Culture: The New Key Terrain, Integrating Cultural Competence into Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace by Major O. Kent Strader

This monograph suggests that it maybe possible to weaponize culture, specifically through the use of cultural intelligence. In order to weaponize culture, commanders and staffs must develop competence culturally to leverage the key relationships, dependencies and vulnerabilities. Competence is "the fusion of cultural understanding with cultural intelligence that allows focused insight into current operations." Finally, the purpose of this monograph is to convince operational leaders that a systems approach to culture is the best method of deduction to achieve cultural competence.

The framework this monograph employees includes international relations, history, theory and an analysis of current doctrine. After establishing why culture has become they new key terrain this monograph suggests modification to the Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield process and ways to incorporate cultural competence into campaign design using a systems approach to culture.

Joint Publication 2-01.3 Joint Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace

FM 34-130 Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield

Analytic Culture in the US Intelligence Community: An Ethnographic Study by Dr. Rob Johnston


An effort to assess intelligence analysis from an anthropological viewpoint. Identifies and describes conditions and variables that negatively affect intelligence analysis. Investigates analytic culture, methodology, error, and failure within the Intelligence Community. Uses an applied anthropological methodology that includes interviews, direct and participant observation, and focus groups.