( 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 do n'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 much more expeditionary . We have to be more intelligence-minded , more people-minded . We have to understand the populations that we 're operating in and among , '' said Nick Dowling , a former National Security Council director who runs the culture-training company , IDS International . The past decade has taught the U.S. Army many lessons . According to Gen. Ray Odierno , Army chief of staff , the biggest takeaway from Iraq and Afghanistan is the importance of `` understanding the prevailing culture and values . '' To address tomorrow 's conflicts , Odierno revealed an initiative in March 2012 to regionally align brigades with the six unified command zones . The plan aims to create brigades better equipped to operate in specific regions by establishing language and cultural proficiency programs in their assigned territory . Currently , anthropology , language and 10,000 years of heritage are squeezed into troops ' curricula a few weeks before deployment , what Dowling calls `` cultural training on steroids . '' Between pre-deployment paperwork and drills , they are handed a small pamphlet outlining some history and cultural no-nos to avoid . Former soldier Joseph Hurst recalled there was sparse cultural training before his 2003 deployment to Iraq . `` They gave us an English/Arabic translation book , told us things not to say and do like give the OK sign , which is seen as an obscene gesture , and that was about it , '' he said . As the Army concludes its mission in Afghanistan , top military leaders are not only looking back but also forward to what the 21st century holds as new threats arise . The enemy du jour is manifested in ethnicities spanning more than one country , yet adhering to the same ideals , making borders often meaningless . Take al Qaeda in Iraq and Al-Shabaab in Somalia : The Islamist groups may be on different continents , but they subscribe to similar ideals , inciting state-to-state rivalries . Col. Jeff Broadwater said efforts to craft a more culturally savvy Army is an effort to foster more symbiotic relationships across various regions . Broadwater is a commander with the 2nd Brigade , 1st Infantry Division , aka `` Dagger Brigade , '' which is the first force to be regionally aligned . Dagger Brigade will provide U.S. Africa Command with defense guidance and security enhancement beginning March 2013 . `` By increasing their security and capabilities , it will prevent potential future threats to their countries as well as the U.S. , '' he said , adding that such proactive measures could actually make U.S. deployments unnecessary in the future . The Africa-aligned armored brigade of 4,000 troops based out of Fort Riley , Kansas , will still maintain core combat skills , such as gunnery , live-fire training and medical training so it can respond to any mission globally , but the brigade will have a more tedious training regimen than the one-size-fits-all approach applied to current general forces . Africa hosts a multitude of customs . More than 2,000 languages ( and by some counts , as many as 3,000 ) are spoken on the continent . Most Africans adhere to some brand of Christianity or Islam , but there are also animist beliefs as well as ethnic and folk mythologies . You can also find a smattering of Hindus and Jews . To `` put a sharper point on the pencil , '' as Broadwater explains it , experts and advisers will school soldiers in demographics , religious breakdowns , dominant languages , political landscapes and general cultural understanding . Watch Army chaplain share thoughts on cultural mistakes in Afghanistan . Their training can include lessons as disparate as proper social interactions and the kinds of weapons systems that a country 's basic security force might be equipped with , said Lt. Col. Joel Buenaflor , who helps plan the regionally aligned forces . For example , Islam in many countries forbids men from touching a woman who is n't a relative , and this includes shaking her hand , a common American greeting . Former soldier Hurst also said showing the soles of your feet is disrespectful in Iraq . In Egypt , the thumbs-up sign is considered offensive . The training will be tailored to the needs and requests of nations hosting U.S. troops , with the aim of `` transferring knowledge to our counterparts to bring them to a proficiency level where they can help us in the future , '' said Col. Matthew McKenna , commander of the 162nd Infantry Brigade , which will help train Dagger Brigade to become more culturally adept during its time in Africa . The 162nd currently functions as a combat adviser for foreign security forces , responsible for training all Army personnel deploying for the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan . Already , several African nations have requested 90 small-scale missions to familiarize their soldiers with weapons and basic rifle marksmanship . They 've also requested combined military exercises and that the U.S. Army help them enhance live-fire capabilities , medical training and logistics , so Dagger Brigade will focus on those requests , McKenna said . `` We also have 27 larger collective exercises which are developed to build the capacity of the regional peacekeeping brigades within Africa , '' he said . But even before deploying , Dagger Brigade is already encountering obstacles . With the Pentagon 's 2013 fiscal budget slicing 80,000 troops over the next five years , the Army is wrestling with the question : Who 's going to pay for this ? `` I think in the long term , though , the Army sees this as a more efficient way to train the staff , '' Dowling said . Odierno seems to agree , as he made the regional alignment a top pillar in his Army 2020 objectives aimed at making leaders more adaptive and equipment more modern . The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated how cognizance of cultures , ethnicities and religions was essential to understanding the source of conflict , Broadwater said . Dowling added that the training alone can help a soldier better understand the lay of any land . Even if troops received cultural training specifically for African nations , it would be better to use that unit in the Middle East than troops who were n't culturally aligned at all , he said . `` Anthropologically , socially , economically , they 'll have to reset what the answers are , but the right questions will already be in their mind , '' he said .
The United States is at war with ideals as much as or more than foreign armies . Troops ' curricula to include demographics , religion , languages , political landscapes . Thumbs-up in Egypt , showing soles of feet in Iraq are examples of offensive gestures . Commander : " I'm going to take this guy down and put him on the ground so he can see what's happening here.