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JBSA News
NEWS | June 22, 2017

Cultural Understanding and Language Program ROTC cadets learn, build lasting friendships in Chile

By Cadet Jennifer Sanchez and Cadet Nicholas Basel U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps

Filled with a vivid mixture of culture and tradition, Santiago, Chile, stands unique among Latin American countries. The pulsing rhythm of urban life is familiar for many Americans -- morning traffic on the metro, an abundance of dining styles and venues and a strong nightlife.

 

Other aspects of the city feel more foreign. The vendors selling everything from breakfast on the way to work to basic necessities like sheets and toilet paper; the white-capped grandeur of the Andes as an idyllic backdrop; the beaming, charismatic warmth of the Chilean people.

 

Thirty-two Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets from various U.S. universities spent May 14 to June 2 in Chile absorbing the Chilean culture and learning how Chile produces army officers during a U.S. Army Cadet Command-sponsored Cultural Understanding and Language Program, or CULP, trip.

 

“It is important to be culturally sensitive and this is a great opportunity (for these cadets),” said Lt. Col. Blanca Reyes, CULP Chile Mission commander and professor of military science at New Mexico State University. “A lot of cadets have never left their state. It is a great opportunity to broaden their horizons and to learn how to interact with others in a proper manner and be culturally sensitive so that when they go work with other cultures, or with NATO partners, they are already attuned and know how to navigate foreign territory.”

 

CULP missions are the formation of good relationships with people of different cultures, Reyes added. During the 21-day mission, the cadets were able to develop an understanding of Chilean military cadet culture and how the Chilean Army produces officers for their ranks.

 

The cadets experienced both cultural similarities and differences during their time at the Escuela Militar. Each cadet was paired with a Chilean cadet and had the opportunity to observe classes, engage in daily training and sporting events, dine in the mess hall and learn what it takes to get a commission as an officer in the Chilean Army.

 

“Having one-on-one conversations and meeting other friends of our sponsors helped me understand the differences and similarities about our military, the academies and our ROTC program,” said Cadet Mary McCarthy, University of Georgia sophomore. “Being able to have those conversations allows us to appreciate the ROTC program and our military even more.”

 

For many of the cadets, this was their first time in another country and their first time working with foreign soldiers.

 

Working with foreign soldiers was a new experience for many of the Chilean cadets as well. Both groups saw successful outcomes that helped both Chilean and U.S. cadets understand similarities in structure and daily operations between the two nations while also universal traits between societies.        

 

“Just by being in their shoes helped me value the military even more knowing that we have a great military force and should be very proud of it,” McCarthy said.

 

Chilean Army cadet Sebastian Muñoz agreed with McCarthy and said the experience was beneficial to the Chilean cadets as well.

 

“Having Americans in classes with us and talking to them in English as practice has really impacted us because we gain knowledge about how the United States works and how different and similar both cultures are,” he said.

 

Muñoz went on to explain the importance of understanding different military cultures and the importance of these budding relationships, an opinion shared by many other cadets.

 

“This opportunity to work alongside U.S. Army cadets who are on the same track we are to become officers is great for us,” said Claudio Astorga, a second-year cadet at the Escuela Militar. He added that it is interesting to understand American culture while letting the U.S. Army ROTC cadets experience Chilean culture and the ways in which the two militaries differ.

 

Working with other cadets, interacting with them, and learning about their daily lives helps cadets understand the driving force and motivation behind Chilean cadets’ behavior.

 

For example, Chilean cadet Sebastian Muñoz mentioned that the Ejército de Chile uses the United States military doctrine and applies it.

 

One example of this was directly observed during a Military Tactics class, when the Chilean professor discussed what commander’s should prioritize and  analyze during the planning phase of any operation, otherwise known as METT-TC, and its use in battle drills and missions. Though Chilean and American society have some social differences, their military doctrine and standards are quite similar.

 

More than lasting friendships, the CULP program provides strategic importance now and potentially in the future, Reyes said.

 

“The friends made today have strategic importance now and potentially in future years,” she said. “The cadet that you guys met that’s your sponsor, one day you'll meet when you are both senior officers. Building those relationships has strategic gains.”