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The Human Terrain System in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ed. Montgomery Mcfate and Janice H. Laurence

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The Human Terrain System in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ed. Montgomery Mcfate and Janice H. Laurence Naval War College Review Volume 69 Article 14 Number 3 Summer 2016 Social Science Goes to War: The umH an Terrain System in Iraq and Afghanistan, ed. Montgomery McFate and Janice H. Laurence Yvonne R. Masakowski Follow this and additional works at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review Recommended Citation Masakowski, Yvonne R. (2016) "Social Science Goes to War: The umH an Terrain System in Iraq and Afghanistan, ed. Montgomery McFate and Janice H. Laurence," Naval War College Review: Vol. 69 : No. 3 , Article 14. Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol69/iss3/14 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Naval War College Review by an authorized editor of U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 154 NAVALMasakowski: WAR COLLEGE Social REVIEW Science Goes to War: The Human Terrain System in Iraq and Scholars: The Centennial History of the operational environment� The HTT’s U.S. Naval War College (Newport, RI: mission was to conduct research (in the Naval War College Press, 1984), is “a social sciences and anthropology) and former professor of naval history” whose to advise military commanders about history of the College lacks “critical the unique cultural aspects of the local/ analysis�” At the time of publication, regional population� In eleven chapters, Hattendorf was and remains the Ernest McFate and Laurence have compiled J� King Professor of Maritime History an invaluable collection of experiences at the Naval War College, and is still from the scientists involved� They afford recognized as the preeminent scholar on us the opportunity to accompany these the history of the U�S� Navy at Newport� scientists on their journeys, as they share In addition to these two notable errors, their perspectives with the military� We Playing War still reads like a disserta- learn the value of embedding social tion in need of another round of editing� scientists with military units and how Chapter introductions and descriptions important their knowledge and expertise of the students are repeated several times are for military leaders to achieve an un- and add little to the analysis presented� derstanding of today’s complex, cultur- With the main body of the book ending ally diverse operational environments� at 137 pages, this work leaves the reader In this way, social scientists can help with the impression that there is still military leaders make more-informed, more to explore about the relationship and therefore better, decisions� between the interwar war games and General David Petraeus (Ret�) states how the U�S� Navy fought during the in the foreword that the “key ter- Second World War� While this imperfect rain in irregular warfare is the human volume has some merit, the definitive terrain�” He highlights the role social history of the Naval War College’s inter- scientists played in shaping the cultural war war games remains to be written� framework of the battle space and how they contributed to military leaders’ JON SCOTT LOGEL knowledge to ensure mission success� General Petraeus posits the notion that the military indeed may require even greater sociocultural knowledge to conduct future military operations� Social Science Goes to War: The Human Terrain System in Iraq and Afghanistan, ed� Montgomery Today’s military leaders are well trained McFate and Janice H� Laurence� New York: Ox- in tactics, techniques, and procedures; ford Univ� Press, 2015� 320 pages� $39�95 (Kindle however, the twenty-first-century $22�99)� battle space presents inherent dif- The twenty-first-century security ficulties for military leaders� One of environment has been characterized by their principal deficiencies is a lack of numerous cross-cultural battle spaces, cross-cultural competence (C3)� C3 is such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan� the ability to communicate effectively The U�S� Army initiated the human and appropriately with people of other terrain team (HTT) because it needed cultures� As the number of multina- to address the impact of the human tional coalition military operations cultural dimension in the combat Published by U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons, 2016 1 NWC_Summer2016Review.indb 154 6/8/16 3:58 PM Naval War College Review, Vol. 69 [2016], No. 3, Art. 14 BOOK REVIEWS 155 continues to increase, military leaders For example, James Dorough-Lewis’s will need to achieve C3 to be effective� chapter, “Investing in Uncertainty,” Military leaders must be prepared to provides a clear illustration of some of adapt to a wide range of cultural, social, the challenges the social scientists faced and political challenges in the operation- in the HTTs� We learn about the need to al environment� Education in cultural delineate between social scientists and competency, cultural intelligence, and members of the Intelligence Commu- social intelligence plays a pivotal role in nity� This distinction is critical for social a military leader’s ability to lead, build scientists as they attempt to establish relationships based on trust, and develop relationships based on trust and cred- unity of effort and command within ibility� Their research task is to assess complex, culturally diverse environ- and understand the cultural nuances ments� A leader’s ability to engage and and the cultural environment that may communicate effectively requires that he impact the overall military operation; or she understand the unique social and in contrast, the intelligence analyst behavioral qualities of the local popula- probes the environment for meaningful tion� This capability is a requirement information that will be used to un- for successful negotiation and conflict derstand the operational environment� management� Lack of it can mean the The social scientist seeks to understand difference between success and failure� each individual’s cultural perspective and relationships among people living This volume is a tribute to the knowl- in the environment� Social scientists and edge and expertise of social scientists anthropologists in the HTTs work with who served as members of HTTs� Their the local people to build relationships stories serve as evidence of their unique based on trust and to find ways to help experiences, insights, and contributions local people continue with their daily toward achieving cultural understand- lives� In one such example (p� 196), the ing in combat zones in places such as Army had built a hospital to meet all the Iraq and Afghanistan� It is worth not- security requirements� However, Sunni ing that HTTs offered more than just women needing medical care preferred cultural expertise� Rather, they made to travel to a hospital an hour away— a considerable investment in develop- rather than travel the path on which ing relationships with local people their husbands, sons, and brothers had and provided their military units with lost their lives� Social scientists were critical assessments about operating in able to communicate with these women and among members’ host nations� This and understand their cultural perspec- information was critical for military tive, which they shared with the military decision makers and those involved in team� This incident highlights the need counterinsurgency campaigns, so it was to understand the culture, beliefs, and critical for the social scientists as soon values of the local people when operat- as possible to build rapport and cred- ing in a culturally diverse region� Social ibility with the local population, as well scientists provide a cultural lens toward as with the military units to which they the local people, examining and explain- were assigned� Laurence and McFate ing how they perceive what is happening invite us to share their experiences as in their unique cultural point of view� we join each scientist on that journey� https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol69/iss3/14 2 NWC_Summer2016Review.indb 155 6/8/16 3:58 PM 156 NAVALMasakowski: WAR COLLEGE Social REVIEW Science Goes to War: The Human Terrain System in Iraq and This book provides the perspectives of history and the reader, and most likely and experiences of social scientists who, to the consternation of the Pentagon, embedded with military teams, shared Naylor’s knowledge of special operations their knowledge and cultural expertise and his extensive contacts reveal the to help military leaders make informed temperaments and competencies of key decisions within culturally diverse individuals and the details of numerous environments� This volume will prove clandestine missions and organizational to be an invaluable resource for military capabilities� Many will condemn Naylor leaders, as it highlights the importance for revealing these secrets, but the and impact of understanding the role fault is not with Naylor; it is with those of cultural diversity in military op- who talked� The book also, perhaps erations� McFate and Laurence have unintentionally, exposes flaws in how performed a service to the military by the United States wages war, as well as providing a valuable resource for all the limitations of special operations� military leaders to guide them in future The book begins by recounting the military operations� In addition, this creation of JSOC after the failed Iranian book applauds those scientists who were hostage rescue operation in 1980� New daring enough to join in the human threats to national security
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