic area and population
Making informed observations about how different regional aspects form or influence a pattern of behavior
Culture
USMC Operational Culture
Culture General Foundation
Foundational language skill = how to establish rapport, how to execute basic military-related tasks. The goal is NOT to create crypto-linguists, translators, or interpreters. We aim to enable Marines to have basic conversations with their international counterparts and the local population.
Memorization of key words and phrases is useful but Functional language alone is not enough.
Regional “Expertise” = misnomer; more accurate as “Exposure” -- the more you study about a region or country, the more you know, you don’t know
Regional/Culture specific knowledge to understand the unique characteristics of a geographic area and population.
Culture = USMC Operational Culture. RCLF does not try to teach Marines about their inner humanity (or how to weave baskets or sing folk songs). RCLF aims to teach Marines how to accomplish their mission despite the unexpected cultural events and surprises they will encounter when deployed somewhere they’ve never been before.
Operational culture concepts can be applied in many situations and missions.
Education, Training & Readiness based approach to capability development

7. Operational Culture
“Those aspects of culture that influence the outcome of a military operation; conversely, the military actions that influence the culture of an area of operations.”
“Culture” definitions vary:
The creation, maintenance, and transformation of semi-shared patterns of meaning, sense making, affiliation, action and organization by groups.
The USMC Operational Culture Approach:
Culture General (1st) Culture Specific (2nd)
Definition of Operational Culture – highlight that it’s 2 parts
Preparation for the unknown

8. Cross-Cultural Competence (3C)
Intended Outcome of
Culture Education & Training
“The ability to quickly & accurately comprehend, and effectively & appropriately interact across cultures… without necessarily having prior exposure to a particular group, region, or language.”
After almost a decade of study devoted to military 3C, most service centers have adopted this definition (Selmeski, 2007)
3C includes the ability to acquire new knowledge and skills and transfer them from one culture to another (whether Qatar, Columbia or Canada)
Transferrable skills that can be TAUGHT. This presentation focuses on themes that are universally important

9. RCLF Program Educational Framework
Cross-Cultural Competence
(C) CULTURE content is informed by work in the fields of: anthropology, cultural geography & intercultural communication, among others.
Culture General
(RE) REGIONAL EXPERTISE content is informed by work in the fields of: international relations, geography, history & strategic studies, among others.
(L) LANGUAGE content takes a conversational approach to student learning with a focus on initial interactions and rapport-building
RCLF provides a foundation in cross-cultural competence to support a globally deployable force while simultaneously enhancing regional understanding and functional language skills throughout the OPFOR for the GPF.
Each curriculum block introduces or reinforces “Culture General” concepts or skills, or those characteristics that can be applied to any region of study. The curriculum then provides regional or culture-specific information about the particular region to which the Marine is assigned. The idea is that as a Marine is promoted, in time his or her cross-cultural competence “tool kit” continues to develop; both theoretically (culture general concepts) and literally (by applying these concepts to the assigned region). Captains, CWO3s, and staff sergeants have the additional requirement to start learning functional language skills as part of the curriculum.
Regional /
Culture Specific
Functional
Language

10. Regional, Culture, and Language Familiarization
Officer and Enlisted Career Progression Model
Blocks
Officer Block 1
Enlisted Block 1/2
Officer Block 2
Enlisted Block 3
Officer Block 3
Enlisted Block 4
Officer Block 4
Enlisted Block 5
Officer Block 5
Enlisted Block 6
Cognitive
Introduction
Identify
Apply
Analyze
Strategic Evaluation
RCLF
Education Continuum
RCLF Introduction Brief
Regional Assignment
RCLF MarineNet Coursework
Culture General, Region Specific
17 Regions
RCLF MarineNet Coursework,
Region Specific
RCLF MarineNet Coursework, Region Specific
5 COCOM-centered Regions
1 Leadership Curriculum
Cross Cultural Competence Objectives
Introduction to Op Culture Overview of the RCLF Program
Introduction to components of Op Culture ID general aspects of Op Culture as they relate to the assigned region
Apply Op Culture considerations to the tactical scenario in the assigned region
Analyze the impact of cultural values on military operations & assess techniques for aligning culturally appropriate & mission effective behavior
Evaluate the impact of Operational Culture on operational and strategic planning
Language Familiarization NA
Headstart2 Program
hours of language CBT via MarineNet
Focus on tactical words and phrases.
Career Progression Model Major concepts:
Clarify the naming convention “Officer Block/Enlisted Block (OB/EB)”
Off/Enl link
Sequential
This is an EDUCATIONAL requirement (one time, each block at each rank); NOT a TRAINING requirement (annual or semi-annual requirement, to be repeated).
RCLF Education Continuum is intended to align with and complement other formal Officer and Enlisted PME requirements.
Each curriculum block introduces and reinforces “Culture General” concepts and skills that can be applied to any region of study.
Culture specific information about a particular region.
RCLF expands regional specialization to ensure all Marines have a basic LREC capability and career Marines have LREC capability commensurate with their rank; sufficient to execute their duties in a complex expeditionary environment.
Revision of the MCO on PME, in staffing, will make RCLF a requirement for “PME Complete” status as Directed by CMC in MROC Decision Memo 38-12

11. 17 to 5 5 to 1 Blocks Officer Block 2 Enlisted Block 3 Officer Block 3
Cognitive
Identify
Apply
Analyze
Strategic Evaluation
RCLF
Education Continuum
RCLF MarineNet Coursework
Culture General, Region Specific
17 Regions
RCLF MarineNet Coursework,
Region Specific
RCLF MarineNet Coursework, Region Specific
5 COCOM-centered Regions
1 Leadership Curriculum
Cross Cultural Competence Objectives
Introduction to components of Op Culture ID general aspects of Op Culture as they relate to the assigned region
Apply Op Culture considerations to the tactical scenario in the assigned region
Analyze the impact of cultural values on military operations & assess techniques for aligning culturally appropriate & mission effective behavior
Evaluate the impact of Operational Culture on operational and strategic planning
Language Familiarization
Headstart2 Program
hours of language CBT via MarineNet
Focus on tactical words and phrases. NA
Arabian Peninsula and Gulf
Balkans
Central Africa
Central America
Central Asia
East Africa
Levant
North Africa
Northeast Asia
Sahel
South America
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Southern Africa
Trans-Caucasus
West Africa
West South Asia
17 to 5
OB2/EB3 & OB3/EB4
OB4/EB5
USAFRICOM
USCENTCOM
USEUCOM
USPACOM
USSOUTHCOM
5 to 1
OB5/EB6
Senior Leader
Curriculum
Career Progression Model Major concepts:
Clarify the naming convention “Officer Block/Enlisted Block (OB/EB)”
Off/Enl link
Sequential
This is an EDUCATIONAL requirement (one time, each block at each rank); NOT a TRAINING requirement (annual or semi-annual requirement, to be repeated).
RCLF Education Continuum is intended to align with and complement other formal Officer and Enlisted PME requirements.
Each curriculum block introduces and reinforces “Culture General” concepts and skills that can be applied to any region of study.
Culture specific information about a particular region.

12. Assessments Direct Evidence Indirect Evidence
Formative Assessment (Quizzes and Scenarios)
Summative Assessments (Proctored Comprehensive Exams)
Indirect Evidence
TRG Research
End of Course Surveys
Item Analysis
Course Reports from MarineNet