March 3, 201214 yr As I've stated in the past, I'll put my personal experience in the Middle East up against that of any member of this group. In all my years working in Saudi Arabia, I found that there are many good folks there, but also some who seem to be in a perpetual state of looking for something to be offended by, especially over religious matters. A seemingly innocuous remark or action could rapidly escalate into someone being "Offended", and even more rapid unemployment. With this fact in mind, my initial employer decided to see that all hirees received training in the various aspects of society that could prove problematic. Hard as it may be for some Americans to accept, when you're in someone else's country, for whatever reason, you need to learn their customs and laws and act accordingly. In the early '70s, the Navy conducted a 2 week course for all hands on what they called "Intercultural Relations" before the ship deployed to Japan. If the military isn't doing something along those lines with our troops now, they certainly should be. If they need instructors, I'd hapilly volunteer, as I don't doubt most of my former colleagues in Saudi Arabia with military experience would. Buddha
Create an account or sign in to comment