(CNN) -- Chemical weapons engulf soldiers carrying 60-pound
rucksacks, their mud-filled boots trenching through a river
dividing simulated enemy lines. Troops run in the desert to
acclimate to harsh conditions with winter temperatures as low as
8 degrees, summer as high as 120. The training becomes
increasingly realistic in the weeks before deployment, mirroring
the topography they may endure, but not necessarily the human
terrain -- the cultures they'll be dealing with. And in a
foreign land, something as seemingly innocuous as a thumbs-up
sign or shaking a woman's hand can land a soldier in trouble.
While physical conditioning and live-fire exercises certainly
help prepare troops for deployment, they're culturally blind if
they don't understand the people among whom they'll be fighting.
In the 21st century, when the U.S. is at war with ideals as much
as -- if not more than -- foreign armies, this blind side can be
as dangerous as your M249 jamming. "This makes warfare a lot
more complex. So we have to be mu